Fruit flies are tiny flies, approximately 2.5 to four millimeters long. They usually appear as brown or tan in color. They like to feast on ripe fruit, vegetables, and fermenting products, according to Orkin. If you have a fruit fly infestation, you may not only find the flies in your fruits and vegetables but in your trash can as well. A fruit fly infestation can be difficult to get rid of because they reproduce quickly. Fortunately, there are several effective home remedies you can use to get rid of fruit flies.
1. Apple Cider Vinegar Trap
Apple cider vinegar has a multitude of uses around the house, and an apple cider vinegar trap is perhaps one of the most effective home remedies for fruit flies you can use. Fruit flies can’t resist the smell of fermentation. Because apple cider vinegar is made from fermented apples, it’s the perfect drink for them.
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Necessary Items
- A mason jar.
- A funnel.
- One-half cup of apple cider vinegar.
- A drop or two of dish soap.
- Tape.
- A piece of ripe fruit (optional).
Directions
Warm up one-half cup of apple cider vinegar, and pour it into a mason jar. Put a drop or two of dish soap into the jar. The dish soap will break the surface tension of the apple cider vinegar so that the fruit flies can’t sit on top of the liquid and fly away when they are done drinking. Place a fcloveunnel over the top of the jar, and tape it into place. If you find you need an extra temptation to lure the fruit flies, drop a piece of ripe fruit into the jar. If the flies aren’t drowning in the apple cider vinegar, you can place the jar into your freezer for 20 minutes to kill them.
2. Red Wine Trap
Red wine is another one of the best home remedies for fruit flies you can use, since it from fermented grapes. It has a strong odor and is known to effectively attract fruit flies.
Necessary Items
- Mason jar.
- Half a glass of red wine.
- Plastic wrap.
- Rubber band.
- Toothpick.
Directions
Pour half a glass of red wine into a mason jar. Cover the top of the jar with plastic wrap, and secure it with a rubber band. Use a toothpick to poke a few holes into the plastic wrap. Place the jar near the area you’ve seen fruit flies congregating.
3. Fruit Trap
Fruit flies love to feast on ripe fruit. That’s what makes a fruit trap one of the most effective home remedies for fruit flies you can use in your home.
Necessary Items
- A glass jar.
- Plastic wrap.
- Toothpick.
- Rubber band.
- Soapy water.
- Ripe fruit.
Directions
Cut up some ripe or nearly rotting fruit. Place several of the pieces into the bottom of a glass jar. Cover the top of the jar with plastic wrap, and secure it with a rubber band. Poke a few holes into the plastic wrap with a toothpick. Place the jar near the spot you’ve seen fruit flies congregating. Once you’ve collected some fruit flies, submerge the jar into some soapy water, and leave the jar in there for at least 10 minutes to ensure that the fruit flies drown. Empty the jar outside, rinse it out well, and repeat the process until all of your fruit flies are gone.
4. Cloves
As far as home remedies for fruit flies go, cloves are another great one. Cloves are a natural deterrent to fruit flies because they hate the smell of cloves.
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Necessary Items
- 30 cloves.
- A ripe apple, orange, or lemon.
Directions
Stick approximately 30 cloves into a ripe orange, apple, or lemon. Place the fruit near the place you’ve seen fruit flies congregating.
5. Bleach
Fruit flies don’t just enjoy feasting on ripe fruit, vegetables, and fermenting products, they also frequent trash cans and sink drains as well. Bleach is a great home remedy for fruit flies occupying your sink drain.
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Necessary Items
- Bleach.
- Water.
- One-gallon container.
- A mask to cover your nose and mouth.
- Glasses to protect your eyes.
Directions
To use one of the most effective home remedies for gnats and fruit flies occupying your drain, fill a one-gallon container with water. Put a few teaspoons of bleach into the water, and mix well. Pour the mixture down your drain to effectively kill the fruit flies living there.
Caution: Wear protective eye glasses as well as a mask over your nose and mouth when you pour the bleach down the drain.
6. Rue
Rue has been used as a medicinal and culinary herb for years. It’s also one of the best home remedies for fruit flies you can use. The plant has a strong, sweet and slightly musty scent, and although many people enjoy the herb’s scent, insects, including fruit flies, hate its scent.
Necessary Items
Directions
Grow rue in your kitchen to keep fruit flies away. You can look for a rue plant at your local nursery.
7. Fruit Bowl Trap
Because these pests love to feast on fruit, a fruit bowl trap is the perfect home remedy for fruit flies. Research indicates that fruit flies prefer specific fruits, such as mangoes, cherries, bananas, and plums as hosts for their larvae to develop.
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Necessary Items
- Medium-sized bowl.
- Skinless chopped bananas.
- Skinless chopped cherries.
- Skinless chopped mangoes.
- Two teaspoons of honey.
- Two teaspoons of white wine.
- Two teaspoons of sugar.
- Plastic wrap.
- Toothpick.
- Tape.
Directions
Fill a medium-sized bowl halfway full with skinless chopped bananas, cherries, and mangoes. Add two teaspoons each of honey, sugar, and white wine. Cover the bowl with clear plastic wrap. Tape the plastic wrap down along its edge and use a toothpick to poke a few holes into the plastic wrap. Once the fruit flies get into the bowl, they won’t be able to get out. Dump the contents of the bowl every couple of days, rinse, and refill the bowl as needed to rid your home of fruit flies.
8. Milk, Sugar, and Pepper
Fruit flies are attracted to sugar. This makes milk, sugar, and pepper a great home remedy for fruit flies. Once the flies land in this sticky substance, they are unable to escape; they end up drowning in this concoction.
Necessary Items
- One-fourth of a pound of raw sugar.
- One pint of milk.
- Two ounces of ground pepper.
- Saucepan.
- A few small bowls or dishes.
Directions
This recipe was published in the Old Farmer’s Almanac and was promoted as the best way to get rid of fruit flies. Put one pint of milk, one-fourth of a pound of raw sugar, and two ounces of pepper in a saucepan on your stove. Bring the ingredients to a boil. After the sugar dissolves, reduce the heat, and allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour the mixture into small bowls or dishes, and place them around your home where you’ve seen fruit flies congregating. Because this concoction contains milk, only leave it out for one day. Dump the bowls out, and rinse them thoroughly before refilling them. If you leave this milk-based mixture out for too long, the milk will sour and cause an unpleasant aroma in your home.
9. Yeast
Yeast is another one of the most effective home remedies for fruit flies you can use. You can easily find yeast at your local grocery store, and you can use it to make an inexpensive fruit fly trap.
Necessary Items
- Mason jar.
- One-fourth cup of warm water.
- One package of dry activated yeast.
- One teaspoon of sugar.
- Spoon.
- Plastic sandwich bag.
- Rubber band.
- Knife.
Directions
You’re probably wondering how to kill fruit flies with yeast. Making your own yeast trap is not only effective at killing fruit flies, it’s also easy and inexpensive. Put one-fourth cup of warm water into a mason jar and sprinkle a packet of dry activated yeast over the water. Then, add one teaspoon of sugar in order to activate the yeast and stir the liquid. In a few minutes, the sugar will cause the yeast to expand and foam.
Place a plastic sandwich bag over the top of the jar with one corner of the bag going into the jar. Secure the sandwich bag around the jar’s rim with a rubber band and poke a hole in the top of the plastic bag so that the fruit flies can get in. The fruit flies will be attracted to the yeast and make their way into the jar. Most of them won’t be able to find their way back out. Put the trap where you’ve seen fruit flies congregating in your home.
10. Basil
Basil is well-known for its health benefits, but it’s also one of the most effective home remedies for fruit flies you can use in your home. According to a study by Vargas RI, Shelly TE, Leblanc L, and Piñero JC., research indicates that the eugenol in basil is effective at attracting fruit flies.
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Necessary Items
- Holly basil leaves.
- Mason jar.
- Plastic wrap.
- Rubber band or tape.
- Toothpick.
Directions
Crush some holly basil leaves using your palm. Cover the bottom of a mason jar with the crushed leaves. Cover the top of the jar with plastic wrap, and secure it around the jar’s rim using a rubber band or tape. Poke a few holes into the plastic wrap with a toothpick. Once the fruit flies make their way into the jar, they won’t be able to escape.
Of course, you can also grow basil plants in your home, which will also protect you from house flies – you can read more about this in our article about the best home remedies for flies.
11. Grapefruit Oil
Concentrated grapefruit oil is effective at attracting fruit flies. As a home remedy for fruit flies, grapefruit oil is a good choice.
Necessary Items
- Mason jar.
- 100 milliliters of undiluted grapefruit oil.
- Plastic wrap.
- Rubber band or tape.
- Toothpick.
Directions
Put 100 milliliters of undiluted grapefruit oil into a mason jar. Cover the jar with plastic wrap, and secure it with a rubber band or tape. Use a toothpick to poke some holes into the plastic wrap.
12. Soda Trap
A soda trap is one of the best home remedies for fruit flies you can use in your home. Fruit flies are attracted to sugary products, making soda a good choice for a fruit fly trap.
Necessary Items
- One two-liter soda bottle.
- One glass of sugary soda.
- Knife.
- A piece of paper.
- Tape or a stapler.
Directions
Cut off the top third of a two-liter soda bottle. Pour one glass of sugary soda into the bottle. Make a funnel out of a piece of paper. Be sure to leave a small hole at the bottom so that fruit flies can get through it. Use a stapler or tape to secure the funnel’s shape. Place the funnel into the bottle so that it sits one to two inches above the liquid. Once the fruit flies get into the bottle, they won’t be able to get back out.
Conclusion
Fruit flies can be difficult to get rid of because they reproduce so quickly. However, with these home remedies, you will get rid of fruit flies in hours. Have you used any home remedies for fruit flies? How successful were they?