How do I get rid of these ANNOYING fruit flies?
Over the past couple weeks my house has become infested with fruit flies and I don't know how to get rid of them! I've tried keeping my kitchen as clean as I can and put out a vinegar trap, but it's not working super well. These flies bother me so much and I feel like I can't live in peace with them around. Please help!
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For a complete guide to this topic, read the wikiHow article How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Your House
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The issue with fruit flies is that they proliferate very quickly and tend to be chronically reintroduced. What that means is that for the most part, in the fruit that you're bringing in, there's a good chance that it probably has fruit fly eggs on it already. If it sits in your home long enough, chances are some of those eggs are going to hatch. What we tend to recommend is that whenever produce is brought in, that it is scrubbed under running water with some sort of brush to help destroy and dislodge any of the eggs that are on there. Alternatively, keep it in airtight containers or in deep refrigeration, because in a lot of these cases when we're exterminating the fruit fly problem, a couple days later there are fruit flies again and it's usually coinciding with the delivery of produce. So all of that being said, the main thing is to identify whenever you're dealing with a flying insect and identify the method of introduction and the food source. And for fruit flies it tends to literally be the fruit. It's a matter of identifying what potential food sources you have that are most likely already affected.
Once you've found that you have a fruit fly infestation, generally you can try to start with the tried and true. You can do a wine trap or a beer trap or a vinegar trap, which is usually filling a glass or dish with a small amount of attractant, putting cellophane over the top, and poking a couple of holes in it. If 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 at that point. But if it's low-level and you're just seeing a couple, then generally the tried and true vinegar trap will work well for you.
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Once you've found that you have a fruit fly infestation, generally you can try to start with the tried and true. You can do a wine trap or a beer trap or a vinegar trap, which is usually filling a glass or dish with a small amount of attractant, putting cellophane over the top, and poking a couple of holes in it. If 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 at that point. But if it's low-level and you're just seeing a couple, then generally the tried and true vinegar trap will work well for you.
I agree that to get rid of fruit flies, you can create a simple homemade fly trap by filling a shallow dish with a mixture of sugar and vinegar or fruit juice. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and poke small holes in it. Flies will be attracted to the sweet smell and get trapped in the liquid.
You can also hang fly ribbons near doors, windows, or any other entry points where flies may enter your home. This can help catch flies before they have a chance to spread throughout your living space. Also hang fly ribbons in or around your kitchen and dining areas, especially near food preparation areas, dining tables, or where fruits and vegetables are stored. Flies are commonly attracted to food sources, so targeting these areas can be effective.
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You can also hang fly ribbons near doors, windows, or any other entry points where flies may enter your home. This can help catch flies before they have a chance to spread throughout your living space. Also hang fly ribbons in or around your kitchen and dining areas, especially near food preparation areas, dining tables, or where fruits and vegetables are stored. Flies are commonly attracted to food sources, so targeting these areas can be effective.
Fruit flies are usually attracted to decaying organic matter. If you have them in your kitchen, the first step is identifying and eliminating their food source. It's good that you already cleaned your kitchen and put out a vinegar trap. Other common breeding grounds that you should check and clean include:
–Garbage disposals (food debris can accumulate under the lip of the disposal)
–Drains and sinks (partial clogs can lead to organic buildup)
–Small kitchen appliances where food particles may have fallen
A good cleaning routine can help prevent infestations. Using vinegar traps can be effective, but since you've already tried that, enlist the help of bacterial agents to break down organic material in your drains.
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–Garbage disposals (food debris can accumulate under the lip of the disposal)
–Drains and sinks (partial clogs can lead to organic buildup)
–Small kitchen appliances where food particles may have fallen
A good cleaning routine can help prevent infestations. Using vinegar traps can be effective, but since you've already tried that, enlist the help of bacterial agents to break down organic material in your drains.
They can also lay eggs on your house plants. If i remember right, a spray bottle with water and a few drops of soap will get them
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when I had a fruit fly issue I realized that they were laying eggs in my kitchen sink drain! I poured boiling water down the drain a few times a week for a couple weeks and that helped clear up my infestation
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Those were drain flies. They appear similar but aren't interested in fruit. Check "fruit vs drain flies" for images. Glad they're gone, you did good.
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I never knew about putting fruit in the fridge to get rid of fruit flies, so I'm going to do that ASAP. I set out a vinegar trap and already have caught some flies, but I'm still seeing more around my kitchen. Are there any other types of traps that will work for me??
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ugh i think i better invest in some fly ribbons -_- these flies are out of control tbh! i tried a bowl of vinegar and dish soap and it kinda worked, but now i'm wondering if sugar would be better to give it that sweet smell, like you saif. thank you!!
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Fruit flies breed by the hundreds and they do in any kind of standing water you may have around the house. Did included yes but they are in the drains as well. I bartended for twenty years and a few of the bars I worked at were nasty when I started. I went on a vendetta against the fruit flies. Two, three days they'll be gone.
1. Leave no standing water or liquids around. This means wipe your sinks dry and dry off the faucet. Always and after you use them.
2. That alone isn't enough you'll also need water as hot as you can get it (boiling, perhaps?) and bleach. Hot water down your sink then follow it with straight bleach.
And I mean tip it on back! I like to create a make shift drain stopper that only allows some water through and then fill up a sink and let it's drip.
So no standing water, drains bleached.
Hope this helps
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1. Leave no standing water or liquids around. This means wipe your sinks dry and dry off the faucet. Always and after you use them.
2. That alone isn't enough you'll also need water as hot as you can get it (boiling, perhaps?) and bleach. Hot water down your sink then follow it with straight bleach.
And I mean tip it on back! I like to create a make shift drain stopper that only allows some water through and then fill up a sink and let it's drip.
So no standing water, drains bleached.
Hope this helps
Hi you were likely dealing with drain flies, not fruit flies, which is sort of funny that you figured out how to deal with drain flies without even knowing what they are. I hate them, they terrify me because they're so hard to get rid of fully. Often when you slip up and forget to clean the drain on time they come back
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Probably not a million times, but I get what you're coming from. But boiling water might work for her/him quite well since bugs don't tend to do very well with water as I remember correctly.
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You can make a fruit fly trap with a plastic bottle and a piece of paper. Drop a piece of fruit into the bottle as bait. Roll the paper up into a funnel and place it into the mouth of the bottle. Flies will be able to get into the bottle easily through the funnel but will have trouble getting out, so they'll get trapped in there. When you have a bunch of flies, take the funnel out and close up the bottle, then toss it out.
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Reader Tips from How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Your House
Be sure to check for in hard-to-reach places where food may have fallen, and clean it up. Look under your fridge, behind your trash can, and the space between your counter and stove.
Add dry yeast to fruit in a jar with the paper funnel. I read it somewhere and it really amps up the trapping of fruit flies.
Reader Tips from How to Get Rid of Flies in the Kitchen
Try using a vacuum with a hose attachment to suck them up. Be sure to empty your vacuum outside.
Wrap up any food that's left out at room temperature so the flies can't access it.
Reader Tips from How to Get Rid of Flies
Here's what I've been doing: I'll lock my dog out of my room for a while and spray the bugs with Windex. The chemicals in Windex aren't dangerous enough to harm humans, but they're effective enough to get rid of flies. Then, once the fly is sprayed with Windex and slowing down, you can use a fly swatter to kill them. I also recommend wearing a mask or bandana around your mouth and nose while doing this. Windex isn't really too dangerous if inhaled, but it still smells pretty strong.
Try filling a plastic bag with water and a couple of pennies, and keeping it in the area. The light and reflections in the water will confuse the flies, and it's worked to get rid of them.
Leave spiders alone that you find around your home if they're not dangerous. Spiders are natural predators to flies, and the flies will get caught in their webs.
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