17 answers

Fruit Flies Taking over My House!

Hi,
We have been inundated with fruit flies, thanks to my neighbor's massive rotting garden. Every time we open the door, another one comes in. I've been diligent about putting away all the food and not keeping anything out for long. But I'm still finding them everywhere--the trash can, my plants, etc. How can I get rid of them? They're driving me crazy!
Thanks,
A.

What can I do next?

Featured Answers

A friend of mine had a problem with fruit flies also. She gets red wine vinegar and puts just a cap-full on the counter. They fly to it and drown themselves. It's quick and cheap!! Good luck!

I just wanted to say thanks for posting this! We had a party this weekend and today the flies are everywhere!

More Answers

A friend of mine had a problem with fruit flies also. She gets red wine vinegar and puts just a cap-full on the counter. They fly to it and drown themselves. It's quick and cheap!! Good luck!

Keep a spray bottle filled with water & a few drops of liquid dish soap handy. Insects breathe through their skin & the soap will suffocate them. This works on other bugs too! And the simple soap & water isn't harmful to anyone or anything in your home! Hope this helps! :)

~K.

An empty drink bottle, prefarably 16-20 ounce...filled with sugar water, a drop of Dawn dish detergent and a little vinegar. Put a funnel in the top and watch the fruit flies die.

My aunt says that putting out a glass of red wine helps to get rid of them, I have never tried it but she swears by it, It can't hurt to try. They are pesky little creatures..Good Luck!

I worked in food and the resturant next door would just throw their fruit and food right outside our door.
Anyhow, I would clean and clean and could not get rid of them. BUt what did work was vinger and yeast, I would mix it together and leave the bowl laying there and when I cam in the next day it was full if fruit flies. It took a few days.
You can also put dish soap in the mix or I have heard of people putting a banana into a bowl and covering, leaving holes just small enough for the flies to get in , not out. The do have bug spray for them as well.
Hope this help you out.

Take a juice glass. Put a couple drops of dish washing liquid in the bottom and about 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar. Draws them right to it and the dish liquid keeps them from flying back out.

You might be surprised to find out that they aren't only coming in from outside. Fruit flies, as well as other types of flies, often lay their eggs in drains. Running water doesn't stop the eggs from hatching. Instead, try pouring some bleach down each of your drains (including the bathtubs/showers). We've had a horrible case of flies before, and someone told us this trick. Sure enough, the flies were gone within two days.

We had this same problem this summer! I take a large ziploc bag and place a ripe banana in there. Then I seal the bag; poke holes in the sealed bag with a fork. This lets the flies get in but they have a really hard time getting out. Each evening I toss the bag in the trash can outside. I do this each morning and after 4 days the fruit flies were gone!

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