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At best, theyre annoying, hovering in your peripheral vision. At worst, theyll multiply into swarms, carrying germs as they go. Thats why learning how to get rid of fruit flies is vital, especially if you love a countertop fruit bowl. They especially love fruit bowls because their favorite food is acetic acid, the main component of fruit fermentation, says Tracey Brooks ofWondercide, an Austin-based company that makes plant-powered pesticides. They voraciously feed on fermenting foods, sweet foods (like nectar), and yeastcompost piles are their Disneyland, she says.Fruit is a breeding ground for fruit flies.Photo: Melissa Ross/Getty ImagesTo keep these pests from making you bug out (not-so-fun fact: adult fruit flies can each lay around 400500 eggs during their lifespan, and eggs hatch within hours), we talked to Brooks about how to avoid them and what to do if you already have a fruit fly problem.What causes a lot of fruit flies in the house?Weve already mentioned that fruit, especially rotten fruit, is a breeding ground for fruit flies. Brooks points out that acetic acid can also be found in vinegar, wine, and yeast, which is why these flying insects are also attracted to those foods. Essentially, she says, They love anything thats yeasty and starting to ferment.That means that even if you keep your fruit bowl fresh, you might be attracting flies with cocktails and open containers of wine, uncovered charcuterie boards, and even empty cans or jars in your recycling bin. Even mini morsels can be problematic. Tiny food crumbs left on your kitchen sponge or countertop are a feast for the fruit fly, says Brooks.Find what you needAre fruit flies harmful to humans?The good news is that fruit flies dont bite or sting, and they dont spread diseases to humans. However, they can carry bacteria from dirty surfaces (such as your garbage cans) to clean ones (like that crisp apple in your fruit bowl), so they can contaminate your food. The bacteria they can carry includes listeria, E. coli, and salmonella. Thats why its important to get rid of them as soon as they appear. Its also a good reminder to always wash your produce before eating it, even if youre just grabbing it from a container on your countertop.Do fruit flies go away naturally?Fruit flies rarely go away without some intervention. As mentioned earlier, fruit flies reproducefast. One female fruit fly can lay approximately 500 eggs, says Brooks. So the little ones will quickly appear in your home and then start to breed themselves. And so on. Worst case, youll be overrun with thousands and thousands of fruit flies in your home. Thats why getting rid of these buggers at the first sign of an issue, thenkeeping your home spick-and-span, is the best way to go. Fruit flies also carry germs and can cause some pretty bad health issues, says Brooks. So keeping them off the food you eat and surfaces you touch is a top priority.How to get rid of fruit flies in the houseBecause the more the merrier definitely doesnt apply to these annoying insects, youll probably want to bid them adieupermanently. The most common way to kill fruit flies is to drown them in a DIY mix of dish soap and vinegar. Though if you dont want to go the DIY route, there are ready-made traps you can buy to do the deed. Another method is to use rubbing alcohol. Heres more on how to make each method happen.DIY fruit fly trapsThere are a number of DIY fruit fly traps you can create using simple household ingredients. Consider the following four methods.1. DIY vinegar and dish soap fruit fly trapYou can make a straightforward fruit fly trap with items that you likely already own: vinegar and dish soap.SuppliesA fourth of a cup of apple cider vinegar or white vinegarA few drops of dish soapA container to hold your liquid baitStepsMix: To create a DIY fruit fly trap, mix a quarter cup of either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar with a few drops of dish soap.Set the trap: Leave the mixture on a counter or surface near fruit fly activity. The idea is that the irresistible vinegar attracts the fruit flies, while the soap breaks the vinegars surface tension and drowns them.Wait: Soon you should see dead fruit flies in the liquid.Repeat: Clean your vessel and remake the mixture every few days.Tip: You can even find vessels made specifically to hold DIY bait, including a dish that has a lid perforated with small holes and a faux fruit option.2. A vinegar-free fruit fly trapDont have vinegar on hand? Dont stress. In a bind, you can use overripe fruit and a small piece of plastic wrap to make an easy fruit fly trap.SuppliesA chunk of overripe fruitA piece of plastic wrapA glass or small bowlA rubber bandA toothpickStepsAdd fruit: Place the fruit (a banana, chunk of melon, or an apple are all great) in a glass or small bowl.Cover: Cover the opening of your container with plastic wrap thats stretched taut. Use a rubber band to secure the wrap.Poke: Use a toothpick to poke a few tiny holes in the plastic wrap so that the flies can get in (lured by the fruit), but they wont be able to easily escape.Set: Place your trap nearest to where youre noticing the infestationwhether its the kitchen sink, trash can, or a fruit bowland give it about 12 hours to do its job. Better yet, place a few traps around the room to be even more effective.Repeat: Clean, remake, and reset the trap every few days until the infestation goes away.3. A paper cone fruit fly trapThe idea here is the same as the vinegar and dish soap trap, but the materials are different. In this case, youll create a trap with a funnel thats easy to enter, but tricky for fruit flies to escape.SuppliesVinegar or a piece of overripe fruitA glass or small bowlSheet of paperScissorsStepsAdd bait: Once again youll use either vinegar or overripe fruit as bait, placing it at the bottom of a glass.Create a cone: Roll a piece of paper into a cone and give the tip a tiny snip, creating a slight opening. Put your cone in the glass tip side down, leaving a few inches between the paper and your bait.Set trap: Place the trap near your sink, trash can, fruit bowl, or other location where youve seen fruit flies.Repeat: Clean, remake, and reset the trap every few days.4. Kill fruit flies with rubbing alcoholWe call this method the alcohol spritz. While it might sound like youre hosting these unwanted houseguests for a cocktail party, its actually a quick and lethal way to clear them out.SuppliesRubbing alcoholA spray bottleStepsFill spray bottle: Add 91% isopropyl alcohol to a spray bottle.Spray: Spritz directly on fruit flies. Try to avoid spraying your fruit in the process. Not only should you avoid consuming rubbing alcohol, it can also damage the fruits skin and make it spoil much faster