Recipes and Tips
It’s that time of year! Ants, flies, and bugs of all kind. It’s expected when stepping out into the summer heat, but none of you want these critters invading your home. It seems that this time of year my house is plagued with two different pests, fruit flies and ants. They will not just go away without intervention, and this week I have been on the offensive. Follow along for easy DIY ant and fruit fly control recipes.
I have children in my house, so it is not always spotless. But, it is typically at an acceptable level of clean for me. There’s just something about an ant or fruit fly infestation that makes everything feel so dirty! I find myself in super cleaning mode and cannot rest until the invaders are gone. Why does it always seem as though they find us at the same time and pretty much always when company is expected? Sigh…
We eat a lot of fruit in this house, and bananas in particular. Fruit flies LOVE bananas. Any other fruit can be kept in the refrigerator to prevent them from becoming food for the fruit flies. Bananas most definitely cannot (instant rot). I will sometimes keep them in closed bags on the counter to prevent, or at least deter, the flies from getting in.
Fruit flies are also drawn to fermented foods and beverages, which makes making Kombucha during the summer tricky. I have to work quickly to avoid them getting into my brew. My post on how to make kombucha can be found here.
DIY Fruit Fly Trap
You will need:
1 cup
Fruit
Cling wrap
Sharp pencil
Rubber band
As previously stated, fruit flies seem to be most drawn to bananas, so that is my fruit of choice for this project. I also use a disposable cup to make cleanup as easy as possible.
Add fruit to the cup. Cover the cup with cling wrap, and secure with a rubber band. Once tight and secure, make small holes in the top that will be big enough to allow the flies to gain access to the fruit inside.
I explain to my children that the flies are simply not smart enough to figure out how to get back out of the cup, but it may simply be that they are content in there with their rotting fruit. My kids like to watch this process and continually come back to check the cup to see how many we’ve gotten.
Once you’ve gotten a good amount of flies, stick the whole cup in the freezer, where the flies will quickly die. I then throw the whole trap away. If you still notice some flies around, and you likely will (these guys are hard to shake!), repeat the process. If helps to keep your kitchen space as clean as possible during this time. Wipe down all counters and cupboards where any food residue (especially from fruit) may be lingering.
This year, ants were drawn to our half bath. I don’t know what could have possibly been food for them in there, but they happily scurried around. While it was entertaining and mildly disturbing to watch my son find creative ways to kill them with household objects, they needed to go. Enter my DIY Ant Bait that never fails me.
DIY Ant Bait Recipe
You will need:
1 tablespoon Borax (affiliate link)
1 tablespoon Sugar
1/4 cup Water
Cotton balls
Yes, that’s really all. I was initially drawn to this recipe because of the incredibly toxic materials used in anything that may be purchased at the store to handle the job. I did not want my children or pets to be exposed to such things. While you don’t want your children or pets ingesting borax, this is a considerably better option.
Simply mix the first 3 ingredients together, and dip the cotton ball until it is completely coated. Place the cotton ball where you see the ants. It can be helpful to guide an ant or two to the cotton ball to turn them onto the sugar. If you come back an hour later, the cotton ball will likely be covered in ants. When you come back the next morning, the area should be completely vacated, as they have all returned to their nest and died from ingesting the borax. If you still see some stragglers, repeat the process. It is so easy and fast!
What critters are you currently plagued with in your home during the summer heat?