LifestyleCleaningFruit flies can infest your home quickly at this time of year as warm weather makes fruit ripen faster - but one liquid can keep them out of your kitchen15:54, 23 Jun 2026Fruit flies can become a real pest at this time of year, and it doesn't take long before your home is crawling with them. As the name suggests, fruit flies are drawn to overripe produce such as tomatoes, berries and melons, and the hot weather causes this fruit to ripen and ferment far more quickly, resulting in more flies buzzing around your kitchen.‌A single female fruit fly can lay as many as 500 eggs that can develop into breeding adults in just one week, meaning infestations can spiral out of control remarkably fast. Fruit flies are attracted to the yeast released by fermenting fruit, which is why many tricks designed to eliminate them rely on products that replicate that fermented scent, such as apple cider vinegar.‌But according to one woman on social media, there's actually a far simpler and considerably cheaper way of banishing fruit flies from your home for good - and all you need is one item that virtually everyone has to hand.‌In a TikTok video, Rose Reisman revealed she noticed a dramatic reduction in the number of fruit flies in her home after she started doing one thing to her bananas every time she brought them back from the supermarket.Rather than setting up apple cider vinegar traps or trying to keep flies at bay through any other conventional methods, Rose employed an effortless trick - she simply rinsed the stems of her bananas under running water.Content cannot be displayed without consent‌She said: "Most of the fruit flies gather around the top part of the stem, and when they're in the grocery store, that's where the eggs are being laid. So the minute you get your bananas home, rinse them under some cold water. You don't need to use any soap, but what you want to do is either get a clean sponge or a paper towel and really scrub those stems."After you rinse this off, just take a paper towel and dry them really, really well. Especially the top part. Hang them to dry, and let me know if this works for you."Rose revealed she had put the trick to the test herself before posting it on TikTok, discovering that a full three days after washing her bananas, her kitchen remained completely free of fruit flies - proving the hack had successfully removed any eggs.‌Those commenting on the post were grateful for the advice and pledged to give it a go themselves, as it can prevent fruit flies from ever taking hold in your home, doing away with the need for other methods such as vinegar traps.How to make a fruit fly trapIf you're dealing with lots of fruit flies and the plate trick isn't cutting it, you can make a fruit fly trap that will lure the insects in and then kill them. All you need is a few everyday kitchen items.You will need:Article continues belowA small jar, cup, or glassCling filmAn elastic bandApple cider vinegar (or ripe fruit, or wine)A toothpick or forkInstructions:Add Attractant: Pour about 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar into the jar. If you don't have vinegar, you can use a piece of ripe fruit or a bit of wine or beer.Cover: Stretch a piece of cling film over the mouth of the jar.Secure: Use an elastic band to hold the plastic wrap tightly in place.Poke Holes: Use a toothpick or fork to poke several small holes in the plastic wrap. The holes should be big enough for fruit flies to enter, but not so large that they can easily escape.Set Trap: Place the trap near where you've seen fruit flies (like near fruit bowls, trash cans, or sinks).Choose Daily Mirror as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.‌CleaningLife hacksViral