How to Keep Fruit Flies Off Trees

Often referred to as vinegar flies, banana flies and sour flies, fruit flies are dull yellow to brown in color and 1/15 to 1/10 of an inch long. Many species of fruit flies have distinct red eyes. The pests multiply rapidly, especially during warm weather, with each female laying up to 500 eggs that develop into adults within 10 days. Fruit flies can turn into a big nuisance on fruit trees with ripening fruit. You can keep fruit flies off the trees with store bought sticky traps or make your own traps at home.

String
4 red apples
4 green apples
Spray adhesive
Newspaper sheets

Instructions

- 1
  Cut string into 3- to 4-foot-long sections. Tie string to the apple stems to hang them to the trees. Spread some newspaper sheets on an outdoor worktable or on the ground. Place the apples on the paper.
- 2
  Spray the adhesive evenly over the apples, keeping clear of the strings. You need about eight apples for a standard sized tree. If you have a dwarf-sized tree that is less than 9-feet tall, you need two apples.
- 3
  Lift apples by the string and hang one by one around the tree at various heights. Discard newspaper. The apple orbs will soon be covered with flies.
- 4
  Replace the fly covered apples with new ones. The fruit flies are usually all gone by the time the fruit grows and matures on the tree.

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