The quickest and easiest ways to kill fruit flies and reclaim your kitchen

How to get rid of fruit flies

I’m not doing it. I swear, I’ll run away first. Summer started and sure enough, the invasion began. What is that I am not doing? I’m not co-existing with these pesky little fruit flies that have set up shop in my kitchen. Check out this recipe for the only all-natural ant killer you’ll ever need.

I’ve spent some time researching the best ways to kill fruit flies. Now I’m compiling all the advice to eliminate these pesky little bugs in one place, just for you.

Here’s what I found. Six sure-fire ways to banish fruit flies forever!

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Effectively kill and eliminate fruit flies

Now, I know how to catch fruit flies. The classic plastic-wrap-over-a-wine-glass trick works. But then there’s tons of gross dead fruit flies floating in half empty wine glasses spread around the kitchen. As much as I don’t want fruit flies swarming around me, I don’t want to live surrounded by fruit fly graves either. And while those glasses are filing up with gross sunken bugs, there’s still more fruit flies on the loose. My goal is to get straight to the source and get rid of the tiny flies FOREVER.

What causes fruit flies in the house?

Fruit flies are attracted to ripe, rotting, or decayed fruit and produce (and any rotten food, really). They are also attracted to fermented liquid like wine, beer, and liquor. Some fast facts: Females are able to lay 500 eggs at a time, which hatch within 24-30 hours! The lifespan of a fruit fly is 40-50 days. No wonder these pesky little bugs are so hard to control.

Fruit flies tend to breed in drains, garbages, and compost bins.

The fastest way to get rid of fruit flies

Start at the source. Capturing the adult flies is helpful, but is not enough if there are eggs manifesting elsewhere. You’ll want to get rid of flies at the source.

Wash produce as soon as you bring it into your home. Don’t leave any produce on the kitchen counter.
Make sure your garbage and compost areas are sealed tight. Also be sure to keep these areas neat and tidy. You may want to consider keeping compost containers in the fridge or freezer during hotter months.
Clean up any sticky messes and crumbs asap.

Fruit flies in your drain

4. Fruit flies can breed in your drains so clean your sink drain. Here are some options for you:

you can pour boiling water down the drain
-try ½ cup of salt, ½ cup of baking soda, 1 cup vinegar down the drain. The following morning, pour boiling water down the drain.
Straight up vinegar, bleach, or a a drain cleaner.
Stick a metal brush or a pipe cleaner down the drain to clean it out (just don’t let go!).

Keep the sink drains plugged at night.

The best fruit fly traps

5. There are a variety of simple homemade traps you can use to trap and kill fruit flies. Here are some options for you:

A dish of cider vinegar (one cup should do) with a few drops of dish soap set out on the counter will lure the flies and trap them in the water.
You can also use a glass of beer or wine (red works best) to make a fruit fly trap. Pour some in a glass, cover it with plastic wrap and poke tiny holes with a toothpick for the fruit flies to get in - but they won’t be able to get out.
There’s also a funnel trap you can try to catch and kill fruit flies. Put some fruit fly-tempting liquid (beer, wine, cider vinegar), or fruit scraps into a mason jar as bait. Roll up a piece of paper into a funnel and place it with the pointy end into the jar. The flies will get in, but can’t make their way out.

A home-made fruit fly trap perched near potential breeding grounds like compost bins or sink drains will help eliminate pesky fruit flies #fruitfies #houseandhome #DIYFruitflytrap

Be careful though. You don’t want your fruit fly trap ending up like this weird little crime scene! They are also gross to look at. These traps are a great short-term solution for getting rid of the fruit flies that are already out, but don’t forget to start at the source and eliminate the fruit flies - and potential trap mishaps - forever!

Fruit fly traps are one method to catch and kill fruit flies but are also unsightly, gross, and an accident waiting to happen, like this wine glass trap that was smashed.. kill and eliminate fruit flies at the source, like compost bins and sink drai… — Fruit fly traps are one method to catch and kill fruit flies but are also unsightly, gross, and an accident waiting to happen, like this wine glass trap that was smashed.. kill and eliminate fruit flies at the source, like compost bins and sink drains. #fruitflies #howtokillfruitflies #fruitflytrap #houseandhome

6. There are some natural fruit fly repellents that are nice to keep around the kitchen in any case.

Lemongrass and lavender scents repel fruit flies. If you don’t have a diffuser, you can mix 10 drops of essential oil with one cup of hot water in a spray bottle and mist problematic areas - around the kitchen sink, garbages, compost, and fruit bowls. Or keep some fresh lavender around, maybe on the window sill.
Fruit flies don’t like the aroma of cedar wood so a bowl of cedar wood chips might help repel and reduce a fruit fly situation, plus it will look and smell good to everyone else.
Fruit flies don’t like basil. A basil plant on the counter may help to repel the pesky pests. Plus, bonus herbs for cooking.

To recap, here are six surefire ways to banish fruit flies forever:

Wash produce as soon as you bring it into your home. Keep it all off the counters and in the fridge.
Make sure your garbage and compost areas are sealed tight. Better yet, keep compost in the fridge or freezer. empty garbages frequently.
Clean up sticky messes as soon as possible.
Clean out your sink drains.
DIY fruit fly traps.
Keep natural repellants around.

To be honest with you, I waged an all-out war, putting all of the above into practice (red wine in a glass is my trap of choice and lavender essential oil is my favourite). Combined, it’s been immensely helpful. There’s finally not a fruit fly in sight. I believe starting at the source by cleaning and storing all your produce and eliminating potential breeding grounds (compost, garbage, cleaning the sink drain) is KEY. So I guess I won’t need to run away.

If fruit flies are driving you into madness — or at least have you wanting to run out of the kitchen never to return — try these six surefire steps for effectively killing and eliminating fruit flies. Don’t stop until you conquer every last one of these pesky little flies forever.