UK households urged to get rid of nightmare pests in July with 1 kitchen staple

Fruit flies can ruin any summer entertainment, drawn to ripe or decaying fruit and fermented foods such as beer and wine. They're also attracted to bins and rubbish if there's enough food available.

Given their rapid reproduction rate, a couple of tiny fruit flies can quickly turn into an overwhelming infestation. However, here are four methods to eliminate fruit flies.

Firstly, it's crucial to correctly identify the pests. Fruit flies typically have a light or dark brown colour with red eyes. Ensure you're not dealing with drain flies, which tend to hover around drains or waste disposals, or fungus gnats, which are attracted to over watered houseplants.

DIY fruit fly traps are quick and effective, but if you prefer a ready-made solution, you can purchase pre-made fruit fly traps. However, there is one trap you can create with items you probably already have in your kitchen.

The initial step is to thoroughly clean your kitchen and dispose of any spoiled food. To effectively cut off the fruit flies' food source and prevent them from returning, it's essential to regularly discard overripe produce, store fruits and vegetables in the fridge, take out the rubbish frequently, and promptly clean up any spills, particularly those involving fruit juice or alcohol.

Following this, you'll need to devise a method to swiftly trap the existing fruit flies in your kitchen. Mrs Hinch's cleaning shared a nifty trick to tackle fruit flies for good. Brenda Whitlock revealed her success with the method, stating: "I am plagued by fruit flies but a small container if vinegar seems to be working well.

"I now have a large crowd of them clinging to the dish of vinegar!" Terenia backed up the effectiveness of this approach, simply advising: "Apple cider vinegar in a glass just leave in kitchen."

For those looking for alternative solutions, another recommended tactic involves using a paper cone, vinegar, and old fruit. By placing ripe fruit and vinegar in a jar and inserting a rolled paper cone with the narrow end down, you create a trap that's easy to dispose of or compost later.

Louise suggests an even simpler method using banana peels: "Bananas skin in cup cover with cling film put a few tiny pin holes in it results are amazing."

Carole also chimed in with her technique: "Put a small piece of banana in a small dish or cup. Cover tightly with plastic wrap. Poke a few holes with a toothpick. Fruit flies go in and can't get out. When there are several I put it in the freezer until they die, clean the dish and do it again if needed,".

Lastly, a combination of vinegar and dish soap can also prove effective in the battle against fruit flies.

Lorraine offered a handy tip for dealing with pests: "Cider vinegar and a drop of washing up liquid in a dish. Did the job for me."

However, her approach didn't work for everyone; as Bal pointed out: "I tried apple cider vinegar and fairy liquid. Didn't work still flying all over in my kitchen, living rooms."

And Elaine found herself in a similar situation: "Same ...seemed to attract more."

For those seeking alternative methods, old wine or beer might just be the trick. The enticing aroma of wine is particularly attractive to fruit flies, who find it hard to resist an open bottle with a bit of remaining liquid.

To increase your chances of capturing these pesky insects, narrow the escape route with the slim neck of the bottle and add a few droplets of dish soap. Jenny Moffatt endorses this technique wholeheartedly: "Glasses of red wine around the house. They're attracted to it and go in it x."