How to Keep Fruit Flies Away

Co-authored by Joshua Bloom

Last Updated: May 13, 2020 References

Discovering fruit flies in your kitchen can be annoying, but there are plenty of ways to prevent them in the first place! Making sure your kitchen is clean, especially your trashcan and counters, can help. So can washing and storing fruit properly. If you discover you do have fruit flies, there are a few at-home measures you can take to get rid of them.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Keeping Your Kitchen Clean

1
Wipe your sink and counters after you cut fruit. If you’re peeling, cutting, or washing fruit, make sure you wipe down your counters and clean out your sink when you’re done. Soak a sponge or cloth in warm water and then ring the excess out. Squeeze a bit of dish soap onto the cloth and rub it so it the soap bubbles up. Then wipe down your sink and counters, and wipe them down again with clean water.^{[1]
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- You can also use a multi-purpose cleaner. Spray your surfaces with the cleaner and then wipe them down with a clean cloth.
2
Take out your trash regularly. Even if you have a trashcan with a lid, the refuse from fruit and vegetables can be a breeding ground for fruit flies. You don’t have to wait for your trashcan to be full to take the bag out. If there is food waste in the bag, it’s better to take it out as soon as possible.^{[2]
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- It's easier to get rid of fruit flies by removing their food source, rather than trying to repel them. For instance, make sure you promptly toss out any old fruit, rather than letting it sit on the counter.^{[3]
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  Joshua Bloom. Pest Control Specialist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020.}
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3
Rinse out empty cans and bottles. Fruit flies are attracted to bottles and cans that had sweet or fermented liquid in them. This means that wine, beer, juice, and soda bottles that haven’t been rinsed properly can attract fruit flies. Make sure you rinse out all of your empty cans and bottles and then place them in a recycling container with a lid.^{[4]
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Joshua Bloom. Pest Control Specialist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020.}

Image titled Keep Fruit Flies Away Step 3

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Protecting Your Fruit

1
Wash fruit as soon as you bring it home. Fruit flies often get into your home by coming in on fruit that you buy. Wash any fruit that you’ve purchased – especially fruit that will sit out in a fruit bowl like bananas – as soon as you bring it home.^{[5]
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2
Store fruit in a new container. After you’ve washed the fruit, don’t just place it back in the bag it came in. Place it in a fruit bowl (Make sure it’s clean first!), or a container with an airtight seal so you can put it in the fridge.^{[6]
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3
Cover the fruit bowl. An uncovered fruit bowl can be a breeding ground for fruit flies. Use a clear cake dome to cover the bowl. It lets you see what fruit is in the bowl, but prevents fruit flies from getting to your fruit and multiplying.^{[7]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Getting Rid of Fruit Flies

1
Use unfiltered apple cider vinegar. You don’t have to buy a brand-new bottle of apple cider vinegar if you already have a half-used bottle. Take the lid off the bottle, place plastic wrap over the opening, and secure it with a rubber band around the neck of the bottle. Poke a small hole in the plastic wrap and set the bottle near where you’ve seen the most fruit flies.^{[8]
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2
Trap fruit flies with dish soap and vinegar. Fill a small bowl with vinegar and then add 3 drops of dish soap to the vinegar. Then set the bowl out near where you’ve seen fruit flies. The flies will be attracted by the vinegar but the soap will cut the surface tension of the vinegar so the flies that land will drown.^{[9]
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- If you need bait to attract the fruit flies, try putting down a few pieces of ripe banana on the trap.^{[10]
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  Joshua Bloom. Pest Control Specialist. Personal interview. 8 May 2020.}
3
Hang fruit fly strips. You can find these odorless strips in most home improvement stores or online. Simply hang the strips from cabinets near where you notice the fruit flies. If you don’t have a convenient cabinet handle, prop the strip up against a wall or cup in the area with the fruit flies.^{[11]
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4
Make lemongrass spray. Combine 4 c (950 mL) of water with 14 drops of lemongrass essential oil in a sealable container. Shake the container well to mix, and then transfer the spray into a glass spray bottle. Spray the areas where you’ve seen the fruit flies.^{[12]
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- Don’t spray any food with this spray, only the surfaces where you see fruit flies: cabinets, countertops, and walls.

Expert Q&A
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Question

How do you recommend getting rid of fruit flies?

Joshua Bloom
Pest Control Specialist
Joshua Bloom is a Pest Control Specialist and the Vice President of Operations of Standard Pest Management, a pest control company based in New York City. He has over 20 years of experience in the pest control industry and specializes in commercial and large facility pest control management. Standard Pest Control also specializes in ant, bed bug, cockroach, fly, and rodent control. Joshua is licensed by the NYSDEC (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) for termite control.

Joshua Bloom

Pest Control Specialist

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

The best way to get rid of fruit flies is to eliminate their food source. For instance, you might get rid of any old fruit or unwashed fruit juice, soda, or beer bottles.