Many of us encounter fruit flies at home whether we live in a house, apartment or a condo. But how do these pesky flies suddenly arrive, and how do we deal with them?
Well, a bit of education goes a long way when it come to fruit flies!
In warmer months, fruit flies can enter through screens and vents – and if you own a home, via the entry door to your garage (where you likely store the garbage can.) But at any time of the year, fruit fly eggs can hitchhike on fruits or vegetables that you bring home from the store – such as a ripened banana or that one bad onion in the sack. Actually, they really love onions that are starting to ferment!
Fruit flies are attracted to non-refrigerated fruits and vegetables when those foods start to ferment. Some foods such as bananas are actually fermenting before you realize it. If you compost your fruits and veggie scraps, that compost container in your kitchen is a big magnet for fruit flies!
What many people don’t know is, fruit flies are resilient survivors and they will feed and breed in areas you would not expect, such as inside drains, under appliances and floor mats … even around windows, doors and grout joints. They reproduce quickly, going through a life cycle in as short as two weeks at 70°F, or eight days at 85°F.
A mated female lays her eggs wherever she detects even the slightest odor of fermentation. The tiny cracks of a banana peel are one of her favorite places. She can lay about 500 eggs in her lifetime!
Eliminating fruit flies at home is a matter of removing the source of the problem: Here are detailed steps to get rid of them and keep them away:
🍎 1. Remove the Source
Throw out overripe or rotting produce: Fruit flies lay eggs on decaying fruits and vegetables.
Store produce in the fridge: Especially bananas, tomatoes, onions, and other easily spoiled items.
Empty the trash: Take out kitchen garbage regularly, especially if it contains food scraps.
Clean recycling bins: Rinse bottles and cans before placing them in recycling — even tiny residues attract fruit flies.
🧼 2. Deep Clean Breeding Areas
Clean drains: Pour a mix of boiling water, baking soda + vinegar, or use a drain cleaner to kill eggs/larvae.
Wipe down surfaces: Especially around sink areas, under appliances, and behind trash bins.
Check mop buckets and cleaning cloths: These can hold decaying organic matter where fruit flies breed.
🪤 3. Use DIY Traps
- Apple cider vinegar trap: Fill a small bowl with apple cider vinegar + a few drops of dish soap. Cover with plastic wrap and poke small holes — flies get in but can’t get out.
- Red wine trap: Works similarly to the vinegar trap — fruit flies love the fermentation smell.
- Paper funnel trap: Place a funnel in a jar with vinegar or a piece of fruit at the bottom.
If you have a serious fruit fly infestation, professional help is the answer since do-it-yourself methods rarely work (for example, household pesticides are not a solution.) Your Adam’s Pest Management Professional (PMP) is the one to call. Adam’s use proven residual insecticides and / or other treatments in all areas where fruit flies gather and breed.
Visit the fruit flies page on our website for more information!
🚫 4. Prevent Reinfestation
- Keep counters dry and clean: Wipe up spills immediately.
- Seal food tightly: Use airtight containers.
- Take out compost and trash daily: Don’t give them a chance to find food or lay eggs.
🧪 5. Consider Professional Treatment
If fruit flies persist after eliminating all breeding sources, a pest control professional can help identify hidden issues and apply targeted treatments.
Say Goodbye to Fruit Flies
Fruit flies are more than annoying. Adams Pest Control offers fast identification and treatment strategies to eliminate these persistent kitchen pests.
