Stay tuned with us to learn more about the essential oils to get rid of fruit flies naturally without the use of any harmful sprays!
Essential oils are extracted from the different parts of the plants. They are famous for their numerous health benefits. Apart from this, you can also use them to deter the annoying fruit flies to stops the disease-spreading organisms.
What Are Fruit Flies?
Fruit flies belong to ‘Drosophila’ and ‘Tephritidae’ genus of flies. They are commonly found in houses, restaurants, or anywhere the ripened or rotted fruits and vegetables exist. The different names of fruit flies are –
- Pomace fly
- Wine fly
- Common fruit fly or Vinegar fly
- Mediterranean fruit fly
- Mexican fruit fly
- Caribbean fruit fly
- Melon fly
- Asian fruit fly
- Olive fruit fly
- Queensland fruit fly
- Peach fruit fly
What Causes Fruit Flies?
The accumulation of cans, garbage, trash containers, overripe fruit, and laundering clothes is the breeding place of the pesky fruit flies. They usually hover around the edible fermented products.
The perishable items such as seafood, cooked food, onions, guava, and banana are also the reason for the flies’ infestation in any part of your house. Their breeding and life cycle is very fast, that’s why you have to take measures to remove them as soon as possible.
Essential Oils to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
Try the below different essential oil recipes to get rid of fruit flies effectively!
1. Lemongrass Essential Oil
Lemongrass oil is the essence of the lemongrass plant. It halts the frequent occurrence of the tiny pomace flies at your home, thanks to its citrus fragrance, which is the reason behind the activity.
Remedy
To make a fruit flies deterrent, add 20-25 drops of lemongrass essential oil into a mixing bowl, then soak few cotton balls into the liquid. Put them on the flies’ infestation area or around the window, countertop, and doors.
2. Clove Essential Oil
Clove oil is obtained from the leaves, stem, and buds of the clove plant. Try this essential oil to repel the bacteria-spreading fruit flies without any extra efforts.
Remedy
Pour 20-25 drops of clove essential oil along with four ounces of water into an empty spray bottle with the help of a small funnel. Now spritz this mixture around your baseboards, refrigerators, washing machines, under the cabinets, and on the countertops.
3. Rosemary Essential Oil
Rosemary oil is an effective fruit fly repellent, thanks to its richness in monoterpenes, including alpha-pinene, eucalyptol, and camphene. Furthermore, it also has ketones, namely camphor and alcohol borneol. All these compounds are responsible for rosemary oil’s strong aroma.
Remedy
To deter the fruit flies, pour 15-20 drops of rosemary essential oil onto a bracelet made up of ribbon strip, then wear it.
4. Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Eucalyptus essential oil is a natural fruit fly deterrent, thanks to its strong scent that is soothing for humans but is disliked by the flies. Try the below method to get rid of fruit flies in a short period.
Remedy
Pour 20-30 drops of eucalyptus essential oil into a small bowl, then take some cotton ribbons and immerse into the oil. Now, hang the ribbons on the top of the windows, ceiling, patio entrance with the help of a tape or thread.
5. Lavender Essential Oil
The lavender essential oil is derived from the flower stalks of the lavender plant. It has an insect repellent distinct scent because of its monoterpenes linalool, cineole, and camphor. Furthermore, it’s high in antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties as well.
Remedy
To try this home remedy, open the cap of the lavender essential oil bottle and place them where fruit flies tend to accumulate frequently.
6. Peppermint Essential Oil
Peppermint oil can repel the ‘Drosophila suzukii‘ – a species of a fruit fly. It has monoterpenoids that are responsible for its strong fragrance.
Remedy
Place the essential oil burner where the fruit flies hovers mostly at your home, then add a few drops of peppermint oil onto it.
7. Thyme Essential Oil
If the above solution fails to work, then the thyme essential oil will surely eliminate the flies. It has monoterpene thymol that is responsible for its immense repellent effects.
Remedy
Add 20-30 drops of thyme essential oil and four ounces of water into a spray bottle. Now sprinkle the mixture on the fruit flies’ habitat place.
Notes:
- Essential oils will not kill the flies but repel them for good.
- Refill the oils in the above remedies multiple times a day, because it evaporates quickly at room temperatures.
- Dilute the ethereal oils, either with a carrier oil or water.
After trying the above remedies of various essential oils, you’ll surely eliminate the fruit flies in no time. Besides this, you can also use these ten best essential oils to treat your chapped lips.