As August hits, it seems some of us start shifting gears to the new school year and the fall whether… (It doesn’t help that Costco is already selling winter jackets!). That said, we still have PLENTY of summer left. Let’s relish in the fact that we still have some great weather and perhaps still a few family barbeques to partake in. With lots of “summer” still in store for us, let’s take a look at one more pest that frequently invades our homes during these warm months. Fruit Flies!
If you’re anything like me, fruit flies, (more than a lot of other pests), really irk me. There’s nothing worse than doing a full shop from a local farmers market only to have your fruits (and veggies) swarmed by these annoying pests. So, how do we avoid the inevitable annoyance? Here are some tips!
- Cover up your food! It sounds simple, but many people tend to leave their fruits and veggies in a fruit bowl of a decorative type hanger. This is a big no-no. If even a single fruit or veggie starts to turn, you can guarantee that fruit flies will smell it out and in turn spoil the rest of the bunch as well!
- Keep your surfaces clean! Fruit flies don’t just go after fruit as their name suggests. They love to feast on any residue or spills that have been left. Wiping up, and sanitizing your counters and floors will ensure that there will be no fruit fly buffet dinners happening in your space.
- Wash your food as soon as possible! While a lot of produce providers use pesticides, other (especially markets) will pride themselves on being pesticide free. That is a good and bad thing for the consumer. While we all enjoy eating a fresh piece of fruit straight from the tree or vine, it’s very important to wash and dry your fruits and veggies in order to rid them of any pests who may be living on the surfaces, or worse, inside the flesh of the food. All it takes to spoil your whole bunch is a single pest who will move on from one piece of fruit to another. Washing your fresh picks will ensure that you are ridding the fruit of these annoying pests as well as give you piece of mind knowing that you aren’t eating a mouthful of dirt – or worse… But we won’t get into that!