Fruit flies may be little, but they're annoying. They'll feed on any fruit or vegetable you've got, as long as it emits fermentation. Basically, any fully ripe or rotting fruit or vegetable will attract fruit flies. One study found that when using seven different types of fruit, fruit flies were mostly attracted to bananas. If you're a banana-lover, consider these tips to prevent fruit flies in your home.
Fruit flies can be found just about anywhere - supermarkets, restaurants and homes all are vulnerable to a fruit fly infestation, FruitFlies.org noted. They love feeding on fermenting fruit and vegetables, but they're also fans of beer, ice cream, alcohol and fermenting flour. Flies happily breed in garbage or recycling bins, where there's plenty of rotting food and fermentation to go around. Fruit flies don't live long, but they breed incredibly quickly. So, if you see one fruit fly, you definitely have more in your home. Eggs can hatch into adults in a period of a week - the egg only takes 15 hours to hatch.
Follow these tips to prevent fruit flies from snacking on your bananas.
Eliminate sources of attraction: Get rid of any sources of fruit or vegetables that you know flies may be attracted to, the University of Kentucky stated. If you have any ripe fruit lying around, use it immediately. If you know you're not going to eat it, throw it away. If you have any rotten or damaged fruit, throw it out. Flies may have laid eggs inside the fruit and could hatch and release themselves into your home.
Seal uncovered food: Another good way to prevent these little guys from buzzing around your food is to eliminate the fermentation they're attracted to. Sealing up food in a container can help get rid of the scent that flies are drawn to and keep them from landing on your food.
Throw out garbage frequently: Though you may be conscientious of throwing rotten fruit and vegetables away, that doesn't mean your problem is gone. Flies will happily go into the trash and feed off whatever you've got in there. Constantly throw your trash out and wipe out the can to keep any juices from attracting remnant flies.
If you do have a fruit fly problem, don't break out the insecticide. Instead, call your local pest service company to eradicate every fruit fly you may have.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
The kitchen is largest gathering place for pests in a residential home. The reason is simple: pests can grab a bite to eat and take a sip of water while they're here. And when they find such a bountiful place, they will return home to their nests and report the finding - before you know it, your whole pantry is a buffet for ants! The problem could get even worse if a piece of food falls somewhere and begins to rot. Similarly, fruit and vegetables you bring into your home may be harboring unseen pests waiting to hatch.
