Do Fruit Flies Ruin Plants?
WouterIf you’re worried about fruit flies destroying your plants, you’re not alone. Infestations of fruit flies can seem to be endless. They can breed rapidly, and they thrive in damp conditions. If your plants are infested with flies, you may want to consider re-potting them. Alternatively, you can kill the flies with alcohol or dishwashing liquid.
First, be sure to get rid of the flies’ food source. The flies are attracted to garbage and decaying organic matter. Remove any trash or decaying organic matter from the soil near your plants. You can also get rid of the flies by cleaning and disinfecting surfaces around your plants. Fly traps are another option. Neem oil is also effective at killing these pests.
Commercial producers take extra precautions to prevent fruit flies from damaging fruit. Depending on the severity of the infestation, it can contaminate a whole crop, reducing its quality and yield. In some severe cases, farmers may only be able to remove a portion of the infested fruit. In many cases, eradicating fruit flies will cost hundreds of millions of dollars each year.
One way to combat fruit flies is to build a fly trap. This trap consists of small holes in the floor and a layer of apple cider vinegar. The vinegar acts as a natural deterrent for fruit flies, and they will drown in the vinegar if they get inside. Sticky cards can also be hung inside the trap to catch fruit flies.
