How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

A fruit fly never comes alone, so as soon as you notice one, you’ll find yourself swarmed by an infestation of them. And before you know it, they’re all over the place. They’re a great annoyance as they seem to come out of nowhere. Depriving you of enjoying your fresh, sweet fruits.
While these flies can be persistent, they’re not unbeatable. Fortunately, learning how to get rid of fruit flies can be easy. We’ll talk about the steps you can take to get rid of those annoying pests.

What Causes Fruit Flies?

Fruit flies may wander into your home, attracted by overripe fruits, wine, or dirty sink drains. They lay their eggs in rotten fruit and on sweet surfaces. You may also bring them home yourself from the grocery store on fruits and vegetables as they enter them through any cuts over the fruit's surface.
Because of their tiny size, it's difficult to notice a fruit fly on its own. Driving you mad not knowing where they come from! As they act fast, laying 500 eggs at the same time, making you suddenly feel surrounded and trapped.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies?

To get rid of fruit flies, you first need to find the source they're coming from and get rid of it immediately, whether it's leftover food, uncovered fruits, or your trash can.
Then, you need to thoroughly clean your food areas, remove any liquid spills or food crumbs, take out your trash can, clean your drain and get rid of any rotten food. Also, you must get rid of any unclean sponges or dishcloths used to remove food leftovers.
If they persist after this, you can use a fruit fly solution to trap the fruit flies and get rid of them. Here are some of the best fruit fly traps:

Best Traps to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

You can make a trap for these fruit flies using at-hand home ingredients. Here's the way to do these traps:

The Rotten Fruit Trap

First, put a piece of rotten fruit or something sweet and fermented in a jar. Then, twist a piece of paper into a cone-shaped funnel and stick the pointed end into the jar. The rotten fruit will attract the flies, and the funnel will allow them to get in but not out.
You can replace the funnel with a plastic wrap by placing it over the jar and making some holes in it to serve the same purpose as the funnel cone. After that, get rid of the jar any way you want.

The Apple Cider Vinegar and Soap Trap

Firstly, mix a cup of apple cider vinegar with a couple of drops of dish soap in a bowl. Then, wrap the bowl with a plastic wrap and secure it with an elastic band. Make some holes in it to allow the flies to enter.
The sweet smell of the vinegar will attract the flies, and the soap will trap the flies by separating the surface tension and drowning them. Get rid of the bowl and repeat as needed.
You can replace apple cider vinegar with vinegar mixed with sugar in the bowl with dish soap.

The Bottle Trap

Put any bottle of leftover wine or beer. Then, wrap the bottle with a plastic wrap and secure it with an elastic band. Make some holes in it to allow the flies to get in but not out to trap the flies.

Dry Yeast Trap

To make this trap, you can follow the same steps in the apple cider trap but use a mix of a quarter cup of water, a teaspoon of sugar, and a sachet of dry, active yeast.

Chemical Fruit Fly Trap

If these made-at-home traps don't work out for you, you can buy a chemical fruit fly spray to get rid of these flies instantly.
And If all of these steps don’t work, you can consult an expert to help you get rid of them.

How to Prevent Fruit Flies

After learning the steps to get rid of fruit flies, there are some things that you can do to avoid having this same problem again:
  • Wash any new fruit as soon as you get it with water or a fruit and vegetable wash to get rid of any eggs on the surface.
  • Try only to buy your needs of fruits to avoid leaving them out and put any fruits or vegetables in the refrigerator.
  • Regularly clean your food areas from spills or leftovers and keep your environment generally clean because fruit flies love dirty environments.
  • Empty and clean your sink drain and garbage disposal daily and try to cover trash cans with a secure lid.
  • Get rid of any rotten food and fruit immediately.
  • Avoid leaving out drinks.
  • Change your dishcloths and sponges routinely.
  • Secure and clean your recycled jars, cans, and bottles to make sure they're free of any leftovers.
  • Regularly wash your reusable shopping bags.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can bleach get rid of fruit flies?
The only way to use bleach to get rid of fruit flies is to pour it into the drains. But while it may kill a few flies, it won’t be enough as it won’t stick to the sides of the drain.
Can a fruit fly infestation be harmful to our health?
Unless you treat them, fruit fly infestations can be harmful to health because they transfer germs and bacteria to clean food, contaminating it.
Is it possible for fruit flies to disappear on their own?
If you don’t remove the source of the problem and start getting rid of them, fruit flies will only get worse.
How to use lemon to get rid of fruit flies?
Cut a lemon into two halves and put them in the oven to heat up. Then, turn it off and leave the door open. The flies will be attracted to the lemon and will surround it. Wait for some time, close the door and turn the oven on to kill the fruit flies.
What smells do fruit flies hate?
There are some nice smells that fruit flies hate, such as lavender, peppermint, clove, and lemongrass. You can use them in spray form to help get rid of them and make your home smell nice at the same time.
What is the best way to get rid of fruit flies in the drain?
Using only water and bleach to get rid of fruit flies in the drain won’t work out for you, you’ll have to use a drain cleaner to get rid of them.

Conclusion

We hope our guide on how to get rid of fruit flies helps you get rid of those pesky insects. Remember to steer clear of them in the first place by regularly cleaning your food areas and never leaving food or drinks out in the open.