Say Goodbye to Fruit Flies: 7 Home Remedies That Really Work

Why does buying bananas feel like accidentally opening a fruit fly daycare?

Fruit flies can turn into an infestation rapidly — a single female can lay up to 500 eggs in its short life.

Luckily, getting rid of fruit flies is easier than you might think. Below are some fast and effective methods.

In this guide, we’ll cover:

• How to make apple cider vinegar traps
• Why a simple fan messes up their flying habits
• How to make a DIY contact spray killer
• Clever UV fly traps for added lethality

Let’s dive in.

Strategy #1: Apple Cider Vinegar Traps

Apple cider vinegar traps are a proven, easy DIY solution for quickly eliminating fruit fly infestations.

Step #1

This strategy starts by adding about an inch of apple cider vinegar to a cup, bowl, or jar.

Raw and unfiltered vinegar mimics the odors given off by rotting fruit — but you can use white vinegar also.

Step #2

It’s common to add a few drops of dish soap to the vinegar to break the surface tension so that the fruit fly drowns rather than floats on top.

Step #3

Vinegar traps are even more effective if you cover the container with plastic wrap and poke holes in it with a toothpick or pen. The fruit flies enter the container through the tiny holes, but they can’t get out.

• I recommend placing one or two of these containers around the infestation especially near trash cans and fruit bowls.
  
• You can also buy commercial vinegar traps that typically look like tiny red apples if you don’t like the appearance or hassle of DIY traps.

If you’re into DIY fixes, check out our guide on homemade weed killers for pesky weeds including poison ivy.

Vinegar Alternative #1: Red Wine

If you don’t have apple cider vinegar on hand, you can use red wine in a pinch.

Even though apple cider vinegar gives the best results due to its high acetic acid content and strong odor — red wine can still work well. The wine mimics the aromas given off by rotting fruit such as:

• Alcohol (ethanol)
• Fruity smelling chemicals known as esters
• Small amounts of vinegar or acetic acid if it’s spoiling

You still want to add a few drops of dish soap into the red wine so that the buggers drown in the wine.

Vinegar Alternative #2: Spoiled Pieces of Fruit

If you don’t have red wine or vinegar, place small pieces of overripe fruit in a bowl or cup to attract fruit flies.

The smell, like red wine, it isn’t as strong as apple cider vinegar — but it can still be effective, especially if the fruit is already spoiling.

How To Use Real Fruit

Just cut some overripe or rotting pieces of banana, apple, or whatever you have on hand, and put it in a bowl. Cover it in plastic wrap, and poke some tiny holes in it.

Be careful not to make the holes too big, since there’s no liquid to drown the flies. You want holes about 2-3 millimeters, or about the size of a toothpick.

Vinegar Alternative #3: Yeast And Sugar

If you have yeast and sugar in your pantry, this killer combo does the trick if you don’t have apple cider vinegar. Simply mix a packet of yeast, a tablespoon of sugar, and 1/2 to 1 cup of warm water.

This yeasty mix attracts fruit flies due to the fermentation which releases an ethanol smell. Yeast and sugar might even lure in flies that vinegar doesn’t attract.

Don’t Kill The Yeast

Just make sure to use warm water rather than hot, which could kill the yeast. As with the other traps, add a drop or two of dish soap to break the surface tension so the flies don’t float on top.

Strategy #2: Toss That Rotten Fruit

Stop fruit flies by tossing out overripe or rotting fruit before they move in.

When fruit starts to break down, it ferments natural sugars, which releases a chemical cocktail into the air.

Scents from acetic acid (vinegar) and ethanol signals to fruit flies food’s around and it’s a perfect spot to lay eggs.

If you need overripe fruit for whatever reason, you can seal them in plastic bags or store them in the refrigerator.

Also, check hidden spots like under the fridge or oven for stray food scraps — and even dried fruit juice can become an attractant for fruit flies.

Strategy #3: Trash Hygiene

Fruit flies may favor rotting fruit and vegetables, but plenty of other kitchen items will lure them in.

Fruit flies will be drawn to:

• Coffee grounds
• Fruit/vegetable juice
• Wine, beer, soda
• Miscellaneous food scraps

And that’s why regularly taking out the trash is a crucial way to stop and prevent fruit fly infestations.

Ideally, use a trash bin with a tightly closing lid and take out the trash daily. I recommend also sanitizing or cleaning the trash bin often to remove food odors.

Trash isn’t just a fruit fly magnet — leftover crumbs and spills can also attract ants. Here’s how to deal with ants if they’ve started showing up too.

Strategy #4: Sticky Traps

Sticky traps are a classic method to catch all sorts of flies — including pesky fruit flies.

You can buy a 50 pack of sticky traps online for less than $10 or make your own at home.

For commercial sticky traps, simply peel off the backing of the trap, exposing the glue underneath — and place them around the fruit fly infestation.

Place Traps In Their Flight Path

It’s best to place the sticky trap in a vertical position which puts it directly in the path of horizontally flying (or hovering) fruit flies.

When placed vertically, the sticky traps are also less likely to accumulate dust and debris which reduces their stickiness.

To make your own sticky traps, you can use index cards or paper and cover it with honey, Vaseline, or another sticky substance. Just be sure to use bright-colored paper such as yellow which mimics the color of fruit.

Strategy #5: DIY Contact Spray Killer

For an active way to hunt and kill fruit flies, try a DIY soap and vinegar spray.

You can make this spray by combining equal parts vinegar (apple cider or white) with water into a spray bottle.

Add a few drops of dish soap to break the surface tension of the liquid so it totally coats the fruit fly when you spray it.

Why It Works

This water-vinegar solution covers fruit flies on contact and kills them almost instantly through suffocation.

The vinegar in the spray will also hopefully attract fruit flies so it might trap and kill them if they land on a treated surface.

The primary purpose is as a contact spray killer, but spraying it on nearby surfaces can help.

Strategy #6: Use A Fan

Fruit flies are slow, weak, and no match for a fan’s breeze — and chances are, you’ve swatted a few with your hands before.

As a deterrent, you can place a fan over the problem area, especially the kitchen countertops, fruit bowls, and trash cans.

The steady breeze messes with their flying, like hovering or landing on surfaces.

You may not even need to put the fan on high, but just low or medium can be enough. Ideally, set the fan to oscillating mode to cover a larger area.

An added benefit of leaving a fan is that it dries out the area of any moisture that fruit flies can use to breed or drink.

Strategy #7: Essential Oils

Essential oils can be used as a nice repellent for fruit flies due to their strong odors.

You can use oils such as:

• lemongrass
• peppermint
• eucalyptus
• lavender
• clove

Fruit flies have a knack for sniffing out chemicals or smells in order to locate food sources such as rotting fruit.

The essential oils release VOCs (volatile organic compounds) that create a sensory overload for fruit flies, making it harder to navigate and find food.

How To Use Essential Oil

You can use cotton balls, diffusers, or even a paper towel soaked with drops of essential oil.

Another option is to mix 10-15 drops with water and spray around the problem areas.

Since this is a repellent strategy, you still want to use a cider vinegar trap (or something similar) as well as keeping the area clean of moisture and decomposing food.

Strategy #8: Drain Cleaning

Although drain flies (Psychodidae) are more likely to lay eggs in drains, fruit flies (Drosophilidae) can also thrive there if food residue remains.

If you suspect drain flies are your real issue, check out our full guide on how to get rid of them.

Fruit flies are attracted to fermenting/rotting food, and if there are food particles left behind in the drain, they can lay eggs on the surface and use it to feed.

Use Boiling Water & Baking Soda

The easiest DIY way to clean the drain is to pour boiling water into the drain and let it sit for a few minutes to loosen debris.

Next, put 1/2-cup of baking soda into the drain opening and pour 1-cup of white vinegar over the baking soda to create a fizzing reaction that goes into the drain.

Allow the baking soda and vinegar mixture to sit for at least 10-15 minutes to break down any organic sludge or food debris. Drain the mixture with hot water or another round of boiling water to flush down any debris.

You can also use a commercial drain cleaner, especially one that uses enzymes, if you don’t want to go the DIY route.

I recommend cleaning the drain at least once a week while battling a fruit fly infestation.

Strategy #9: UV Light Fly Traps

UV light traps use blue ultraviolet light to attract fruit flies, trapping them on a sticky glue surface.

The light may also mimic the natural reflections off of food and water that signals to fruit flies food or water may be near.

They are also odorless and safe to use around children and pets.

Zevo UV Light Traps

Probably the most popular brand is Zevo, which has an internal sticky cartridge that can be easily replaced for a fresh glue layer without touching dead flies.

These traps are plugged into regular 120-volt outlets, and they work 24/7 to catch fruit flies, though they tend to work best at night.

Fruit flies are specifically attracted to UV-A light which has a 300 to 420 nanometer wavelength.

I don’t recommend using UV light traps as your primary way to stop fruit flies but it is a great supplemental tool to catch adult fruit flies.

How To Identify Fruit Flies?

Making sure you’ve got fruit flies, not other pesky flies, is key to picking the right way to kill them.

Here are some of the key physical traits of fruit flies:

• They are tiny, about 1/8 of an inch in size.
• Light brown or tan in color
• Clear or translucent wings
• Red or dark eyes
• Tend to appear together in swarms
• Rounded body
• Fly slowly and like to hover
• Usually appear near rotting fruit

Drain flies are commonly confused with fruit flies since they have a similar appearance and size.

The main physical difference is that drain flies are slightly larger and have a moth-like appearance on close inspection with furry wings. Drain fly eyes are also smaller and darker.

Drain flies rarely hover over surfaces and tend to have short and jerky flight patterns.

Where Do Fruit Flies Come From?

Fruit flies commonly come into homes through tiny eggs (about half a millimeter) and larvae on ripe fruit and vegetables.

A fruit fly can lay up to 500 eggs over a few weeks, so just one female fruit fly getting into your home can start an infestation. The moist and warm environment of kitchens is helpful to their growth.

Since fruit flies are so tiny, they can easily slip through cracks in windows, screens, or other holes — typically attracted by smells from fermenting or rotting fruit.

Besides fruit, they can also breed and live on any organic debris that has moisture.

Places like trash bins, sinks, garbage disposals, or compost bins can be perfect breeding grounds.

The Fruit Fly Life Cycle

Adult fruit flies have very short life cycles of 2-4 weeks, but as adults, fruit flies can lay eggs continuously which can start an infestation quickly.

Here are the main stages of fruit flies:

• Egg: A female fruit fly can lay up to 500 eggs over a few weeks. These tiny white eggs are laid on rotting fruit, vegetables, or food scraps. Eggs start to hatch within 12-24 hours in warm conditions.
  
• Larvae: Larvae (the maggot stage) eat on the rotting food for a couple days.
  
• Pupae: Pupae are when they form a brown, protective casing, and begin morphing into adults. The pupae stage is about 3-6 days.
  
• Adult: Mature fruit flies will live for about 2-4 weeks, and can start laying eggs within several hours.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Let Fruit Flies Take Over

Fruit flies may be tiny, but they can become a big nuisance if left unchecked.

To keep fruit flies at bay, toss out rotting fruit, seal your trash bin, and keep your kitchen dry.

Probably the favorite method to actively get rid of fruit flies is the apple cider vinegar trap due to its simplicity and effectiveness.

I recommend starting with a vinegar trap, and add 1-2 supplemental methods to get rid of these pesky flies.

Hope this guide helped! Drop a question below or share your fruit fly battles!