How to kill little fruit flies

Overview

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First, what causes fruit flies in your home?
How do you prevent fruit flies?
How do you get rid of fruit flies?

Are there extra guests in your kitchen that you didn’t invite? Are they buzzing around your fresh fruit and vegetables, or even your trash can? Maybe you left out some empty beer bottles and they’re flying around those, too? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you may have a fruit fly infestation in your home.

Here are seven things you can do to help get rid of these pests.

The first thing you need do is figure out where the flies are coming from. If they’re hanging out around any open food items, throw the food out and scrub the area clean. You can use any type of cleaner to disinfect the area. In some cases, removing their “home” can be enough to drive the fruit flies away.

After you’ve found the source of the problem, check out the drain in your kitchen sink. If it’s clogged or in need of a good cleaning, now’s the time to take care of it. Fruit flies like to live and breed in warm, damp spaces.

Don’t forget to check your trash cans for any signs of fruit fly activity. Fruit flies have been known to lay their eggs in trash cans, worsening the infestation.

If they’re swarming around your trash can or if you’d like to prevent such a situation, take out the trash and wipe down the can using a heavy duty cleaner such as bleach. Make sure the cans are completely dry before using them again.

If you still spot fruit flies hanging around, you can set a trap using things that you may already have in your kitchen. This includes any rotten or open food that attracts fruit flies. Follow these steps:

Instead of tossing out the rotten or open food, put the food in a disposable container.
Cover the container with plastic wrap.
Poke a few holes in the wrap, place it where fruit flies congregate, and wait.

The flies should swarm to the inside of the trap. You can then dispose of them how you see fit. Repeat this process until all of the fruit flies are gone.

Have leftover red wine that you don’t plan on finishing? Use it to create a swimming pool trap for the fruit flies. Here’s how:

Pour some red wine and dish detergent into a disposable container and stir.
Cover the container with plastic wrap.
Poke small holes in the plastic wrap. Make sure the holes are big enough for the fruit flies to get in.

The wine should attract the fruit flies, and the combination of wine and dish detergent will make it difficult for trapped flies to fly and will drown them. You can repeat this process until you no longer see any more fruit flies.

You can also try to attract fruit flies by making a vinegar trap. Here’s how:

Fill a disposable container up with water.
Add a few tablespoons of vinegar and sugar to the water and stir.
Add a few drop of dish soap to the solution and stir.

After mixing your solution, place the container wherever the fruit flies congregate. They should be attracted to this solution and will drown once they touch the water. Continue this method until you no longer see any fruit flies.

If homemade traps aren’t working for you, visit your local hardware store and purchase a sticky fly trap. These traps work on common flies and fruit flies.

Place the trap in the problem area and dispose of it once the sticky area is full. You can replace the trap as necessary.

Hiring an exterminator should be your last resort. Although this is usually effective, it can be costly. You or your pets may also experience adverse reactions to the chemicals used to get rid of the fruit flies.

If the fruit flies return after your house has been treated, the company may treat your home again for a free or reduced rate.

Learn more: Fruit and vegetable safety »

If left untreated, a fruit fly infestation can pose potential health risks. Fruit flies are known to fly around and pick up bacteria that they then deposit onto fresh foods.

They’re particularly drawn to manure and other feces that can contain bacteria such as E. coli. They then carry the bacteria with them.

Additionally, after mating, female fruit flies inject batches of eggs into fresh fruit. This contaminates the fruit.

To prevent future infestation, be sure keep food storage areas clean and dry. Don’t leave out fresh food once it’s been opened or after you’ve taken a bite out of it. Be sure to take out your garbage regularly and clean up any spills inside or on your trash bins.

Once you have a fruit fly infestation, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get rid of the nuisance. By taking proactive steps in cleaning and trash disposal, you can save yourself the time and hassle.

Keep reading: The 9 dirtiest spots in your home »

Of all the household pests that can invade your home, fruit flies aren’t the worst. They’re not going to poison you, they’re not especially disgusting to look at, and they're scared off with the flutter of your hand—temporarily, at least. Still, they can make you feel a little ashamed like you have an unclean home, and they’re certainly annoying. Luckily, there are plenty of steps you can take to prevent fruit flies from settling in, to get rid of them, and to prevent them from coming back.

First, what causes fruit flies in your home?

Good news: Fruit flies aren't necessarily your fault. “It's not a cleanliness issue. Flies can come in on your produce when you bring your groceries home,” says Melissa Riker, who blogs home tips at the Happier Homemaker. “And they are incredibly hard to control once you have them in your home because they can lay eggs on anything, even the smallest little crumbs. And they can get in your drains and lay eggs.”

The experts at Orkin confirm that fruit flies are attracted to ripe, rotting, and decayed fruit and produce. They also like fermented items including beer, liquor, and wine. Not only can they breed in drains, but they can do so in garbage disposals, trash cans, and mop buckets. "Once they begin reproducing indoors, females are able to lay about 500 eggs and the eggs will hatch in as little as 24-30 hours after being deposited by the female," Orkin shares on its website.

How do you prevent fruit flies?

Rinse your fruit.

When you bring home fresh produce from the grocery store or market, wash it off before storing or displaying it. “You could just rinse it with water, or you can use one of those fruit and vegetable washes that they sell, or you can just use vinegar and water,” says Riker.

For that vinegar wash, Riker mixes around two parts water and one part vinegar. She notes that the combination might also keep your food from rotting a little bit longer as it kills some bacteria. Make sure to give your fruits and veggies one more final rinse in water before you’re done, though, so the vinegar flavor and scent don’t stick around.

Watch out for crumbs and older fruit.

No, you shouldn’t shame yourself as a housekeeper if some fruit flies appear, because again, “You would have to be unbelievably meticulous,” says Riker, to keep them out. But there are some hygienic behaviors you can be sure to maintain. “It's just a matter of cleaning up crumbs, and if your fruit starts to go overripe, go ahead and throw it out, because that sweetness attracts them.” There you have it! Tiny pests, begone.

How do you get rid of fruit flies?

Create a jar trap.

If the little suckers have already infiltrated, here’s one way to kill them. “I would take a jar and put something that's going to attract them inside,” says Riker. Fruit flies like sweet, rotting, fermenting things, so you could try overripe fruit, old wine, stale beer or soda, or apple cider vinegar. “Put that in the jar, cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke a couple of small holes. They can get in but can't get out,” she says.

Riker suggests placing a few of these jars around your home, perhaps near sinks, cabinets, or the trash, if the problem’s gotten worse and you want to guarantee to wipe them out quickly.

Stage a dish trap.

Another way to kill the flies is by... drowning them. “For that, you would use the apple cider vinegar or the wine or the beer as well, but you would add three drops or so of dish detergent,” Riker says. “Put it in a saucer, so it's wide, because then once they come down to it, the detergent breaks the surface tension and they drown.”

Try a store-bought product.

There are insect sprays and repellants you could spritz around your kitchen, as well as sticky fly paper and plastic traps. But Riker hasn’t tried them, she says, because “I feel like the apple cider vinegar really does the same thing. It just attracts them and traps them.” You probably already have all the stuff you need to fix the problem.

If you're on the hunt for an easy product that'll get rid of any flying insects in your home, consider the TikTok viral ZEVO Electric Flying Insect Trap, which is basically like a plug-in night light and bug trap combo. For a few other highly recommended options, see below. And make sure to check out a few of our favorite non-toxic cleaning products and the best natural bug repellant to control all pests once and for all.

Once exposed to air, these odorless strips slowly release a treatment that get rid of fruit flies—and other insects, like gnats and mosquitos—for up to four months.

Credit: Fruit Fly Bar Pro

Pour this natural liquid into a small bowl and place it near fruit or compost, and you'll be free of fruit flies in no time. Bonus: You can use it indoors or outdoors!

Credit: Bye Bye Fruit Fly

All you have to do with this nontoxic product is open it, and let it work its magic. It lasts for up to 30 days and is made of specialized vinegar and ferment.

Credit: Aunt Fannie's

Want something that won't ruin your aesthetic? This ceramic jar with a stainless steel lid will do the trick. Just add a DIY mixture to it, and you'll be set.

Credit: RSVP International Store

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