How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Fast Using Home Remedies

You are here because fruit flies are everywhere in your house. Fruit flies breed like crazy and infestations can be hard to control. Here are some home remedies that may help get rid of fruit flies quickly and once and for all.

Find the source

No amount of fruit fly traps will help get rid of a fruit fly infestation unless you have identified and eradicated the infestation at its source. Here are the most common areas of the house where fruit flies may originate from.

Kitchen

Fruit flies may appear from various parts of the kitchen including the sink drain, the pantry, and the refrigerator. You may have brought in some infested fruits or the fruit flies may have entered from outside if the kitchen windows are inadequately-screened. You could place some yellow sticky traps around the kitchen and see if certain traps are catching more fruit flies than others. This could help narrow down the source of the infestation.

Bathroom

You are more likely to be dealing with drain flies than fruit flies if the fly infestation is concentrated in the bathroom or toilet. Poorly-maintained bathroom drains can provide a perfect breeding ground for small flies due to the humidity and presence of decaying debris. Regular drain maintenance is essential for preventing fly infestations in the house.

Plants

You are more likely to be dealing with fungus gnats if the flies are coming from the plant soil. This could happen if you are using poor-quality soil or potted plants that have already been infested with gnat larvae.

Garbage disposal

Garbage disposal is like heaven on earth for fruit flies. Having a garbage disposal near your home can lead to a fruit fly infestation in your house, especially if you lack window screens.

Home remedies for getting rid of fruit flies

These home remedies may help get rid of the fruit flies once you have narrowed down the list of areas where the fruit flies could be coming from.

Vinegar trap

Create a homemade fruit fly trap using vinegar. Any type of vinegar should work, including apple cider vinegar, red wine vinegar, and white vinegar. Find a disposable bowl, cup, or a mason jar, pour vinegar inside and mix it with a drop of dish soap, then place a plastic wrap over the bowl or cup. Poke a few tiny holes along the plastic wrap to allow the fruit flies to enter. The dish soap prevents the fruit flies from escaping its watery doom once it makes contact with the vinegar solution.

Make a few of these homemade traps and place them around the house. You should see plenty of dead fruit flies in the vinegar traps the next morning. Vinegar traps are effective for fruit fly control but keep in mind that they won’t help eradicate fruit flies at the source.

Lemon trap

A different variation of homemade fruit fly traps is by using lemon, paper towels, and an empty jar. Cut the lemon into small chunks then place them into the jar. Roll the paper towel into a cone then place it into the jar. The bottom of the cone should be as close as possible to the bottom of the jar. There should be a tight seal between the paper towel cone and the opening of the jar to prevent trapped fruit flies from escaping once they make it through the bottom of the cone.

You now just need to wait for some fruit flies to get trapped before filling the jar with boiling water to get rid of them. This fruit fly trap can be re-used once you have drained the water and have the paper towel cone replaced. You can most likely use the same pieces of lemon for a week or two.

Vacuuming the fruit flies

Vacuuming might be helpful if you are dealing with a large fruit fly infestation at home. Like the above remedies, vacuuming only helps with controlling the infestation. You will still need to identify and get rid of the source in order to get rid of fruit flies completely.

Candle trap

This could be an effective home remedy if you are able to make the infested room pitch black or as dark as possible. Once it gets dark, place a candle on top of a plate of soapy water. Close all curtains and turn off all light sources. The only source of light in the room should be the candle. Some of the fruit flies will be attracted to the candle light. They will burn once they get close to the candle flame. Other flies may get attracted to the candle reflection in the soapy water and drown once they make contact with the water surface.

Frequently asked questions

What smells make fruit flies go away?

You may have already read from somewhere that certain smells, such as that of peppermint oil, could help keep fruit flies away. The reality is that no amount of smell is going to make fruit flies away. For starters, using scent isn’t effective for treating the source of a fruit fly infestation. Certain scents, even if they had the ability to repel fruit flies, would only be effective if it’s contained in an enclosed space.

Will fruit flies go away on their own?

No, fruit flies won’t go away on their own. Fruit flies breed like crazy and will continue to cause havoc in your house until you have removed the source of the infestation.

Where do fruit flies lay eggs?

The surface of fermenting food and moist organic materials (e.g. food leftover, paper waste) are the most common areas of the house where fruit flies will lay their eggs. You may have unintentionally brought in fruits and vegetables that contain fruit flies egg inside. We wouldn’t recommend eating any foods with fruit flies on it.

Are fruit flies harmful to human?

Fruit flies aren’t directly harmful to humans. They don’t bite people like pests such as mosquitoes. That said, it’s not good to have a fruit fly infestation around the house. They may spread harmful germs and bacteria from dirty to clean surfaces.

Do fruit flies lay eggs in the refrigerator?

It’s highly unlikely for fruit flies to lay eggs in the refrigerator due to the cold temperature. You may find dead fruit flies in the fridge because of gaps along the fridge door. It doesn’t take much space for a fruit fly to fit through and make their way into the fridge space.

How long does it take to get rid of fruit flies?

It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks to get rid of fruit flies in your house. The outcome really depends on how quickly you are able to identify and remove the source of the infestation. For example, fruit fly infestations can be gone the next day if you clear out all food wastes in the house.