How to get rid of fruit flies fast? The answer is simple, by using homemade traps. Fruit flies can be everywhere. They can invade your house in an instant. It’s hard to destroy them as they breed fast. They can easily survive after you’ve removed fruits and vegetables that might have attracted them. Fruit flies can be stubborn and difficult to kill but thanks to many natural methods, you can still win the battle against them.
If you’ve tried to get rid of the nuisance pests but nothing worked, then test out these simple home remedies for fruit flies.
How to get rid of fruit flies naturally
1. Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
Even though you can always use any type of vinegar, ACV is the most effective in this purpose. These insects love the smell of fermentation. Since ACV is produced from fermented apples, it works great to attract fruit flies as they consider it as a dream drink.
In order to make it a more effective solution, heat the vinegar first. This way it will help the vinegar release more of its fragrance which fruit flies can’t resist.
How to trap fruit flies with an apple cider vinegar:
- Prepare a jar, funnel, apple cider vinegar and dish soap
- Heat a cup or more of ACV for a few minutes.
- Transfer it into a jar
- Add a few drops of dish soap
- Get a piece of paper and roll it up to form a funnel
- Insert it into the jar’s mouth
- Make sure that you tape it
Since heated ACV is a dream drink for these flies, they’ll find a way to get into the jar where the vinegar is found. Once the flies are inside, it’s hard for them to fly away. Dish soap has breaks the surface tension and the flies cannot fly away. Instead, they’d slide down to the bottom of the jar and drown.
The flies who’ve figured out that you’ve made a trap won’t be able to get out easily. The funnel at the jar’s opening will keep them captured.
You may also drop an overripe fruit into the mixture. This will further tempt the fruit flies to get inside the jar and get trapped.
Re-using this trap is fine. However, if you don’t like seeing the fruit flies inside the jar, remove the old contents to make room for new flies to get trapped.
2. Fruit trap
Another way to kill fruit flies without the use of heavy engineering is to get a fruit to lure them. This fruit trap utilizes things that you already have in your kitchen. Although, it does require a little cutting of a plastic wrap.
This next natural method is almost similar to the first eliminator we’ve mentioned above. However, with this trap, we won’t be adding vinegar.
You’ll need overripe fruit and soapy water. You’ll also need a glass jar and a plastic wrap.
How to make a fruit fly trap:
- Place the overripe fruit or fruits at the bottom of the glass jar
- Cover the jar with a plastic wrap
- Secure it with a rubber band
- Poke holes in the wrap using a pointed object, like a toothpick
- Leave the jar in the house where fruit flies come or gather
Since the jar has the fruit, the flies will be drawn to it. But they won’t be able to get out easily. When the jar is already filled with fruit flies, submerge it in a bucket of water with soap. Allow it to sit for 10 to 15 minutes.
This natural remedy allows you to use an overripe produce for another purpose before you throw it into the trash can. Any type of fruits will work, as long as they are very ripe or almost rotting.
3. Red wine
The unwelcomed guests in your kitchen can also be eliminated by the use of a red wine or any alcoholic beverage. These pesky fruit flies are also attracted to the wine as much as people are.
Many homeowners have already tried this trap and sworn by its effectiveness. Leaving a few sips of wine in the glass has solved the problem.
How to catch fruit flies with a red wine:
Leave a small amount of wine in a glass overnight. The following morning, you’ll notice that these little buggers have immersed in the leftover beverage.
Or follow these steps:
- Leave a few sips of wine in a glass jar and cover it with a plastic wrap.
- Poke small holes in the wrap
- Set the jar in a place where fruit flies enter. The flies will be attracted to the aroma of the wine and will die.
The fruit flies will flock into the jar and won’t be able to know how to get out.
Although you can always use any type of beverage, like beer or rum, red wine seems to work best when it comes to attracting fruit flies. This is because red wine is considered to have the most aromatic smell compared to other alcoholic beverages. And, just like human beings, these pests love fermented red grapes.
The next time your kitchen is attacked with these nasty flies, you may use this incident as an excuse to pop the cork. Don’t forget to share a little for these pests to help you solve your problem.
4. Raw sugar
If you don’t have any wine to lure the flies and trap them, use a raw sugar as a bait. Although this method doesn’t kill the eggs of the fruit flies, it’s effective in eliminating them. You need to act immediately. As soon as you see them start buzzing around, make a trap for them.
These little buggers are smarter than you. Thus, using your hands to catch them won’t do any good. But you can get a little help from a raw sugar with other things from the kitchen.
How to make a homemade fruit fly trap using sugar:
- Prepare a pint of milk, five tablespoons of a raw sugar and a small amount of ground pepper
- Combine them all in a saucepan
- Simmer them for 10 to 15 minutes
- Transfer the mixture in a dish or a glass jar
- Place it around your house
These flies are drawn to it. They’ll suffocate or drown. You can also add a couple drops of dish soap into the mixture for extra benefit.
Why? This is to make sure that the bugs won’t fly away. You’ll surely catch 10 or more flies in this trap.
Unlike the other methods we’ve mentioned above, there’s no need for a plastic wrap to cover the jar.
5. Dish soap
How much is a fly trap? It’s around $1. A drop of dish soap will cost you less than a dollar.
This is one of the reasons many homeowners opt for a homemade fly trap with a little help from the dish soap.
In this method, you won’t need a vinegar or a raw sugar. But you may still add them if you wish.
What you’ll need is to gather drops of dish soap, water, and a glass jar.
- Pour water into the jar
- Add a few drops of dish soap to it
- Leave the jar where the flies frequently gather
Although you can always use any brand or scent of dish soap, consider using a soap with fruit scent. Bear in mind that these pests are attracted to overripe fruits. Thus, using a fruit scent can do the trick.
This remedy is practical and works great. Flies will get trapped and drowned in it. Plus, there is no smell of harsh fumes, unlike using pesticides. Most of all, it’s cheaper than a fly trap bought at a supermarket.
The nice thing about dish soap is that it still works after a week. However, consider getting a new trap if the jar gets full enough of fruit flies.
6. Soda
Another powerful way of getting rid of fruit flies, is using soda. It’s a great natural remedy and it doesn’t leave bad effects to the environment. You can use it in both outdoors and indoors.
Why soda fly trap works?
Flies are attracted to sugary smell. Bear in mind that they get attracted to food through the use of their sense of smell. In fact, their sense of smell is a million times more sensitive than ours.
Unfortunately, they have a bad vision. Thus, they won’t be able to see the trap clearly.
How to get rid of fruit flies fast using soda:
- Use a big soda bottle
- Leave a few sips of soda in the bottle
- Cut the upper third of the bottle
- Add an orange juice or ACV in it
- Get the portion of the bottle that you just removed and turn it upside down.
- Insert it in the bottom part of the bottle
- Use a duct tape to seal the top
Fruit flies are now attracted to the bottle and will find a way to get inside it. With their poor vision, they can’t fly out.
To further resolve the problem, consider removing the food source that attracts the fruit flies to enter your house.
7. Yeast
The key to managing and getting rid of fruit flies is eliminating the breeding sources. After removing the source, you can eradicate all flies using the yeast as an attractant.
Fermented products can attract fruit flies. These buggers simply love them. Although, most people don’t want to start brewing beer or fermenting fruit in the kitchen. Thus, it’s just a wise idea to simply use yeast as another way to trap fruit flies.
How to get rid of fruit flies with yeast:
- Get a glass jar
- Add warm water to it
- Sprinkle activated dry yeast over it
- Add a teaspoon of sugar. This will activate the yeast to make it more effective.
- Mix them well. You’ll notice that the mixture will form a foam and expand. From there, it’ll produce carbon dioxide that attracts fruit flies.
- Take a plastic wrap and place it over the jar’s mouth
- Poke holes in the corner of the wrap
- Use a rubber band to secure the rim
Place the jar with the activated yeast in a strategic location to catch more flies. Since these insects are active during the day, make this trap ready when the sun rises.
When the trap captures female flies, they’ll breed and lay eggs. As soon as the flies turn into maggots, they’ll feed on the activated yeast in the jar. Thus, it’s best to remove the trapped and dead flies out of the jar, in order to kill the larvae. Afterwards, make a new yeast trap to kill the other flies that are still flying around your kitchen.
8. Basil
Yes, it’s an herb but it can also be used as an effective bait in luring and killing fruit flies. Some people can tolerate these flies buzzing around them. Other people, however, are irritated by the sound they create and the fact that they carry diseases, like typhoid and cholera.
Basil forms or generates oil that’s considered as a repellent oil by these insects. The oil is released in the air. When the flies smell it, they’ll leave.
The leaves of a basil release subtle fragrance that humans love but flies hate. There’s no need for you to transfer the leaves to a glass jar to lure the flies.
If you notice that your kitchen is frequently pestered by these unwelcome guests, place some plotted plants of basil near the external door of your kitchen. Doing so will deter flies. They won’t bother coming in.
9. Cedar wood
Another way to solve your fruit fly issue is to use the scent of a cedar wood. Just like the basil leaves, this wood produces an aroma that fruit flies don’t like. It’s one of the reasons you can’t find these bugs flying around a store where cedar wood is sold.
Surely, having cedar wood around your house can get rid of flies. In fact, you can find moth repellent balls that include cedar as one of the ingredients. The natural repellent generated by cedar won’t only kill the flies but it can also keep them away.
The nice thing about it is that you can use it as a decoration, in addition to it being utilized as a fly repellent. Thus, it’s perfectly fine to put it on your dining table to keep the flies away.
Another way to use cedar wood is to obtain its oil and add it to the homemade fly traps we’ve mentioned above. For instance, you may add it to the apple cider vinegar trap to further remove the fruit flies.
10. Essential oils
This last method involves any type of essential oils. Whatever oil you have on hand can get rid of these annoying insects flying around your kitchen.
With essential oils you can also repel other insects, like mosquitoes and outdoor animals. Although it doesn’t necessarily kill the flies, it works in repelling them.
Here are some of the essential oils you can use:
- Citronella
- Pine
- Peppermint
- Patchouli
- Lavender
- Rosemary
- Sandalwood
To use one or some of these oils, place a few drops into a spray bottle. Then, add water, liquid dish soap and apple cider vinegar to make a strong insect repellent.
It’s best to spray your kitchen with this natural repellent frequently to avoid having fruit flies around. This is especially beneficial if you’re fond of storing ripe fruits in your kitchen counter.
Where do fruit flies come from?
These flies are developed to find fermenting fruit. They can spot the smell of ripe fruits or vegetables from far away. Because fruit flies are tiny, they can fit through the cracks around windows or doors. Once the flies have found their way into your house, they reproduce. They multiply quickly at astonishing rates. This makes it difficult to control the population. Female fruit flies can lay up to 500 eggs. Adult fruit flies live about 40-50 days (the life span is influenced by the temperature).
Fruit flies don’t need ripe fruits or veggies to keep on reproducing. This is one of the reasons you can still find them flying around after you’ve eliminated the source. They can breed anywhere, on a mop, plumbing or a sponge. The sink/garbage disposal drain is a popular fruit fly breeding area.
How to destroy fruit flies in the drain:
- Mix half white vinegar with half boiling water.
- Pour the mixture down the drain daily
- Keep the area around the drain dry
- Store the fruits and vegetables away
- Do this remedy until the fruit flies are gone
Do fruit flies bite?
Regardless of their numbers, they don’t bite. Fruit flies prefer fermenting fruits as food. They don’t feed on blood, unlike mosquitoes or other insects.
They also can’t bite because they don’t have any biting parts in their mouth. Thus, no matter how many thousands of fruit flies are in the house, you don’t have to worry about being bitten by them.
Conclusion
Next time when you wonder how to kill fruit flies, consider following these remedies we’ve mentioned above.
In addition to using these methods, try removing the food source. Better yet, don’t allow fresh fruits to overripe. If you need them to ripe, store them inside the refrigerator. This can surely destroy or somehow reduce the infestation.
Commercial fly traps found in a supermarket won’t necessarily attract the flies. Rather, they accidentally capture significant number of fruit flies and kill them eventually.
If, for some reason, the fruit flies aren’t terminated by these natural methods, consider having a professional pest control to inspect your house.
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