How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

While they’re a lot less scary than cockroaches, fruit flies are a household pest that can seem impossible to get rid of. They’re very small with a reddish-brown tone, and usually hang out in your kitchen near the fruit bowl. They won’t bite, but they do carry bacteria like salmonella, listeria, and E. coli. Plus, they can spread in large amounts quickly — a female fruit fly can lay up to 50 eggs a day! Avoid an infestation and kill fruit flies fast with these must-know tips — because nobody wants bugs in their house.

Where do fruit flies come from?

Sometimes fruit flies come in through an open window due to some food they’re attracted to, but sometimes they’re brought in through grocery store produce, laying their eggs in any spoiled fruits and veggies, as well as sugary surfaces. Fruit flies might be hiding in your fruit at home if it has any cuts on the surface.

How to catch fruit flies

Knowing how to kill fruit flies is important so that they don’t take over your home. First, you’ll need to lure them in and trap them, which is usually done with a sugar liquid. Here are the most popular fruit fly traps to know about:

1. Bottle and Plastic Wrap

This works well with an empty bottle of beer, wine, or vinegar. Place some plastic wrap over the opening, secure it with a rubber band, and poke some holes in the top, so flies have room to enter. The aroma will lure them in, but they won’t be able to escape.

2. Jar and Funnel

For this, you’ll need a glass jar with some bait inside. It can be sweet, fermented liquids like ketchup or alcoholic beverages, but overripe vegetables and fruits will also work. Place a funnel (or paper cone) over the opening with the spout pointing downwards, making it easy for bugs to get in but hard to get out.

3. Soapy Apple Cider Vinegar Bowl

If nothing seems to be working, and you’re still searching for the best way to get rid of fruit flies, consider this hack. Fill a bowl with apple cider vinegar and several drops of dish soap. Microwave this mixture, which will be even more enticing to the fruit flies. Leave the bowl out and uncovered, as the soap will cause any landing fruit fly to drown immediately.

4. Chemical Fruit Fly Sprays and Fly Strips

When those DIY household treatments aren’t working, blast out those fruit flies with the best fruit fly traps and sprays. The Katchy Indoor Insect Trap works for all kinds of insects and is a great long-term investment. Cheaper alternatives include fly strips and pest control sprays. Be sure to get a spray that is child- and pet-friendly for safety purposes.

Alternative methods: how to get rid of fruit flies

Clean, clean, clean

The best way to get rid of fruit flies is to clean all the time! Consider beginning with a deep clean of your kitchen and anywhere there might be crumbs or other food residues. Sometimes, avoiding an infestation is as simple as cleaning countertops and scrubbing surfaces till they’re sparkling.

Toss rotting/too-ripe food

After you wipe everything down, make sure you don’t have any veggies or fruits that are overripe or starting the process of decay.

Clear out your garbage disposal/drain

This can be done by pouring boiling water inside, or taking a plastic food bag on top and keeping it there overnight. When adult flies try to leave, they’ll be trapped and can be easily removed the following morning in the bag.

How to prevent fruit fly infestations

Although the purpose of this information is to help you discover what kills fruit flies most effectively, avoiding a fruit fly infestation in the first place is ideal.

• Don’t buy excessive food: if you buy more than you can eat, food will start spoiling and the fruit flies will arrive. Once your product is ripe, make sure it’s either in your fridge, composted, or thrown out.
• Wash produce after grocery trips: To avoid the potential problem of bugs coming from the grocery store, you can ensure the removal of eggs or larvae by thoroughly washing your product and storing it in the fridge. Some people choose to wash with white vinegar.
• Rinse recycling containers of food scraps: if you don’t clean out your jars, cans, bottles, and other plastic containers, it’s a breeding ground for fruit flies.
• Add window screens if you don’t have them: in the warmer months, it’s not uncommon for fruit flies and other pests to sneak into your home. Consider tight-fitting, mesh window screens to reduce the likelihood of this happening.