As soon as those tiny brown insects start buzzing around your kitchen, hovering over ripe fruit, and swarming around the trash can, you know you have an infestation on your hands.
Fruit flies may be small, but they can multiply at an astounding rate, laying hundreds of eggs that hatch into larvae in just days. Before you know it, you have clouds of fruit flies ruining your kitchen.
Luckily, there are some simple, homemade traps you can make that will attract these pesky flies and get rid of them quickly. With just some basic ingredients you probably have on hand, like apple cider vinegar, wine, plastic wrap, and a bowl, you can make your fruit fly traps that lure them in, but don’t let them escape.
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Instantly?
I’ll walk you through 5 easy DIY fruit fly traps that you can construct in minutes. Plus, find out what causes fruit flies in the first place, along with tips to help prevent future infestations once you get rid of your current swarm.
My homemade fruit fly traps and prevention advice will have your kitchen free of these annoying pests in no time, without the need for toxic chemicals or expensive store-bought traps.
Ready to get rid of fruit flies fast? Let’s get started!
What are Fruit Flies?
Before taking action, ensure the insects are fruit flies and not other common bugs:
- Fruit flies: Small light/dark brown flies with red eyes attracted to ripe and rotting produce. About 1/8 inch long.
- Drain flies: Resemble fruit flies but hover around drains and moist areas. Slightly larger with fuzzy wings.
- Fungus gnats: Tiny black flies drawn to damp soil and decaying plants. Noticeably smaller than fruit flies.
If you confirm tiny brown flies buzzing around ripe fruit and alcohol, you likely have a fruit fly infestation.
What Causes Fruit Fly Infestations?
Fruit flies lay eggs on ripening produce, in drains, and other moist organic matter. A few key behaviors attract and enable fruit flies:
- Ripening Fruit – Fruit flies lay hundreds of eggs on produce just beginning to spoil. These quickly hatch into larvae.
- Fermented Drinks – They flock to the smell of wine, beer, cider vinegar, and other fermenting products.
- Cleaning Issues – Left-behind pieces of produce under the fridge or slow draining water enable breeding.
With access to food and breeding grounds, two flies multiply into hundreds within days.
How to Prevent Future Fruit Fly Infestations?
Prevention is the best long-term fruit fly solution. It deprives existing and future flies of breeding grounds.
Key prevention tips:
- ✔️ Refrigerate produce – Chilling fruit fly eggs prevents hatching
- ✔️ Remove decaying produce – Eliminates breeding grounds
- ✔️ Take out the trash frequently – Denies access to food scraps
- ✔️ Fix leaky drains – Remove moist breeding areas
- ✔️ Clean spills quickly – Stops larvae from getting established
With their food and moisture sources removed, fruit flies eventually die off.
How to Trap and Kill Fruit Flies?
When you already have an infestation, homemade traps are the quickest way to kill fruit flies. DIY traps lure flies in with tempting smells but prevent them from escaping.
Here are 5 easy homemade fruit fly traps:
| Trap | Instructions |
|---|---|
| Apple Cider Vinegar and Plastic Wrap |
|
| Paper Cone Funnel Trap |
|
| Dish Soap and Vinegar |
|
| Wine or Beer |
|
| Drain Cleaning |
|
Can I Use Bleach to Kill Fruit Flies?
While bleach kills some larvae, it flows too quickly down pipes to fully eliminate fruit fly infestations. Use the drain cleaning method above instead. The combination of baking soda, lemon, ice, and bleach clears pipes while breaking up organic matter flies rely on.
How to Kill Fruit Flies Outdoors?
For flies congregating around garden vegetation:
- ✔️ Apply insecticidal soap spray to plants
- ✔️ Use netting to keep flies off fruits/vegetables
- ✔️ Remove fallen, rotting produce
- ✔️ Introduce natural predators like ladybugs or dragonflies
The most effective outdoor solution involves removing breeding grounds and preventing access to produce.
Top 10 Tips to Avoid Fruit Flies
Follow these tips to keep fruit flies away:
- Refrigerate Produce
- Take Out Trash Frequently
- Clean Spills Quickly
- Fix Leaky Faucets and Drains
- Create Traps with Apple Cider Vinegar
- Use Funnel Traps with Vinegar and Fruit
- Introduce Natural Predators Outdoors
- Apply Insecticidal Soap Sprays to Plants
- Remove Rotting Produce from Gardens
- Cover Bowls and Glasses Between Use
FAQs on Remove Fruit Flies Instantly:
Still have questions? These answers cover common fruit fly questions.
- How long does it take to get rid of fruit flies?
Traps begin working instantly to catch flies. Preventing future generations with fridge storage and cleaning takes 5-7 days to fully disrupt the life cycle.
- What smell attracts fruit flies?
Fruit flies love the smell of apple cider vinegar, wine, and beer. Use these to bait your homemade traps.
- Where do fruit flies lay their eggs?
Fruit flies prefer to lay eggs right on decaying produce. They also hide eggs around slimy drains and damp organic material.
- Why do I suddenly have so many fruit flies?
If you recently had produce spoil or have an untreated drain issue, flies can reproduce from just a few eggs into hundreds quickly thanks to their short life cycle.
- How do you get rid of a fruit fly infestation in plants?
Use a soap spray, remove fallen rotting produce, and introduce natural predators like ladybugs or dragonflies. Covering plants with netting also prevents flies from landing.
- Why do fruit flies appear when it rains?
Extra moisture from rain causes accelerated decay of fruits/plants in which flies lay eggs. The increased humidity also aids fly reproduction.
- Are fruit flies harmful?
While harmless to humans, they can damage produced crops by transmitting mold and fungus. Their swarms also signal sanitation issues that could make food unsafe if unaddressed.
- How long do fruit flies live?
The average fruit fly lives between 40-50 days. Optimal conditions allow them to reproduce every 2 weeks, allowing generations to rapidly multiply.
- Can fruit flies bite?
Fruit flies do not bite as they only eat decaying produce, fungi, and fermented liquids. Drain and fungus gnats sometimes mistake humans for plants and bite.
- How do you find the source of a fruit fly infestation?
Observe where flies congregate – fruits, counters, drains, or garbage cans. Use traps with vinegar and produce nearby to attract and ultimately reduce populations revealing the primary source.
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Conclusion
Now you know how to identify, prevent, trap, and kill pesky fruit flies using simple household items.
Prevention tactics deprive flies of food and breeding grounds ending infestations at the source. When dealing with active swarms, DIY traps rapidly kill flies while keeping your kitchen free of toxic chemicals.
With a consistent cleaning routine and the right fruit fly traps ready, you can eliminate current infestations and avoid future fly issues.
