Did fruit flies get in your house? How to get rid of them

Fruit flies have been trending on Delaware social media and all anyone wants to know is: "How do I get rid of them?"

The winged specks are only an eighth of an inch long, but they can be very annoying and potentially contaminate food in your home.

The red-eyed menaces typically hitch a ride into your home on unrefrigerated fruits and vegetables, according to University of Kentucky Entomologist Michael Potter. Once they're in, fruit flies multiply quickly, laying 500 eggs in their weeklong lifetime, Potter says.

They lay those eggs in any moist, fermenting material, such as the tomatoes, onions or grapes on your counter, but also in drains, empty soda cans, trash cans and rags.

How to get rid of them

To prevent or eliminate fruit flies, first, get rid of what's attracting them, Potter says. Throw away or at least refrigerate ripe or rotting produce and clean surfaces.

"A single rotting potato or onion forgotten at the back of a closet, or fruit juice spillage under a refrigerator can breed thousands of fruit flies," Potter says. "So can a recycling bin stored in the basement which is never emptied or cleaned."

Bugs: Worried about West Nile virus, other mosquito-borne illnesses? How to protect yourself

Drain-dwelling fruit flies can be killed by taping a bag over the drain overnight.

A simple trap will catch any remaining fruit flies, Potter says. Fill a cup or jar with a few ounces of apple cider vinegar, then make a funnel with a piece of paper and put it on top. Place the traps wherever fruit flies are seen. You can release the flies outside or cover the hole in the funnel and put the trap in your freezer to kill them.

Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Twitter @MarvelMcNaught.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Did fruit flies get in your house? How to get rid of them