Grow These Fragrant Herbs In Your Kitchen To Deter Fruit Flies

Nothing gets in the way of enjoying time in the kitchen like a swarm of fruit flies. Luckily, in addition to keeping the space clean, there are ways you can deter fruit flies from ruining your zen while cooking. Certified garden coach and founder of Seed To Sanctuary Sara Rubens suggests fragrant herbs like basil, mint, and sage for a natural and handy solution. She says, "Growing herbs indoors is a great way to add freshness and a burst of flavor to your recipes while also warding off pesky fruit flies!" 

Fruit flies usually gather around produce scraps, waste, or rotting foods they're attracted to. Introducing the scent of fresh herbs to your kitchen can produce the opposite effect, deterring the bugs from the space. Rubens says, "Basil, for instance, grows well in a pot with plenty of drainage near a sunny window, and as an added bonus fruit flies hate the strong smell of basil!" So, you can grow a pot of the herb to both ward off the insects and harvest the plant as needed to make a delicious pesto pasta. 

Other herbs are effective, too. Rubens says, "Sage has an earthy and pungent scent that flies typically want to avoid as well." Herbs with menthol fragrances are another good option. "Mint, both peppermint and spearmint, grows great indoors and does double duty controlling fruit flies due to the unique menthol scent," says Rubens. The scent of lavender and rosemary can also keep the flies at bay. Though we may love the sensorial properties of these herbs, fruit flies are not fans.

Growing herbs in your kitchen can be a win-win, allowing you to add flair to your recipes while repelling insects — no abrasive chemicals needed. Like with deterring ants, you can also place a glass of fruit or red wine vinegar with a couple drops of dish soap on the counter as a natural fly-trap. Rubens even suggests combining the fragrant herbs with the acidic ingredient, saying, "As a bonus, you can add any of these herbs to a small bowl of apple cider vinegar placed on your counter for a very effective pest control." 

Above all, it always helps to employ preventative measures to stop fruit flies from appearing on your produce. To do so, you can clean kitchen surfaces frequently, keep waste storage containers sealed tightly, and store ripe fruit like strawberries in the fridge. Of course, the methods for keeping various fruit fresh longer can vary and some fruit isn't meant to be kept refrigerated. So, if you'd like to let your fruit ripen in ambient conditions, you can add wine corks or other absorbent materials to the fruit basket to reduce moisture, food residues, and the overall possibility of attracting insects in the first place.