12 Ways to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Naturally: Traps and Tips

Table Of Content

• What Are the Signs You Have a Fruit Fly Infestation?
• What attracts houseflies to your home?
• Mazetti apple cider vinegar with mother, $5.50 (500mL), Doorstep Organics
• What Causes a Fruit Fly Infestation in the House?
• Set up fly traps
• Can You Use Cinnamon to Kill Ants? Experts Weigh In
• Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies Naturally
• Apple Cider Vinegar and Plastic Wrap Trap

If you find fruit flies immune to your plastic wrap or paper cone traps, try adding three drops of dish soap to a bowl of vinegar and leave it uncovered. The dish soap cuts the surface tension of the vinegar so the flies will sink and drown. Fruit flies are attracted to environments that are damp and unclean, such as piled up dishes and dirty counters, dirty sponges or places that have rotting produce. If your kitchen is guilty of any of those, then you’re more likely to keep having fruit flies.

What Are the Signs You Have a Fruit Fly Infestation?

Terri Robertson is the Senior Editor, Digital, at Country Living, where she shares her lifelong love of homes, gardens, down-home cooking, and antiques. Fruit flies are known to spread germs, so stop them in their tracks with this clever and stylish food cover by Adairs. Fruit flies are orange in colour with either red, or black, eyes. Sarah is a lifestyle and entertainment reporter for TODAY who covers holidays, celebrities and everything in between. "Fruit flies can definitely be found all over the country, realistically all over the world." Schumm tells TODAY.com. "They can be around year round. It's likely that they’re more abundant in the summer, but they can be found year-round inside homes."

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What attracts houseflies to your home?

But don’t worry; there are ways to get rid of fruit flies once and for all. If there is a swarm of flying, non-biting pests around your home, you are most likely dealing with one of three common household nuisances. However, it’s important to identify fruit flies correctly so you can find and remove the source of the infestation. Fruit flies are highly attracted to apple cider vinegar, so they’ll fly right into this homemade fruit fly trap.

Mazetti apple cider vinegar with mother, $5.50 (500mL), Doorstep Organics

That's because bleach passes down the drain too quickly to do a thorough job. These methods can effectively help you get rid of fruit flies. But you must know that once fruit flies appear in the house, it may take days to weeks to eliminate them.

Gnats tend to be gray or black, while fruit flies range from light tan to reddish orange and brown. Fruit flies have a taste for too-ripe fruit and other produce and thrive on high-fructose substances. Fungus gnats, on the other hand, live in soils and on plants, so if you think you’re spotting those, the issue may not be in your fruit bowl. If you compost, you may want to consider changing your habits.

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For this option, keep the bowl uncovered for the best results. As the flies try to get closer, they will get stuck inside the cling film and won’t be able to escape. They don't need to be squeaky clean, so a quick rinse should do the trick, although do check with your local authority in case they have different requirements. Check our picks of the best carpet cleaners and best carpet stain removers.

Can You Use Cinnamon to Kill Ants? Experts Weigh In

Any produce that is ripened, cracked or damaged should be either thrown, eaten or refrigerated since leaving them out could harbor eggs or larvae. "If you've also been around fruit trees or compost bins where there might be eggs, it's possible for larvae to get onto your clothes and get indoors this way too." Spraying insecticide will provide temporary relief, but it's important to tackle the root cause. This is usually standing water found in places such as infrequently used toilet bowls, sink or floor drains, or drain pans under refrigerators.

Easy Ways To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies Naturally

These contaminated fruits can lead to food poisoning and even some life-threatening diseases. Don't keep damp kitchen towels or dish rags lying around after they've been used. Try to wash them every day as they can be a breeding ground for fruit flies. Beyond cinnamon, there are a few other ways to deter ants from invading your home. "Keeping your surroundings clean, especially your kitchen—will naturally aid in the decrease of ant populations," says Girard.

Common fruit flies, known scientifically as Drosophila melanogaster are a species of fly that originated in Africa but have since established populations across the globe. Create the same trap as above with the funnel and the jar, except use a bit of ripened banana or other fruit as bait with or without the vinegar. But it's important to note that the flies don't actually come from the bananas (unless they took a ride home from the grocery store). Instead, according to Shetlar, it's more likely the pests originated from a nearby dumpster or garbage before finding their way into your home. "In the wintertime, you rarely see any fruit flies because it's cold outside," Shetlar says. "Any of the surviving fruit flies are surviving out there as dormant pupae and it won't be until it warms up that they'll become active."

This applies even to hard-to-see spills, such as of sweet fizzy drinks. You might not be able to see it, but a fruit fly will detect it instantly. Sunnier days can herald the arrival of annoying winged intruders in your home, and chief of these is the fruit fly. There’s no denying this product is something of a one-box-wonder.

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. If you notice fruit flies buzzing around your homegrown fruits and vegetables in the backyard, use Spinosad insecticide to kill them. Fill a garden sprayer with the solution and apply it around the base of your home. You can spray the liquid directly onto your fruits to kill any flies that landed on them for a meal.

Cleaning out the drain in your kitchen sink with ice or apple cider vinegar can help as well since fruit flies like to breed in the drain where bits of rotting fruit and vegetables often linger. Running a kitchen fan if you have one may also help keep fruit flies away. A fast way of getting rid of fruit flies is by pouring boiling white vinegar or boiling water down your drains.

It’s important to take action as soon as you see the very first fruit fly. It may seem that fruit flies pop up out of nowhere, but there’s more to it than that. “The flies flying around your kitchen likely came from outside,” says Thomas. Fruit flies are small so can easily slip through the mesh of a screen door or window. They can also fly inside through doors, or get inside via the plumbing.

Once they hitch a ride inside, the fruit flies are attracted to overripe and rotting fruits (and some vegetables), and they thrive on high-fructose substances. “As fruits age, the fermentation process begins to break them down. This process creates alcohols and vinegars that attract fruit flies, but also makes them less appealing to us,” Dr. Stevison continues.