11 Ways to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in the Kitchen

Do you find yourself getting pissed off with the constant buzzing of fruit flies in your kitchen? Then you must be eager to learn about how to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen.

Finding a barrage of fruit flies in your kitchen is a common kitchen hazard that occurs whenever you stock up on fresh fruits. The scent of the fruits and the other organic processes that the fruits undergo seem to call out to them in droves.

You can take back control of your kitchen and rid it of fruit flies with these simple steps.

How Do You Get Rid of Fruit Flies?

You can create your fruit fly traps from simple items you can find in your kitchen. If you would also prefer more sophisticated ways to get rid of the fruit flies, we have some ideas too. Try these:

1. Plain Apple Cider Vinegar and Plastic Wrap

Fruit flies cannot resist apple cider vinegar. No matter where they are hidden, they would swarm out to have a taste. What you need to do is get a glass bowl, cup or jar and empty some apple cider vinegar into it.

If you would prefer not to soil a good bowl or jar, then you can use an almost empty apple cider vinegar bottle by merely taking off the cap. Next, get some plastic wrap and cover the opening of whichever you decide to use, then seal tightly with a rubber band.

After you have done this, poke some holes into the wrap, big enough for the fruit flies to crawl into. Once they get the hint of the vinegar, they would be attracted to the opening, and once they get in, it would be difficult for them to get out.

2. Apple Cider Vinegar and Dish Soap

Just as in the first method, you would need a bowl or jar of apple cider vinegar. This time, add about three drops of liquid dish soap into the vinegar bowl and do not cover it. The solvent in the vinegar cuts through the surface tension of the vinegar.

This way, when the flies get into the trap, they sink into the liquid and can no longer come out. This can be used as a fast method if you’re going to be having visitors around soon.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar and Paper Funnel

For this method, you would also need a transparent container with a little cider vinegar in it.  Place the bottle wherever the fruit flies are concentrated, then roll a funnel out of a piece of paper and place the narrow end into the jar.

Once the flies get into the trap, it’s difficult for them to crawl out. Some may get into the vinegar liquid and drown, or you may release the rest outside once you’ve caught them.

4. Banana Fruit Fly Trap

If you do not have some apple cider vinegar at home, have no fear, you can use a ripened banana or any other fruit that’s ripened and almost rotting. All you need to do is get a glass container as usual and put some of the fruit in it.

The ripened fruit serves as a lure for the flies just like the apple cider vinegar. Be sure to have your paper funnel or plastic wrap in place or to keep the flies locked in. This method can be done in a jiffy.

You can make as many traps as possible and place them strategically in various corners of the house or kitchen to get as many fruit flies as possible.

5. Store-bought Fruit Fly Trap

If you have tried the usual DIY fly traps to no avail and you still wonder how to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen effectively then get a fly trap from one of your local stores. There are different types of store-bought fruit fly traps.

There is the sticky flytrap, the pest control spray or the fruit fly trap made of sodium lauryl sulphate and malic acid which is usually in a liquid form.

These fly traps can work for both regular flies as well as fruit flies, so you get a bargain. Put up these traps in the affected areas of the kitchen or your home and watch it do the job for you.

Some of these traps that you get from the store can last up to 30 days, so it gets rid of all the fruit flies in your kitchen and the rest of the house for good.

6. Keep the Air Conditioning Up

Fruit flies love the summer and warm seasons. This is when they are at their best because the heat causes fruits and vegetables to decay faster. During the winter or colder climes, you can hardly spot any of them.

If you wish to keep fruit flies at bay or get rid of the fruit flies from the kitchen, you would need to maintain a regular and cool temperature in the house. If the weather is not conducive for the fruit flies, they will avoid your home.

7. Fruit Fly Plant Trap

Hopefully, you may not have to use this ‘extreme’ method of keeping fruit flies at bay, but it’s worth a shot if nothing else is working.

A carnivorous plant trap such as the Australian Carnivorous Sundew plant trap feeds on fruit flies and other insects. They trap the unsuspecting fruit flies on their sticky leaves and then eat them.

This plant trap would be useful for you because as long as you keep the plant alive, you no longer have to worry about how to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen. It does the job for you.

8. Natural Herbs and Essential Oils

Although not very common, you can drive out fruit flies using natural methods such as herbs and essential oils. They contain natural scents that scare off insects and other pests from the kitchen.

To use this in chasing off fruit flies, you can get any of the following essential oils; eucalyptus oil, peppermint oil, lavender oil, and lemongrass oil. Basil and clove are herbs that are also effective against these insects.

Find a tea bag and soak it in any of these blends of oil and hand it around your kitchen. You may also use cotton balls soaked in these oils to wipe surfaces around the kitchen. This will drive the flies away and stop them from perching or laying eggs on surfaces.

9. Milk, Sugar & Pepper Combo

Get Rid Of Fruit Flies

For this method, you would need some milk, sugar and ground pepper. Get about one pint of milk, ¼lb of raw sugar, and 2 ounces of ground pepper. Pour the milk in a pan and add the other ingredients. Stir it properly on the fire and leave it for about 10 minutes.

Take a shallow bowl and pour the prepared mixture into it. Finally, place the bowl strategically in the kitchen where the fruit flies gather. They will get drawn to the mix and try it out. As soon as they try it, they die.

10. Try Incense

Fruit flies dislike smoke; they do not go near it at all. Smoke from incense even disturbs them a lot more. So, to get the flies out of your home, you would need to get an incense burner and sticks.

Once they inhale the smoke from the incense, it doesn’t take long before they die off. As soon as you spot some fruit flies in the kitchen, all you need to do is light a few sticks of incense and watch them die off.

11. Other Effective Methods to Keep Fruit Flies Away

After using all the above methods to get rid of the fruit flies in the kitchen, you would need to keep them away for good. This is where cleanliness comes in. Fruit flies love staleness and remnants, so make sure these are no longer a part of your home.

Cover up trash bags and dispose of them frequently, and clean up dirty dishes and counters quickly after using them. Do not also forget to get rid of dampness in the kitchen, for example, a wet rag. Air it out properly, or the fruit flies will be back for it.

You should also make sure you disinfect your fresh fruits with clean water and vinegar and then refrigerate. Religiously keeping to all the above suggestions can help you see the last of fruit flies in your kitchen.

Conclusion

Fruit flies can be annoying and frustrating. This article gives you eleven tips on how to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen for good. Here are a few of them that help greatly.

  • Avoid leaving bits of fruit and food lying around.
  • Dispose properly of garbage and frequently too.
  • Wash and store fruits properly.
  • Invest in or make your fruit fly traps to keep the pests at bay.

If you have further suggestions or questions on how to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen, do not hesitate to share with us in the comments.

Image Cover & DIY Tutorials: thekitchn

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