How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Fast (and Keep Them Away)

A simple homemade trap catches most fruit flies in a day. Here is how to make it, plus how to stop them coming back.

Editorial TeamNovember 4, 20261 min read

Fruit flies seem to appear out of nowhere. One day your kitchen is fine, the next there's a small cloud hovering over the fruit bowl.

The good news: they are easy to get rid of with things you already have at home. The trick is to trap the adults and remove what they are breeding in, at the same time.

Why you have fruit flies

Fruit flies are attracted to ripe and fermenting food. They lay eggs on overripe fruit, in damp drains, in rubbish bins and in the dregs of drink bottles. A few flies can turn into many within a week, so it pays to act quickly.

The vinegar trap that works

Pour a few centimetres of apple cider vinegar into a small glass or jar.
Add one drop of dish soap. It breaks the surface tension so flies sink instead of landing.
Cover the top with cling film, secure it with a rubber band and poke a few small holes with a toothpick.
Place it near where you see the most flies, and replace it every few days.

No apple cider vinegar? A splash of old wine, a piece of very ripe banana in a jar, or beer works too.

Pro tipMake two or three traps and spread them around the kitchen. You'll catch flies much faster than with a single trap.

Remove the breeding spots

Traps only catch adults. To stop new flies hatching, you need to clear the places where eggs are laid.

Eat, refrigerate or throw away overripe fruit.
Rinse bottles and cans before putting them in the recycling.
Take the rubbish out daily until the flies are gone, and wash the bin.
Pour boiling water down the sink drain, then scrub the drain opening with a brush.
Wipe up sticky spills on counters and under appliances.

Keep them from coming back

Store ripe fruit in the fridge, especially bananas, tomatoes and stone fruit in warm months. Wash produce when you bring it home, since eggs can arrive on the skin.

Keep the kitchen sink dry overnight and run the dishwasher or wash dishes before bed. With no food and no damp spots, fruit flies simply have nowhere to live.

If the flies keep returning after a couple of weeks, look for a hidden source: a forgotten potato in the back of a cupboard is a very common culprit.