There’s everything to love about bananas. Not only are they a delicious, healthy fruit that’s perfect for a quick snack that won’t leave your hands sticky, but if you forget about them until they’re too ripe to eat, that’s the perfect excuse to turn them into your favorite chocolate chip banana bread. Here’s a question, though: Do you wash your bananas when you get them home? Probably not, right? You’re not going to eat the peel, after all, so why bother?
The thing is, though, you absolutely should – and not for the reason you think. There’s a long debate about whether washing fruits and vegetables removes any pesticides that might be on the peel, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. Science may not agree on that yet, but science also says there’s a very good reason to wash those bananas.
Let’s see what Jody Gangloff-Kaufman, senior extension associate at Cornell University, told Consumer Reports. The expert with New York State’s Integrated Pest Management Program explained, “Fruit fly eggs often enter the home via bananas.” Fortunately, the solution is simple, and Gangloff-Kaufman adds, “Wash bananas when you bring them home.” And it’s easy: just rinse them under running water or wipe them down with a cloth dipped in a vinegar-water mixture. Now let’s talk about why.
Read more: 12 vegetables and fruits that used to look completely different
What makes bananas such a favorite of fruit flies?
While fruit flies may be some really annoying household pests, they’re actually pretty nice little critters…at least from a scientific perspective. What most Americans call fruit flies actually belong to the Drosophilidae family, along with more than 4,000 other species. And those bananas? They’re not really interested in the fruit; they’re attracted to what’s growing on the fruit—and that happens to be things like bacteria, mold, and the yeasts that develop during ripening.
Bananas give off loads of them, especially when they’re brown, soft, overripe and perfect for that three-ingredient banana bread you’ve always wanted to try. Fruit flies, attracted to the delicious aroma of ripe bananas, lay their eggs on the peel, sometimes long before you even get them home. Unpack your groceries, put your bananas in the fruit bowl and when the eggs hatch, the fruit flies are ready to go.
Within a few days, the first fruit flies will become more fruit flies, and here’s something to think about: a single female can lay about 100 eggs a day, taking about a month to do so. One fruit fly can turn into an estimated 3,000, so if you’ve ever wondered why you’re suddenly being overrun by little pests, now you know. The good news is that a quick wash goes a long way toward getting rid of the eggs before they start to hatch.
What if you are already battling a fruit fly infestation?
We’ve all been there: one day everything’s fine, and then we’re battling a fruit fly infestation that looks like it came straight out of a cheesy 1970s horror movie. There are a few things you can do to keep fruit flies out of the kitchen, but the most important thing is that it starts with prevention. Give not only your bananas, but also other produce sitting on the countertop – like apples – a quick wash. Remove any fruit that’s starting to go rotten, and don’t leave scraps and compost lying around.
There are also a few ways to use your natural instinct against them. Take a piece of overripe fruit and place it in a plastic container that is mostly covered with plastic wrap. Drill a few holes in the top, trap your fruit flies, and dispose of the container. You can also use other things instead of the fruit: a solution of red wine and dish soap will attract them, as will a mixture of vinegar, dish soap, and sugar.
Finally, there are a few great ways to stay proactive in the fight against fruit flies. Just as they are attracted to ripening and rotting fruit, they are also repelled by other smells that most of us humans find very pleasant. Basil and lemongrass are both great fruit fly repellents, as are lavender oil, peppermint and clove. Who knew pesticides could smell so good?
Read the original article on The Daily Meal.
