Dishwashing detergents
Quantity discount
CHF6.95 per piece for 3 units CHF15.40/1l
Palmolive Ultra 4in1 Hygiene
Gel
A summer without fruit flies
9.7.2018
Translation: machine translated
Silent, harmless and tiny, fruit flies can get on our nerves. In summer, they invade our homes. Don't let them do it to you any more, and keep unwanted insects at bay with a few homemade concoctions.
Mhh... you're so craving a ripe, yellow banana. Luckily, you only bought some a few days ago. You reach for the fruit basket and suddenly you're attacked by a myriad of tiny black dots. Like flip-flops and thunderstorms, midges are inevitable in summer. No sooner have the temperatures in the kitchen risen than the midges swarm in and take up residence. They frolic happily over the fruit, the bin and the open juice bottles.
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These insects, which measure around two millimetres, are not dangerous to humans or their four-legged friends and do not spread serious diseases. But that doesn't stop them getting on our nerves and ruining our appetites. Especially as they sometimes carry putrefying bacteria and speed up the rotting process of certain fruits. So it's best to get rid of them as quickly as possible. But avoid using chemicals near food. There are enough homemade solutions to scare the undesirables away.
Emergency help
The plague is here. It needs to be dealt with to curb the problem as quickly as possible. Luckily, we all already have the products we need to scare these invaders away in our cupboards.
Acid bath
Vinegar is the star of the fruit fly fight. You can mix it with a variety of ingredients. As a finishing touch, add a drop of washing-up liquid to your potion. This breaks the surface tension so that the flies drown forever. Here are two tried-and-tested recipes: vinegar, water, washing-up liquid and cola, vinegar, washing-up liquid. The scent released by the potion attracts midges, which then drown in the liquid.
Drowning in alcohol #1
Gnats, too, enjoy a few bubbles from time to time. But unlike us, they can't hold their liquor and will drown straight away. So try leaving a bottle with a base of bubbly next to the fruit basket and give it time.
Drowning in alcohol #2
Fruit flies don't say no to a little glass of wine either. A base of red wine with a drop of washing-up liquid will work wonders. You can also put cling film over the glass and poke little holes in it to replace the washing-up liquid. This will allow the midges to get into the glass, but they won't be able to get out.
Hungry plants
Carnivorous plants will be happy to assist you in the fight against invading midges. Butterwort, sundews and dionea will feast. The flies are trapped by the dionaea, unlike the other two plants to which they stick. All three plants need constantly moist soil and a very bright spot. Beware: carnivorous plants will provide support, but will not completely eradicate the invasion.
Pot of glue
Homemade potions too esoteric for you? You can also buy a fruit fly trap. This trap is covered in glue, so the midges stick to it. Traps are designed to attract midges so that they stick to them and stay there. It is apparently even more effective to use an additional bait (comment in German).
Aspiration
The previous methods not fast enough for you? You've still got the hoover. This method is a little more violent, but just as effective. Remove the brush and suck up the midges directly with the hose.
Prevention is better than cure
That's it, you've got rid of the invaders. Mind you, now is not the time to let your guard down! Here are a few tips to prevent another invasion.
Cover the fruit
Nothing attracts fruit flies more than the sweet smell of your fruit. Cover them with a tea towel to prevent midges from settling in. Cotton is perfect for this, protecting the fruit while letting it breathe.
One apple is enough to spoil the whole basket
A softened apple, a nectarine looking grey? They should be removed from the basket straight away. Damaged fruit is like an open door for fruit flies. And once they've settled on one fruit, it doesn't take long for them to colonise the rest of the basket.
Empty the bin regularly
Your green and household waste is appetising to midges. They settle and multiply in the bin and then take over the whole kitchen. If you don't keep your bin indefinitely and it doesn't have time to start smelling, the midges won't come to bother you.
Buy sparingly
I'll grant you, a basket overflowing with fruit looks great, but in summer it's risky. If you're not swallowing fruit by the kilo, buy small quantities instead to avoid leaving them lying around. If, on the other hand, you have no choice, you can keep some of the fruit in the fridge. Provided they can stand cold temperatures.
Clean, sweep, polish
All these tips will be of no use to you if your kitchen isn't clean. Don't leave leftovers in the sink, don't leave dishes lying around, keep the worktop clean and wipe up straight away if you spill anything. Regular aeration can help by evacuating fermentation gases.
Cleaning utensils
Quantity discount
CHF8.55 per piece for 3 units
Vileda Microfibre all-purpose cloth
8 pcs.
Are you currently facing an invasion or have you already successfully repelled the enemy using other methods? So get to your keyboards, tell us in the comments and help the rest of the community defeat the mini blackflies.
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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