This Cleaning Hack Is Going Viral for Preventing Fruit Flies from Taking Over Your Kitchen

For some reason, fruit flies can’t get enough of ripe bananas. As soon as you put a bunch out on your counter, the annoying insects seem to race over to attack. One moment, you’re unloading your grocery produce; the next, you’re maneuvering through a field of pests. But, it turns out, you might not have to deal with this buggy battle if you incorporate one simple step after completing your shopping routine.

No, you don’t have to purchase a fancy insecticide spray or brew a homemade concoction (although, if you want to, we love this apple cider trick). To prevent fruit flies from attacking bananas, use this simple cleaning hack: Rinse the bananas with water as soon as you bring them home.

Banana peels tend to entice fruit flies and are the most common place they are likely to lay their eggs. The tiny critters are attracted to the smell of bananas and gravitate towards that as a nesting ground. But by implementing a step of washing them, you can mitigate the growth and spread of these bugs, according to a statement on fruit flies published by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell University. 

Now, there’s one factor that this clever trick neglects to mention. You should also continuously clean the bowls that hold your fruit, too. This is equally important because the fruit flies can nest in there, too. According to Cornell University, one fruit fly can lay up to 500 eggs. So, you’ll want to pull out all the stops to prevent these critters from spreading. 

That way, you can preserve your precious bananas for delicious recipes like creamy smoothies, tender muffins, or chewy cookies.