Fruit Flies That Won't Go Away!!!

Hi A.,
We had the fruity-flies at work and one of my co-workers brought in a cup of vinegar with a teaspoon of dish soap and left it on the counter and they're gone. The vinegar attracts them as the dish soap traps the little buggers...poof, gone!
Good Luck!

Try putting some dish detergent (several drops) in some cider vinegar. The vinegar attracts the fruit flies and they have a little pool party and you can throw them out with the vinegar after a day or two. Worked for us.

Set out a dish or cup with a some apple cidar vinegar in it. Then put a few drops of dish washing soap in it and mix. The fruit flies are attracted to the sweetness of the apple cidar and the dish soap kills them. It's amazing how well this works!

We have also been afflicted by the horrible fruit fly pests. We are also very cleanly and have no idea how they ever came about. In fact, I am such a clean freak that the idea of their prescence has really bothered me. However, I came across a wonderful "recipe" that rid us of our problem. Please place a cup of apple cider vinegar out in a bowl with a teaspoon or two of dishsoap mixed in. For some reason, they are drawn to it! You will have to change the mixture out a couple times a day so that it does not lose its "power". I hope this works for you as well as it has worked for me. Good luck!

Make sure they are actually fruit flies. I had them once and found out they were phorid flies. You can google them to learn more about them. But phorid flies when they land they will scurry across the surface. And are a tad bigger than a fruit fly. But just google it to see. Because that might be why they haven't gone away.

Did you look in the trash can A.? All fruit flies need is something to eat. If you throw food waste in your trash - unless it is vacuum sealed - they will find a way to get in there and eat. I would suggest starting a compost pile outside (so they have plenty to eat out there) and getting a tight lidded container for food scraps in your kitchen. This will eliminate the opportunity for fruit flies to breed in your house.

Look up "how to compost" on google for more info.

Make a fruit fly trap. Take a tall glass and put a small piece of fruit in the bottom. Then take a piece of paper and form it into a cone (tape it that way) so it has a small opening. Place the cone so it points downward in the glass. The fruit flies will fly in to get the fruit, but they can't get back out. Then you can dispose of the little buzzards! I have used this before and it really works.

V.

Fruit flies like to breed in standing water, like the traps under the sink. Try putting some bleach in all areas of standing water. In all sinks (including bathroom and basement sinks), toilets, & tubs. Also, there is usually some standing water in washing machines, dish washers, and refridgerators that are self defrosting.

Another problem is if you live in a multi-family home, you may be getting them from your neighbor. I live in a duplex with my mother-in-law on the other side. I don't buy produce when I see flies in the store, but she doesn't care and always has fruit flies. When she went away on vacation, we didn't have any. The day after she came back, so did the flies.

Try bleaching your drains. They will nest and feed off the gunk in your sinks/shower drain. Anytime I've noticed them in my kitchen I promptly scrub out the sink, take out the trash and pour bleach down the drains and that seems to do the trick. Like another mom suggested though, I'd check house plants, too, and litter boxes if you have cats.

It seems like those little buggers sneak up on you so fast! LOL We usually put up fly tape. It's the sticky tape you hang from your ceiling and bugs will land on it and get stuck there. I was STUNNED when the tape became COVERED in tiny little fruit fly bodies. I didn't even realize there were that many left hanging around my house. It is really great for picking off those last few little buggers who just won't go away. There is also a product we now keep up in our kitchen most of the time. It repels a lot of different kinds of bug including fruit flies. It is called Hot Shot and I bought it at Walmart. It is long and white with little vents on the side. Inside there is a yellow repellent. It has a little C shaped thingy you clip onto the top so you can hang it from places. I hang mine from the curtain rod in the window over the sink. It has no scent to overwhelm you which is nice. It starts working as soon as you open the package. I was surprised the first time I used it cause I walked into the kitchen about 3 hours after I set it up and there was not a fruit fly in sight! The fly tape took care of the rest of the stragglers and we could finally rest! So I keep one in my window at all times. It lasts for about 6 months or so and then I replace it again. I have not had any problems since! Good luck!

We had them at my office and apparently,...they came in with the plants and started nesting in the dirt, etc. They had to pour a checmical on alla the plants in the office to get rid of the eggs and nests. Eventually, they died off and now we don't have them anymore. So, if you have houseplants, they could have started nesting in the dirt. Get rid of your houseplants or find out what you can do to treat them.

TRy fly strips. Also use baking soda with vinegar in the drains. Its a natural cleaner and it foams up kind-of like draino.

They breed in the drains. Put saran wrap over the sink drains in the kitchen and bathrooms (make sure to have them on overnight). This sould work well...it did for us!

Hi A.,
You could try cleaning out your drains like previously suggested but a great trick that I recenlty learned from my mom, and works great is this. Place a small bowl of white vinegar out on your counter and cover it with plastic wrap, poke some holes in it and the fruit flies will perish in the bowl of vinegar. Happy hunting.
J.

I use a solution that I found in a "helpful hints" part of a group cook book. In a small dish or juice cup put about 2Tbs apple cider vinegar and one drop of dawn dish soap. I am not sure that the "receipe" has to be exact but this gives you an idea. just sit it on the counter and the flies will flock to it and die in the cup. I have had mine sit for as much as 4 days and it does not smell yet I just feel the need to change it. You will see and immediate improvment and the flies keep appearing in the solution even when you think that they are gine. So leave it set.

I believe you set a glass of alchohol like wine or something out and they are attracted to it, and die. I've also heard to set out a glass of juice and they will drown in it.

I had a similar problem. Put some apple cider vinegar in a cup with a few drops of dishwasher soap. The vinegar attracts them and then the soap kills them. It worked wonders for me. Good luck!

Use a shallow bowl, put about 1/4 to 1/2 inch of red wine (I've also used strawberry sodapop) and add 2-3 drops of liquid dish soap. The little critters will be attracted to the wine, but the soap breaks the surface tension of the liquid and the bugs will get stuck in the solution. Put a couple of these bowls around the house, anywhere you've seen the flies. I've been battling these things too...such a pain. The first batch I had kept sticking around. I finally found the source--an old rotting potato in the cabinet--gross!

OK well we are vegans so there is ripe fruit and veggies around our house ALL the time. As I'm sure you've already thought through this equal fruit flies quite a few times a year. If you don't handle them promptly this becomes your issue. They go EVERYWHERE!

The difficulty is they usually breed in your drains is what I've read and or in the pipes. So even after whatever led them to you is cleared they are still there breeding and will try and live off about anything in your home.

What I've had success with to get rid of them is rather simple and non-toxic to you and your family completely.

Take a 2 liter pop bottle once it is empty. Fill it up with Apple Cider Vinegar about 1/4 of the way. (make sure it's apple cider this is their lure) Then take about 2 or 3 tablespoons of dishwashing detergent... Like dawn or ivory. Only I've found I have the most success with this generic one at Walmart that smells like apples. Seems to catch them quicker. Put the lid on the bottle and give it a good shake so there is lots of bubbles at the top. About equal to the amount of substance in the bottle. Remove the led. Then just simply sit those near trash cans, sinks, couple random in the kitchen, one in the bath tub, one in the sink in the bathroom... and random ones wherever you've seen the nasty little buggers. It takes a few days at most but you'll be amazed. They will all be drawn to the smell of the vinegar as it gets old and stinky... and the soap so they will fly into the bottle but unable to get out they will get stuck in the bubbles and parish.

Like I said it works every time for us!! Good luck!

I have been told to put a bucket of water with dish soap in it in the kitchen. It is supposed to attract the flies to it and they hit the water and can not get back out. They drown themselves. You may need to take the solution and scrub down all your cupboards and walls as well. Just leave the water bucket on your counter overnight though and see if it helps.

these are not fruit flies-they are drain flies-scrub out your sinks-comet also the drain baskets-afterwards-poor bleach down the drains-you must have some standing water/fruit/something where their breedind at-if you live in a multiple housing complex-they could be coming from your neighbors-also check under your sink-wipe everything down with bleach water-usually does the trick-but find their main spot...good luck...

A.,
We had the same problem and it was driving me crazy. I found this product at my local hardware store and it worked withing 2-3 days. It is made by BioCare and says it is pesticide free and a green product. - non toxic. It is a Kitchen Fruit Fly Trap. Website is www.springstar.net and a phone # is 800-769-1043. You may be able to find it a hardware store or Menard's/HomeDepot. If not, try the website. I would definitely use it if this happens again.
Barb P

Add a few drops of baby shampoo (about 4-5 will do) to a small, shallow bowl of apple cider vinegar. Leave a few small bowls out if the flies are everywhere. Not sure why, but the flies are super attracted to it. This should help!

Hi A.,

check the soil in any and all plants you have around the housse. I had the same problem once and that was were they ended up being. Good Luck

D.

Ours came our after we had a a recycling bin full of used soda and other cans in our pantry, we put them in the garage and they went away.

We used red wine too. It worked great! Just put it out in a few places in your home over night and the wine will be full of fruit flies in the morning.

Try pouring bleach down your drains. If you live around any areas that have flooded it could be caused by all the increased bugs and putting the bleach in the drain for a few days should help with the bugs.

You won't believe this: but I can help you!!! 5 yrs ago we had this problem, coudln't figure it out, my husband went online and this is what we did and it worked: at night, we covered up all the drains (sinks, bathtubs, ) with glasses upside down. The fruit flies sometimes come up through the drains, not always, but sometimes. Well, our fruitflies must've been from the drains, because the upside glass over the drains took care of the problem. Also, check your plants. If you have a diseased plant, the flies may be coming from a moldy oldy plant that you need to throw out. They love standing water. Good luck.

I found a zapper at Walmart. It looks like a tennis racket and you push a button on it and as it hits the knats it zaps them. I found it near the bug sprays.

Try pouring a little bleach down your drains in the kitchen and the bath. they will breed in dark wet areas like drains. I have the same problem just recently. I think it is just their time of year with the ripness of fruit and the humidity. I also keep those clorox kitchen wipes handy to wipe up little spills from the little one asap. good luck. with the cold weather on it way they will be gone soon.

Hi,
I have been battling fruit flies for 2 months, this is a trick that seems to have worked. Take a glass (or bowl), put some fruit in it (orange peels, plum pit, strawberries), cover the glass very tightly with plastic wrap, take a fork and poke small holes in it. Then just leave it in a open place. The little monsters fly in there and can't get out. That's it, change the bowl or glass outside ever couple of days and it is all taken care of. Good luck!

Cut a lemon or lime in half and put it in a plastic sandwich bag. cut one small slit in the bag, about dime sized and make it so that the can get in but do not leave them a gaping hole. Then set them in areas where they are the thickest. Every day come and squish the ones in the bag and leave until next day. By about day three your problem should be almost gone.