Fruit flies can be quite a problem, especially if you live in parts of the world where there is a lot of heat. It can be annoying to cover all of your fruit with a cloth, plastic paper, or a lid, but that’s often the only thing that you know to do to get rid of fruit flies. The good news is that it’s actually a lot easier than you might expect, so here are some things that you can do to get rid of these pesky flies once and for all:

Keep Things Clean – If you keep your kitchen nice and clean, the flies will have nothing to be attracted to. They love the smell of fruits and vegetables, especially items that are going bad. If you want to keep them away, just make sure that your kitchen is nice and clean. Use disinfectant to wipe down the counters every night, and immediately clean up any spills. Take the time to empty food out of the drain trap in your kitchen, and make sure that your garbage can lid is clean.

Cover Things Properly – If you leave fruit in a bowl, the flies are definitely going to be attracted to it. It’s a good idea to put the fruit in a bowl that you can cover with a lid, as the flies will have no way to get at the fruit. Make sure that your garbage can is properly closed, and stow all the leftover food in the fridge. Close the pantry doors, and be certain that there is no food left out in the open air.

Use Vinegar to Trap Them – For those that are sick and tired of the fruit flies, vinegar makes a very handy trap. Pour a cup of apple cider vinegar into a cup of warm water, and pour in a couple of teaspoons of dish soap – preferably a citrus scented soap. Leave this out near the fruit, and watch the flies flock to it. The vinegar and soap will drown them, thus eliminating them effectively.

Beer Traps – Beer makes a very good trap for fruit flies, and you can pour a couple of cups of beer into a simple mason jar as the trap. Cover the lid with a piece of saran wrap, and secure it in place with a rubber band. Poke some holes in the top so the flies can smell the beer, and they will fly into the trap. Once they drink the beer, they will be unable to get out.

Leave the Lights On – If you want to make your traps as effective as possible, you would do well to leave the lights on in the kitchen overnight. Fruit flies tend to be more active when there is light out, so leaving the lights on in the kitchen will attract them. They will be more likely to fall into your traps, as they will fly around looking for the fruit.

Coke Trap – Coke is full of sugar, which is just what the fruit flies are looking for. Pour some Coke into a soda bottle and screw the top on securely. Use a nail to poke a hole in the top of the bottle, and leave it out where the flies can smell it. They will be attracted to the soda, and they will fly into the bottle to drink. They will be trapped inside the bottle, where they will drown eventually.

Take the Garbage Out – Chances are good that the flies are attracted to the smell of the garbage in your garbage bin, especially if your bin uses a revolving top rather than a lid. It’s best to take out the garbage at least once a day during the summer when the fruit flies are more active, and make sure that your garbage can lid is cleaned regularly in order to avoid fruit flies.