What's the best way to get rid of fruit flies?

Question

I've already stopped leaving bananas on the counter and started putting them in the refrigerator, but they're still around.

Answer 1

Get rid of fruit.

Answer 2

We all know that removing the food, getting rid of the garbage & cleaning up plays a big role, but we also know what it's like to move a piece of fruit and have a swarm of fruit flies fill the air only to escape your attempts at killing them. Where are they gonna go? Obviously the ones flying around can't be easily captured or killed, so they'll linger about until they find some other place to lay eggs and the whole cycle starts again.

In all my attempts, I found the best way to capture and remove the ones that escape is to create a simple trap using a jar, plastic wrap and a piece of food. Here's how it works:

1. Get a small jar you don't plan on using again ( like a baby food jar or something similar ) and wash it out well. Make sure it is not a jar with a funky smell such as a used pickle jar or anything that use to have strong spices. You want a clean, odorless jar.

2. Take a chunk of banana and place inside the jar. This is why you want a clean, odorless jar - so that the banana smell won't be overpowered by other not-so-tempting smells. Banana seems to work the best, but you can experiment.

3. Fit a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the jar, making sure that it fits tight and well sealed around the edges. Then take a pen or pencil and poke 4 to 5 holes in the plastic, just big enough for a fruit fly to fit into. Once a fruit fly crawls in, it can't get out. You would think they would just fly back out through the holes, but they won't!

4. Place the jar in an area where you have seen the most fruit flies. Depending on the amount of fruit flies you have, you can expect to start seeing the jar fill up within just a few hours. After 24 hours, you will discover just how bad your fruit fly problem is!

This simple, inexpensive & safe method works perfectly and if you don't want the jar on public display, you can always slip it behind the garbage can, in the cupboard or even under the sink (Just don't forget about it!). You will want to empty the jar every 3-4 days before any eggs have a chance to hatch. While adult fruit flies can't easily escape through the holes, their maggots can very easily, and besides that - they are disgusting to see crawling around in the jar. You don't want to see these things crawling on your counter!

Answer 3

They sell these fly strips. They are little plastic ribbons coated in a sticky substance that you can hang on a wall, counter edge, etc and will catch flies when they make contact. I dont know if they are scented or something for flies to come but they work and before you know it there will tons of flies caught and you can then throw out the strip and put a new one on. Best part aboot (Canadian, I cant help it) it is that they are fairly cheap and are sold at most drug stores/grocery stores. I used them last summer and it solved my problem of fruit flies in around 2 weeks.

Answer 4

I use a mixture of 3/4 apple cider, 1/4 water, and one drop of liquid dish soap. Opaque cups like yogurt work best. You only need a little-say 1/3 of a cup. I usually make 2 or 3 and put them in different places. Those pesky flies are attracted to the vinegar, as it smells like rotting fruit. The drop of dish soap changes the surface tension of the water, and they sink rather than skimming the water. It is very satisfying to check them the next day and have 30-40 DEAD fruit flies and nice environmentally friendly stuff to dump down the sink.

Answer 5

get rid of the fruit.... :)
no..seriously though...make sure all your screens on your windows and doors are in good shape and try to keep the door closed as much as possible instead of going in and out with the door open constantly. and i'd double check to make sure they are fruit flies and not just regular flies...because flies will just go into a house for the hell of it, especially if you stand there with the door open or with holes in your screens.

Answer 6

You may have to get a can of Raid or some type of bug spray to get rid of those pesty critters. Make sure you don't have any garbage in your sink or sink strainers. It's like smorgasbord for fruit flies.

Answer 7

Don't leave indoor garbages in the open. Put them in the cupboard under the kitchebn sink, bathroom sink, ect.

Answer 8

well you could try using a fruit tag...it smells like fruit and the flies get stuck to the tag and problem solved

Answer 9

Make them drink Spanish Fly.

Answer 10

Put vinegar in a tupperware container. Poke holes in the lid. They will go in the container and drown in the vinegar.