Pesky fruit flies are a nuisance in many locations! These uninvited guests never seem to go away because they love to buzz around all year long. You may be wondering, “what attracts fruit flies?” and “how do you get rid of fruit flies?” as you may be dealing with a fruit fly problem or know someone who is. Someone else may be wondering how to get rid of fruit flies in the house, or for a specific location, such as, how to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen.

 

Well, fruit flies can make themselves at home anywhere that will suit their lifestyle and survival. They are quickly enamored with overripe vegetables and fruits. To make it even worse, overripe vegetables and fruits are their breeding ground! Yuck! Additionally, fruit flies will breed in anything with moisture that contains fermenting material, such as garbage disposals, trash cans, drains, and more.

 

Since these pesky creatures multiply very quickly, it’s a great idea to consider getting rid of them right away. Thankfully, there are immediate solutions to fruit fly problems, so stay tuned for 6 tips on getting rid of fruit flies and keeping them away!

 

Get Rid of Fruit Flies

1. Pour boiling white vinegar or boiling water into drains. This is a simple way to get rid of fruit flies immediately. Many fruit flies make themselves at home in moist and hidden areas, such as shower drains, sink drains, garbage disposals, toilets, and more. A great way to kill them is by pouring boiling white vinegar into those areas. You can also use boiling water!

 

2. Use a hollow dish of apple cider vinegar. You can kill fruit flies naturally with apple cider vinegar! Its scent is what will attract fruit flies. First, take a hollow dish and fill it up with apple cider vinegar. Then, cover it with a sheet of plastic wrap and poke 2-4 holes with a toothpick or with anything thin and pointy. Leave the dish near an area with the most activity from fruit flies. The fruit flies will go inside the dish of apple cider vinegar, but they won’t be able to escape. Do this daily!

 

3. Use a bowl of liquid soap and water. All you need to do is fill a bowl up with water and mix in a few drops of liquid soap. Mix them up to form a bubbly and foamy bath, and place the bowl under a light (lamps, stove lights, etc.) during the night. The reflection from the light will attract the fruit flies, but the surface tension from the soap will make it difficult for them to escape.

 

Keeping Fruit Flies Away

4. Make sure to keep your environment clean, and food covered. Fruit flies love to feast in and lay eggs on anything they can (not just fruits and vegetables), such as crumbs, spilled drinks and food, etc. Remember, you don’t want to support their survival, so this means to keep food out of their reach. Cover up any food items that are out and uncovered by using upturned bowls, cake domes, plastic wraps, foils, and more. Throw away food items that are going bad. You see a peach turning brown? Throw it out! A banana turning soft and black? Throw it out! Additionally, wipe down your counters, wash your dishes right away, and other similar things as part of your regular cleaning routine. The cleaner your environment is, the better!

 

5. Dry up damp areas. In the bathroom and kitchen, look for any unnecessary damp area. Fruit flies are attracted to damp areas, so remember to keep them as dry as possible.

6. Wash your produce. Fruit flies can piggyback their way into your designated environment on the produce you buy, such as melons, apples, broccoli, eggplants, and more. Wash the produce you bring in as soon as you get back from the store. This will remove all the fruit flies and their eggs. There are special ways to wash produce effectively, so make sure to do your research prior to doing so!

 

Thanks for reading!

If you don’t have the time or don't want to deal with getting rid of fruit flies, book a Handy cleaning to do it for you! Check out more of our services, tips and tricks, and offerings. Happy cleaning!