How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in the House

Fruit flies have a very short life-span; only eight to ten days! This means that they reproduce quickly and can become a very big problem in a short amount of time. It always seems that just when you get them under control they come back again. Prevention is the key! Because of their short lifespan it’s easy for them to come in on fruit from the supermarket and cause havoc on the ripe fruits and vegetables in your house. If you start to have a problem with them use one of the traps from below. These are quick, effective and drown the eggs as well as the flies preventing your small outbreak from becoming a serious problem. 

How to Prevent Fruit Flies in the House

• Clean your produce as soon as you get it home rather than waiting until you use it.
• Make sure you cover your fruit bowl if fruit has to be stored outside the fridge. Fruit flies love sweet fruits and will make them spoil faster!
• Always throw kitchen scraps into a trashcan with lid to discourage the flies laying eggs that hatch.
• Get rid of overripe fruits and veggies by freezing, using or composting them.
• Take your kitchen trash and compost out every day. Don’t let scraps sit in the house. Remember, fruit flies have a short lifespan!
• When you do your dishes make sure you clear out the drains and garbage disposal! These are favorite laying places for fruit flies!
• Don’t leave wet washrags in the sink.
• Clean the seals of your fridge regularly to make sure they can’t get into your fridge, your dishwasher, and around your stove.
• Remove the dead leaves from houseplants and let the topsoil dry out a little before watering! Fruit flies aren’t picky, they will lay eggs in your house plant soil.

Traps for Fruit Flies in the House

• The simplest trap is made from a jar filled with about a half cup of apple cider vinegar and a piece of over-ripe fruit. Heat up the apple cider vinegar till it’s just warm, then pour into the jar, add the fruit (make sure it’s small enough that the vinegar covers it), then set it out. If you’re worried they’ll fly away then make a funnel with a piece of paper and set it in the jar. The flies won’t be able to figure out how to get out and will drown.
• The wine trap has you leave about a half cup of wine, preferably red, in the bottom of the bottle. Flies love wine almost as much as humans and will be attracted to the liquid, get drunk (yes they do get drunk) and will drown!
• Lastly is a tried and true method from a farmer’s almanac in the 1800’s. Bring a pint of milk mixed with a quarter pound of raw sugar and two ounces of pepper to a simmer. Remove from heat, add in a little dish soap and stir. Pour into bowls and place these around the house. The flies will land to drink, get stuck by the dish soap and will die!