With temperatures soaring to 29°C today, fruit flies are appearing seemingly from thin air. One moment your kitchen looks spotless, the next you're faced with tiny flies buzzing around your fruit bowl and work surfaces. These pests can quickly become a real nuisance, especially if you have ripening fruit left out on display.
While some people reach for traps and chemical sprays, others are opting for a far simpler solution that costs just 1p. It might sound peculiar, but popping a 1p coin in your fruit bowl could help ward off fruit flies, according to DIY expert Glen Peskett from Saxton Blades Multi Tools.
The 1p Coin Trick Explained
"Fruit flies love ripe fruit, so if you've got bananas, apples or anything sitting out on the counter, they're going to take an interest pretty quickly," Peskett said. "The idea behind the 1p trick is that the copper might help put them off a little, although it is not something that is guaranteed to work every time. Still, it is a simple one to try if you've got a few of them hanging around."
To try the hack, simply place a clean 1p coin in your fruit bowl among your fruit. That's all you need to do. Some people report it helps reduce the number of fruit flies, while others say they haven't noticed much change.
Root Causes Matter Most
The trick is far more likely to be effective if you also tackle the root causes that attract fruit flies. Getting rid of overripe fruit, cleaning up sugary spills, regularly emptying food bins, and keeping kitchen worktops spotless can all make your home far less appealing to them.
"A lot of the time, fruit flies are only there because they've found an easy food source," Peskett added. "You can try different tricks, but if you've got overripe fruit sitting out or food waste building up, they'll keep coming back. Keeping things clean and getting rid of anything that's attracting them will make the biggest difference."
So while a 1p coin might offer a small deterrent, proper hygiene remains the most effective strategy to keep fruit flies at bay this summer.
