Bye Bye Bugs

A slightly overripe banana and a temperature of around twenty degrees. That’s all it takes to make fruit flies happy. So happy that they seem to multiply every second. Of course, you could immediately buy a can of insect spray. Undoubtedly very effective, but not necessarily very pleasant among your pans, spatulas and other cooking utensils. There are also other ways to get rid of those little pests.

Perhaps it’s logical, but still: make sure all the cracks, holes and corners in your kitchen are sealed. A column of ants usually doesn’t walk in through the open kitchen door. A gap along the window frame, a loose skirting board; for pests, these are the best front doors for entering your home. Another obvious tip: empty your bin regularly. Nothing is more delicious to fruit flies than fermenting apple cores.

In the mood for Italian wine? Try one of these.

Herbs
Most little pests find the smell of bay leaves absolutely dreadful, both fresh and dried. Put a leaf with the muesli, in the packet of rice or among the lentils, and the pests will stay away. Another smell-related case: basil. We love it, insects not so much. A good reason to put another plant on the windowsill. Rosemary has the same effect.

Pepper spray
Would you still like to spray, but without using too many chemicals? Pepper spray is your miracle cure. A natural spray based on capsaicin, the substance that makes a pepper so hot. Soft-bodied creatures such as caterpillars and aphids especially dislike it. It’s also handy for corners that are not so easy to reach.

Oil
Eucalyptus, tea tree or lavender oil work wonders. Mix a cup with around 30 drops of oil. Use a spray bottle to spray the mixture into all the corners and cracks of your kitchen. Unwanted visitors stay outside and your kitchen will smell wonderful. Win-win.

Vinegar
Finally, a tried-and-tested remedy for fruit flies: vinegar with a few drops of dish soap. Put it in a bowl covered with a piece of plastic wrap. Make a few holes in it with a skewer. The fruit flies crawl through (because nothing is more delicious than vinegar with dish soap) but can’t get back out.