The phrase "moth to a flame" should really be changed to "fruit flies to old bananas." These pesky critters are known for causing quite a stir in the kitchen, and one home chef is showing how folks can rid their kitchen of the insects.
The best part? It only requires one extra step.
The scoop
Christine Fiorentino (@christinefiorentino_) shared her fruit fly hack with her Instagram following in a recent video.
Fiorentino shares that she heard that fruit fly eggs commonly stick to the outside of the banana peels, which can be easily combatted by giving the bananas a rinse before putting them into a fruit bowl. Fiorentino notes that after a few days, she didn't notice any fruit flies around the bowl.
How it's helping
Fruit flies are just plain annoying to have in the kitchen. They hang around the trash can, sink, and fruit bowl and result in an unsightly kitchen atmosphere. Plus, if a fruit fly infestation has occurred, you might just have to toss out your fruit, which means a lot of money down the drain and fruit going to the landfill where it releases planet-warming methane gas.
Other Instagram users have suggested hacks to get rid of these pesky insects — many of which can be done without the use of toxic chemicals. One wine expert suggested that people leave wooden corks in their fruit baskets since the scent of the cork can confuse the flies and cause them to stay away from the fruit.
Another TikTok user suggested leaving a small bowl of water, white vinegar, and dish soap in the kitchen, which will kill the fruit flies overnight.
What everyone's saying
There were mixed responses to Fiorentino's video. Some users lauded the hack, like one who said, "This hack is iconic," to which Fiorentino replied, "Seriously blew my mind."
Other users pointed out fundamental flaws in Fiorentino's video. They noted that the flies are attracted to decaying fruit matter and the bananas shown were barely yellow.
Some commenters shared their hacks for removing fruit fly eggs from sink drains. While one user recommended using bleach, others suggested a much more environmentally friendly blend of vinegar and baking soda to flush out the eggs.
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