How to Kill Fruit Flies
Kevin Carrillo
Pest Control Specialist Expert Interview. 22 October 2019. Pour some of the vinegar into a cup, and add a plastic or paper funnel to the top. The funnel will block off most of the entrance, allowing a space large enough for the flies to enter but too small for the less-than-intelligent flies to exit. For an extra measure, add a bit of dish soap to the vinegar to create a fly poison. [3] X Research source
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
Those tiny “gnats” you see circling an overripe banana on your kitchen counter? They aren’t gnats at all. They’re fruit flies. Not only are they annoying, they can also be bad for your health. But there are plenty of ways to make them go away for good.
Life Cycle of Fruit Flies
No matter where in the U.S. you live, fruit flies can show up on your kitchen counters or inside your trash can. They can turn up any time of year but are most common in the late summer and early fall. That’s because they’re attracted to ripe and rotting food.
Fruits and vegetables — especially bananas, melon, tomatoes, squash, and apples — are their favorites. Rotten onions and potatoes are also a big draw for these tiny, 1/8-inch-long creatures.
An adult female fruit fly can lay up to 2,000 eggs on the surface of anything that’s moist and rotting. Within 30 hours, tiny maggots hatch and start to eat the decayed food. Within 2 days, they’re all grown up and ready to mate, too. While that transition may seem quick, a fruit fly only lives 8 to 15 days.
Health Risks of Fruit Flies
Research shows that fruit flies can transfer germs from a dirty surface onto a clean one. Some of the bacteria they may carry include salmonella, E. coli, and listeria. These three germs each cause food poisoning. Severe cases may put you in the hospital and can even be life-threatening.
For both workers and companies, employer-sponsored health insurance is costly. For 2018, employers paid an average of $10,000 per employee to cover 70% of the cost of health insurance, leaving workers with a price tag of about $4,200 for the remaining 30% of the expense, CNBC
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
If you have a fruit fly problem, insect sprays will kill the adult insects but won’t stop eggs from hatching. To get rid of all the fruit files in your home, you’ll need to:
- Look for places where fruit flies can breed. Check for and clean up sticky spills or rotting food on your counters, inside drawers and cabinets, inside and under your refrigerator, and under other kitchen appliances. Aside from overripe fruit and veggies, fruit flies can lay their eggs on cleaning rags and mops, and even in empty cans.
- Clean your drain and garbage disposal. You can pour boiling water into them or tape a clear plastic food storage bag over the top and leave in place overnight. Adult fruit flies will try to leave the drain, and you’ll find them in the bag in the morning.
- Make traps. Place them wherever you have seen fruit flies.
- Wine trap: Fill the bottom of a small jar with a splash of wine. Make a cone out of a piece of paper. Put the cone on top of the jar with the narrow end pointing up. The wine attracts the flies. The cone keeps them in the jar.
- Rotten fruit trap: Follow the steps above, but put a piece of rotten fruit at the bottom of the jar.
- Apple cider vinegar trap: Follow the steps above, but put apple cider vinegar in the jar.
- Apple cider vinegar and dish soap trap: Mix the ingredients in a container. The vinegar will lure the flies in, but the dish soap makes it hard for them to get away.
- Yeast trap: Follow the steps above but swap the vinegar mixes for ¼ to ⅓ cup water, a packet of activated dry yeast and a teaspoon of sugar.
Fruit Fly Prevention
To prevent fruit flies from getting too comfortable in your house again:
- Buy only what you’re sure you’ll eat. One spoiled potato or forgotten box of berries can lead to thousands of fruit flies. Once produce gets ripe, put it in your refrigerator until you eat it. Compost the leftovers or throw them away promptly.
- Wash your produce when you get it home (to remove any eggs or larvae) and then store it in the refrigerator.
- Empty your kitchen trash can every day.
- Clean up any spills right away (especially alcohol or fruit juices).
- Rinse your recycling. Make sure all jars, bottles, and cans are free of food scraps.
- Put screens on your windows and doors. Look for tight-fitting, 16-mesh models that can keep adult fruit flies from coming inside your home.
- Turn off lights over your doors and windows. Light attracts newly adult fruit flies.
- Seal all containers. If you preserve your own fruits and veggies or brew your own cider or beer, check that your lids are well sealed. If not, fruit flies can squeeze under them and lay eggs.
Show Sources
Journal of Food Protection: Fruit Flies as Potential Vectors of Foodborne Illness.
University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment: “Fruit Flies.”
Eco-Cycle: “All About Composting.”
Michigan State University Extension: “How To Get Rid of Fruit Flies In Your Home.”
Northwest Center for Alternatives to Pesticides: “Fruit Flies.”
CDC: “Burden of Foodborne Illness: Findings.”
PennState Extension: “Vinegar Flies.”
Pestworld.org/National Pest Management Association: “Fruit Flies.”
University of Maryland Extension: “Fruit Flies.”
Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County: “Fruit Fly Trap Instructions.”
Iowa State University Extension and Outreach: “‘Tis the Season for Fruit Fly Control.”
How to Kill Fruit Flies
This article was co-authored by Kevin Carrillo. Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC’s work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 39 testimonials and 92% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status.
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The dog days of summer often bring with them unwanted fruit fly infestations. If you keep a fresh fruit bowl on the kitchen table in hopes that your kids will snack from it but end up with partially moldy peaches, leopard-spotted bananas, and the darting buzz of pesky critters, you may have a fruit fly problem. Get rid of those annoying pint-size insects by trying one of these methods for killing and trapping.
Things You Should Know
Fruit flies may be pesky, but there are tons of things you can use to fight back that you may have lying around the house:
- Use a styrofoam plate and cooking spray to make a simple sticky swatter.
- Use a blow dryer to suck up and incinerate flies.
- Burn incense to suffocate flies in the room.
- Use rotten fruit and cellophane to make a simple trap.
- Use a little red wine to make an irresistible and inescapable trap.
- Use apple cider vinegar and dish soap to make a deadly trap.
- Use beer and a mason jar to make a trap.
- Turn an old soda bottle into a cheap trap.
Method 1 of 3:
Making Traps
Use rotten fruit. Your fruit fly problem probably didn’t start until you realized you left out some fruit that eventually rotted. Use the method that gathered the flies in the first place to capture them again, but, this time, lead them to a more morbid end. Place a piece of rotting fruit in a bowl, and stretch clear plastic over the top. Cut several small holes into the plastic using a toothpick, and leave it near the site of the flies. They will be attracted to the scent, but unable to get out.
Sacrifice some wine. Humans aren’t the only ones attracted to wine. Fruit flies flock to this alcohol as well. [1] X Expert Source
Kevin Carrillo
Pest Control Specialist Expert Interview. 22 October 2019. Thankfully the perfect fly-catcher is ready-made anytime you crack open a bottle. Empty the bottle so that there is an inch or less of wine at the bottom. Leave this out near where the flies are gathering; they will fly in, but the funnel-effect of the bottleneck will keep them trapped.Try apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar is a great household product to have around, as it works in many ways around your home. Included in its abilities is the capacity to kill fruit flies after an outbreak. [2] X Expert Source
Kevin Carrillo
Pest Control Specialist Expert Interview. 22 October 2019. Pour some of the vinegar into a cup, and add a plastic or paper funnel to the top. The funnel will block off most of the entrance, allowing a space large enough for the flies to enter but too small for the less-than-intelligent flies to exit. For an extra measure, add a bit of dish soap to the vinegar to create a fly poison. [3] X Research sourceMake a dish soap trap. When added to a sweet solution, dish soap cannot be detected by fruit flies. The chemicals present in the soap will act as a poison and kill the unwary flies. Fill a jar with a mixture of vinegar (any kind) with sugar – it doesn’t matter in what proportion. Add in a squirt of dish soap and mix the solution well. The flies should be attracted to the sweet and sour scent but will die when they consume the soapy poison.
Make a beer trap. [4] X Expert Source
Kevin Carrillo
Pest Control Specialist Expert Interview. 22 October 2019. Turns out fruit flies have a thing for lots of alcohol, not just wine. Grab a mason jar and fill it halfway with any kind of beer. Use a hammer and nail to puncture the metal lid several times, creating 3-5 holes. Screw the cap back on and leave the trap where the flies congregate. The beer can be dumped out every few days and replaced to catch more flies. [5] X Research sourceUse a bottle of soda. If you already drink soda, then you’re in luck. Grab a bottle of soda (any kind, although colas tend to work well) and hammer a hole through the plastic lid. Empty the soda so that there is only an inch or less remaining in the bottom of the bottle. Replace the lid, and watch the flies swarm!
Try using yeast. This one may sound strange, but a concoction of yeast may do the trick in capturing and killing fruit flies. Fill a glass halfway with warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar, and pour in some active dry yeast. Mix the solution (prepare for it to bubble!) and then cover the entire glass with plastic wrap. Poke holes in the top to let the flies in, but make sure they are small enough so that the flies can’t get back out. [6] X Research source
Hang up some fly strips. Undoubtedly the least attractive of the trapping methods, fly strips work wonders on capturing fruit flies. These ultra-sticky strips will attract flies and trap them the instant they set foot on the tape. Try hanging your strips in a less obtrusive setting than perhaps directly over your kitchen sink for the most appealing set-up.
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Method 2 of 3:Keeping Flies Away
Remove appealing breeding grounds. Fruit flies are, pretty obviously, attracted to fruit. However, they will flock to any generally dirty area and most rotten foods. Try to throw out bad foods immediately, and keep your trashcan area and drains clean and old-food-free. This will lower the temptation of turning your house into a breeding ground.
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Fruit fly eggs can also be present on fruit that you bring into your home. Scrub fruit under running water to dislodge any eggs. [8] X Expert Source
Grow some fresh basil indoors. Strangely enough, fruit flies don’t like basil. If you want to use your green thumb to keep this herb fresh and on hand, you will also manage to keep fruit flies out. Grow basil in a small pot and keep it in your house where the flies seem to congregate. Kept near a bowl of fruit, the flies will be less likely to appear in the future.
Use cedarwood. Another strange natural remedy, fruit flies are repelled by the scent of cedarwood. Find a way to keep some in your home, either as decoration or for use in a fire, and your fruit fly population should diminish. Keep pieces of it stashed around your kitchen and near breeding grounds to scare the flies away.
Spritz some essential oils. Improve the aroma of your house and ward off flies and other insects by spraying your home regularly with certain essential oils. The scent of lemongrass oil and lavender are repulsive to fruit flies and many other bugs and cause them to avoid congregating in the area. Mix 10 drops of one of the oils with 2 ounces of hot water, and mist all the rooms of your house with it. [9] X Research source
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Method 3 of 3:Killing Flies Quickly
Make a sticky swatter. Like most people, your first response to seeing a lot of fruit flies is to want to swat them. Unfortunately for us, their small size makes them incredibly difficult to swat. To fix this problem, make a homemade sticky swatter. Grab a styrofoam plate, and coat it with a thick layer of cooking spray. As you swat the tiny flies, they will get caught in the oil and stick to the plate, eventually dying.
Use a blow dryer. If you want to exact your revenge on those annoying little flies, pull out your hairdryer and get at them! Turn your blow dryer on so that the air is blowing away from the fans. The suction from the other side will suck up the flies, where they will be burned in the inner heater. A bit gruesome, sure. But your flies should disappear pretty quickly.
Burn a little incense. The very small respiratory systems of fruit flies are delicate and require a constant supply of clean air. This means that inhaled irritants, such as smoke, can kill them quickly. Although you can’t set a fire in your house, you can burn incense. The smoke and perfume put off by these sticks will lead your flies into a slow death.
- Set one of the fruit traps out. When the fruit flies congregate, slowly move in.
- If the flies have been sitting for a while, they don’t fly away quickly as opposed to when they just landed. Suck them up quickly, then dispose of the contents outside.
- The main thing is: for example, if the bag is full, the suction won’t be strong and it will be almost useless to make the effort.
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Expert Q&A
What’s the best way to prevent a fruit fly infestation?
Kevin Carrillo
MMPC, Pest Control SpecialistKevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC’s work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
MMPC, Pest Control Specialist
Expert AnswerFruit flies proliferate very quickly and tend to be chronically reintroduced. What that means is that, for the most part, the fruit you’re bringing into your home likely has fruit fly eggs already on it. If it sits in your home long enough or in your workplace long enough, chances are some of those eggs are going to hatch. To prevent the infestation from continuing, scrub all fruit you bring in with a brush under running water to get rid of any eggs. Alternatively, keep the fruit in airtight containers or in deep refrigeration.
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Kevin Carrillo
MMPC, Pest Control SpecialistKevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC’s work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
MMPC, Pest Control Specialist
Expert AnswerIf you’re seeing fruit flies in the hundreds, then you’ve probably already gotten to a point where you’re going to need a pest control professional to help you mitigate the population. Traps are usually most effective against a small number of fruit flies, not a large infestation.
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By using this service, some information may be shared with YouTube.Fruit flies take 8-10 days to hatch from their eggs, so continue using your trapping methods even after the first generation of flies have disappeared. This will ensure that future generations are caught and killed as well.
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References- ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
- ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
- ↑http://www.diylife.com/2011/07/18/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies/
- ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
- ↑http://www.curbly.com/users/chrisjob/posts/8736
- ↑http://tipnut.com/fruit-flies/
- ↑http://www.orkin.com/flies/fruit-fly/
- ↑ Kevin Carrillo. Pest Control Specialist. Expert Interview. 22 October 2019.
- ↑http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/home-remedies-for-fruit-flies.html
About this article
Co-authored by:
MMPC, Pest Control SpecialistThis article was co-authored by Kevin Carrillo. Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC’s work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News. This article has been viewed 2,098,020 times.
40 votes – 92%
Co-authors: 36
Updated: January 12, 2023
Views: 2,098,020To kill fruit flies, first mix apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap in a bowl. Then, set the bowl out in your kitchen or wherever you’ve been noticing fruit flies. The apple cider vinegar will attract the flies, and the dish soap will weigh down their wings so they can’t escape. You can also use old fruit to attract and trap fruit flies. Place the old fruit in a jar and roll a piece of paper into a cone. Then, place the cone in the opening of the jar with the narrow end down. Fruit flies will fly into the jar to get to the fruit, but they won’t be able to get back out through the narrow hole of the cone. You can even kill fruit flies by setting out an open bottle of beer or wine. When the flies fly into the bottle to get the beer or wine, they won’t be able to get back out through the bottle’s curved top, just like the cone. Whatever method you use, if the flies are still alive in your trap, pour a mixture of water and dish soap into the trap to kill them. To prevent fruit flies from coming back, remember to toss out overripe produce and take out your garbage regularly so the flies don’t have a food source. If you want to learn how to prevent fruit flies from coming in, keep reading!
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Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,098,020 times.Reader Success Stories
Susan Weber Nov 3, 2017
“The article was very helpful for my fruit fly situation. I had used some of the remedies already to get rid of a lot of flies, but I still had flies daily. It wasn’t until I read about the flies laying eggs that I had learned about more solutions I could use. Thank you for the helpful hints. ” . ” more
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Co-authored by:
MMPC, Pest Control Specialist
Co-authors: 36
Updated: January 12, 2023
Views: 2,098,020
92% of readers found this article helpful.
40 votes – 92%
Click a star to add your vote
% of people told us that this article helped them.“The article was very helpful for my fruit fly situation. I had used some of the remedies already to get rid of a lot of flies, but I still had flies daily. It wasn’t until I read about the flies laying eggs that I had learned about more solutions I could use. Thank you for the helpful hints. ” . ” more
“This site is awesome for helping me sample the various ways of getting rid of fruit flies. It made the job easier. Usually, one or two ideas are given, mostly with things I don’t have. This site has given me a variety of ways with normal products that work.” . ” more
“I used a recycled plastic sour cream container, washed out the sour cream, poured in some ‘hard’ apple cider, punched a couple small holes in the lid with a tiny screwdriver, replaced the lid, and after just a few minutes I had trapped oodles of them.” . ” more
“The addition of a little soap to the liquid traps to break the surface tension was great. Burning incense for the relatively quick kill worked really well. Though I had to close all the windows and use quite a bit.” . ” more
“I have had a problem with fruit flies for quite a while now. I hate to see them, they make the house look untidy, even when it is clean. This article helped me a lot, and I got rid of ’em. ” . ” more
