How to prevent fruit flies from infesting your kitchen

Fruit flies are pesky little creatures that are annoying, unhealthy, and mostly just plain gross. The yucky part is, as soon as they find a food source, they begin laying hundreds of eggs while eating the fermented fruit — or whatever else has attracted them.

When it comes to dealing with fruit flies, the first thing you should do is practice prevention, as in taking away their food sources. That means storing fresh fruit in sealed places. Keeping your kitchen sparkling clean is important, along with ensuring that all of your fruit is covered. You’ll want to change your dish towels and sponges regularly, while dirty dishes should be kept out of the sink and cleaned or put in the dishwasher immediately. Wiping down your counters with an all-purpose spray and a microfiber cloth will keep fruit flies from finding food sources as well. There are also many fragrances that fruit flies dislike that you can use to try and deter them from settling in an area. Here are a few specific scents that can help keep fruit flies at bay: