Fruit flies can quickly take over your home, but there's a simple way to deal with them.

As their name would suggest, love snacking on the food that you leave in your fruit bowl. They are more common when the weather warms up because they're actually attracted to fermenting fruit as it starts to overripen, which can happen more quickly when it's hot.

Fruit flies are also attracted to vegetable scraps, and you might find them buzzing around your bins as well as on any fruit that isn't in the fridge. What's more, the love the moist environment of your kitchen drain, which is where they're most likely to breed.

It doesn't take long for a couple of fruit flies to become a whole , and getting rid of them can sometimes feel impossible. But there is one hack you can try to get rid of them - and it uses items you probably already own.

The tip was shared on after one person admitted they hadn't been keeping up with their and as a result, fruit flies had taken over their kitchen and they needed a cheap solution to get rid of them.

One of the most helpful tips in the comments involved making a DIY trap for the flies, which lures them in and then kills them "instantly" because they can't get back out.

This trap is made from common kitchen items, including vinegar, washing up liquid, and cling film - most of which you should have in your cupboards already.

One person said: "Take a bowl, put in some vinegar or wine and a drop of dish soap. A piece of old fruit if you have it. Cover it with plastic wrap, and then poke tiny holes with a pin. They'll go in for the smell and get trapped."

Someone else clarified that the trick "totally works". Meanwhile, another said that while it might take "a while" for the flies to be attracted to the bowl, but it is effective at killing them quickly once they've entered the trap.

Other variations of the trick involved using apple cider vinegar instead of white vinegar or wine, and some suggested you don't need the vinegar at all, as just sugar and water would do the trick - provided you also use washing up liquid to prevent the flies from easily getting in and out of the bowl.

And to prevent flies from breeding in your drains, you should pour hot water down your drains to flush out any eggs. You should avoid using boiling water for this, as you may melt any plastic pipes you may have.

If your DIY trap isn't working, you can try other steps to banish the pesky flies.

The first step should always be to make sure your kitchen is clean and tidy. This involved cleaning up overripe fruit, wiping down surfaces where any food residue remains, and emptying your bins. At this stage you should also pour boiling water or a mixture of baking soda and vinegar down your drains to eliminate any breeding spots.

There are also some natural deterrents you can try. Fruit flies don't like the smell of citrus or cloves, so sticking some cloves into halves of fresh lemon and placing them around your kitchen can deter them. They also dislike some essential oils, including lavender, peppermint, and lemongrass, so mixing a few drops into water and spraying it around your house can work.

To prevent fruit flies from coming back, wash your fruit and veg thoroughly when you bring it home to remove any eggs, and keep your kitchen as clean and dry as you can.