By blog team member, Kiran. To learn more about Kiran, check out our team page!
A few weeks ago, I had a pretty gross situation in my kitchen. I was having a few girlfriends over for coffee, and I wanted to serve a fruit salad. One cantaloupe, some grapes, strawberries and a honeydew from a quick trip to the store, and I was set. I diced and sliced and was ready for my company the next day. But when I pulled out my quick creation in the morning, it was accompanied by some visitors I was not expecting: fruit flies. Yuck!
I was embarrassed and felt like my kitchen was *dirty*. But the worst was yet to come. In the next two days they seemed to quadruple, and I was frantic with these pesky little critters.
While I didn’t have a massive outbreak by any means, it was the worst one I’ve personally had. The good news is that I managed to clean up the situation with a home remedy, which I want to share with you. But first – lets talk a little more about these little buggers.
About fruit flies
Not to be confused with gnats, fruit flies are commonly found in homes, restaurants and supermarkets. They lay their eggs near the surface of fermenting foods or other moist, organic materials – comforting, right? The University of Kentucky’s College of Agriculture, Food and Environment has a great writeup on fruit flies which explains that the tiny larvae continues to feed near the surface of the fermenting mass of the fruit or vegetable, allowing you to cut away that portion of the over-ripened food to discard the developing larvae. They also explain that they can lay about 500 eggs, and the entire lifecycle from egg to adult can be completed in a week. EEEEK!!
Not surprisingly, fruit flies are attracted to ripened fruits and veggies in the kitchen as well as drains, garbage disposals, beer and/or soda cans, trash bins and more. While they certainly are a nuisance, they also have the potential to contaminate food with bacteria that they can carry with them.
Avoiding fruit flies
An obvious way to avoid fruit flies is to keep all produce refrigerated. This was one of my problems; once we had a few of them in the kitchen, they found my fruit basket that I keep on the counter. Need I say more? They also find their way to the garbage can and cores and such that are tossed in. While we don’t currently compost, my brother’s family does and they actually tie up bags of their compost and keep it in a drawer in the refrigerator to avoid rotting, smelling and, you guessed it, attracting fruit flies. So … to keep these buggers away, remember to:
- Keep countertops and sinks clean
- Take trash out on a regular basis
- Don’t leave fruit and veggies sitting on the counter for long periods of time
- Refrain from keeping empty wine bottles or beer cans in a recycling bin in the house for long periods of time
Home remedies that really work
- Apple cider vinegar and dish detergent
I was somewhat unsure of this method, but it worked like a charm. I took a mason jar, put some dishwashing liquid in it combined with some apple cider vinegar (about 8 drops soap to 1/2 cup vinegar). I covered the top of the jar with plastic wrap and poked holes in it. Low and behold, those suckers made their way into that sweet smelling apple cider vinegar … and never made it out. Score!Lisa and Jason have even had luck with omitting the plastic wrap and using smaller quantities (about 4 drops soap in 1/4 cup vinegar). You’ll need to replace the contents after a day or two since the vinegar loses it’s effectiveness.
– - Wine
Didn’t like last night’s wine? Or maybe you did but you just want to set up a spot to trap those suckers. Leave just a few drops at the bottom of the bottle and leave the bottle (without a cork or top, naturally) on your counter. Fruit flies will be attracted by the aroma; they’ll enter in to the wine bottle and won’t be able to make their way out.
– - Overripe produce
Put a piece of overripe fruit in a jar and top it with plastic wrap, again, poked with small holes. Place these jars around your house in problematic areas and say sayonara to those little suckers. Once the jar is full of the fruit flies (or full enough to your liking), submerge the jar in a bucket of soapy water for 10-15 minutes before throwing out contents. If you don’t have plastic wrap, create a paper funnel (taped shut) and place it in the jar, ensuring it’s not touching the bait. The fruit flies won’t be smart enough to fly out. Pour warm water mixed with dish soap to drown the fruit flies.
Have you had fruit flies in your house? How did you get rid of them?
Easy Baked Fish
I use an empty plastics water bottle, put red wine in it, then put the plastic over the top and poke holes. Best way ever!!
Lemongrass oil mixed with water in a spray bottle and sprayed in all drains and on top of the trash helps keep them away.
I keep a bottle of Glenfiddich around for the critters. A tablespoon or two of good peaty scotch in the bottom of a jar… then cover the jar with saran wrap poked with holes. The little buggers like the peat I think… and it works like a charm. One bottle will practically last you a lifetime, unless you decide to share with them.
Seems fruit flies really love to congregate on halves of lemon left on counter. So, use a good piece of lemon in a jar for a catch trap.
My question is, what about fruit you shouldn’t refrigerate? Fruits like bananas, or apples? I would like to refrigerate my fruits to avoid fruit flies. What do you do about fruits you don’t put in the fridge?
I have reusable produce bags I use when I purchase fruits/veggies at the supermarket (rather than those plastic bags on the roll). The mesh is SUPER fine. I leave my banana’s in the bag cinch it tightly closed and wrap the cinched end under the bananas to seal it off as much as possible. Works like a charm. We constantly fight fruit flies because of our compost and affinity for fresh fruit and while the cider vinegar/dish soap works great to eliminate the adults, the mesh bag keeps them away entirely. I think I got the bags at the container store.
Hi Maggie,
I have been soaking my fruits/veggies that need to stay out in a vinegar/water bath in my sink before leaving out and/or washing them with Branch Basics.
Just a note. I fought fruit flies with no success a few years ago only to find that they were similar but actually ‘drain flies’ and to get rid of them I had to treat my sink and drain. My husband actually did the research and discovered it because I was so frustrated they weren’t going away. Wasn’t actually fruit they were breeding in, although I was using a lot of fresh produce. Here in central Florida we generally refrigerate all our fruit, it just seems more refreshing.
Im having the same problem with drain flies as well and it’s the bathroom in my kitchen. How did you get rid of them?
My bug man told me to pour some bleach down the drain. It worked perfectly!
Also close all your drains every night
Vinegar with dish soap, wine, soy sauce, ripe fruit – I’ve used it all with some success.
The biggest difference is FOAM.
The simplest way is to use foaming hand soap and squirt a nice foam ‘head’ on top of the liquid. You can just keep squirting more as the foam breaks down every few hours. The fruit flies get stuck in the foam and drown.
It is gratifying to find so many little critters.
Clean the kitchen and sink drain – as others have described.
Remember that you must continue to keep your ‘trap’ active for 9 days after you see the last fruit fly to catch the new flies after they hatch.
It’s not super humane but the best method I’ve found is just to suck them up with a vacuum. If you do it every day, pretty soon you don’t have a problem. This especially works if you have a sudden influx of flies or get behind in changing out your vinegar solution.
Hahaha! We had infestation a few months ago and it was driving me insane. I tried every home remedy I could find, and they just. kept. multiplying. Some friends suggested a vacuum, because that’s what they use for typical houseflies. That had NEVER occurred to me before. It was like magic. I wanted to kiss them! I felt like a crazy lady wandering around my kitchen with a vacuum hose, but it worked! So glad I’m not the only one!
I cover fruit and vegetables that we leave out with a food tent/umbrella. http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/shoo-fly-food-tents-for-bbqs-picnics-174329
The BEST way to trap fruit flies is to use soy sauce!
It’s “lo and behold”.
After trying various DIYs without success, I decided to try to head fruit flies off at their start. I realized my problem stemmed from compost buckets with imperfectly sealing lids. I invested in some new plastic storage containers and it did the trick. I also started storing non refrigerated produce in my basement where it is cooler to get it to last longer and that eliminated fruit flies as well. I still get a few now and then (2-4) during warm spells, but I am pretty good at wacking them.
We use option 3 and specifically, we find that using a small amount of banana (ripe or not) does a great job. We use either used plastic containers or use a small plastic drink cups (we keep a bunch on hand). When putting the plastic wrap over the top, we use an elastic band to hold it tight. When poking the holes, use the tip of a sharp knife to make small slits – holes made with, say, a toothpick are usually too small. The flies can’t find their way out even with the slits. Don’t make any holes around the edges though. Then we dispose of the whole trap after a couple of days. It’s not exactly the best environmental solution because of the plastic, but it works almost right away.
Kombucha! I brew it, and was having a fruit fly problem. It’s very similar to the vinegar solution. I put about an inch of kombucha in a ramekin and add 1 drop of dishwashing liquid — do not mix it (didn’t work when I did). In about a week, all the fruit flies were gone, and haven’t returned.
I had tried the same method with vinegar after seeing it in action at a friend’s, but it did not work for me.
I have had the best luck with ACV, a few drops of dish soap, and a powerful squirt of water from the faucet to make lots of bubbles! The flies get stuck in the foam, and it catches far more flies than when using plastic wrap. Every couple of hours, give another quick squirt, and change out the solution daily.
I’ve done this in one form or another and it works. But my biggest problem in the autumn, winter and early spring is how to get rid of the gnats that come in with the plants which have vacationed outside on the porch or deck during the summer. I’ve used the really sticky yellow cards, and they sort of work. And some get caught in the fruit fly traps. I spray the soil with soap and water solution and even a neem oil solution. But nothing works really well. We have gnats flying all over the house and after 2 decades my family is ready to throw me out with the plants. (not really, but the REALLY don’t like the gnats, and I don’t either. But I so enjoy my plants.
I’ve had that same problem. I found when I repot the plants entirely and then bring them in I don’t have an issue. I try to get as much of the old dirt off the roots as I can. Good luck!
I have an adorable bottle leftover from balsamic vinegar. Has a wide spot at the bottom and a long, narrow neck. Even has a little lid with small holes. Perfect for catching fruit flies. I put vinegar in the bottom. I’ll start adding soap, sounds like that helps even more! But it’s cute and doesn’t look weird on the counter, at least not until it’s full of flies!
The little buggers lay eggs in the kitchen and other sink drains! Avoid the draino and other harsh chemicals. Instead, pour straight baking soda, follow with white vinegar and plug the sink. Leave it overnight and run the hot water for a few minutes the next morning.
Not a home remedy but there is a cute little fruit fly trap you get in the pest section at Walmart made by Terro I think, looks like a little apple, put it on your counter and you are good for a month! Much simpler, tiny, and catches tons of fruit flies.
I tried the three remedies listed and while they reduced the number they did not eliminate them. My plumber said the problem is often food left in the garbage disposal so he said dump bleach or drano down the drain and other drains and that got rid of them completely! I know not a “natural” solution but I was at my wits end!