How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are more common during warmer, summer weather, however they can still be a problem all year round. Fruit flies are a nuisance and hard to get rid of once they have invited themselves in.

Where do fruit flies come from?

These very small pests most commonly come in through windows or small gaps in the walls. They are attracted to ripe and rotten fruits and vegetables which they can detect from a distance. Once they have found the food, they lay their eggs on the surface, up to 500 at a time. It only takes up to a week for the eggs to develop, so that one fruit fly that’s bothering you can lead to many more very quickly. They are also attracted to wine, if a bottle is left open, they will smell it and fly into your home to investigate.

How to get rid of fruit flies?

You need to discover the source of the fruit flies and where they are coming from before you can take action on getting rid of them. Here a number of solutions to try expelling them from your home.

Clean common areas:

Throw out food and wash the area clean, any type of cleaner would be enough to repel the flies. Flies also like to live in damp and warm drains, so it would be a good idea to make sure you unclog your drains. Check your bins too; they are attracted to old food, so a bin is the perfect breeding ground for a fruit fly. When you clean the bin out make sure you use a bleach product to properly disinfect the area and dry it off after.

Use apple cider vinegar:

Fruit flies love the sweet smell of apple cider vinegar, so making a trap could be a good way to catch the crafty pest.

• Put a couple of centimetres of apple cider vinegar in a container, like an empty jar, and add a few drops of washing up liquid to the solution.
• Stir the mixture then cover with some clingfilm or thin paper held with an elastic band or string.
• Poke holes large enough for the flies to crawl through all over the clingfilm/paper.

Place your trap in an area where you have seen the fruit flies hiding out. The smell of the apple cider vinegar will attract them and once they touch the water it will drown them and you can throw them out. You can also try using a solution made of water, sugar and vinegar too. Just don’t forget the washing up liquid as this breaks the surface tension to stop the flies being able to sit on top of the water.

Buy fly traps:

If you have tried the other solutions and not managed to catch any, the next option would be to purchase a sticky fly trap. These traps work on common flies and fruit flies, all you have to do is place in the area where the flies have been and once the trap is full throw away.

You can purchase these traps from places like Amazon.

Contact your local exterminators today

If you are trying out the above methods, yet the fruit flies still keep buzzing around, then get in touch with us and we can help exterminate the infestation. A fully trained professional will advise you on the best treatment to get rid of the pests.

Preventing the flies from coming back

They will come back if food is being left out unwrapped, bins are not sealed and/or food has been rotting for too long inside and drains are getting clogged. Ensure you are keeping drains and bins clean and smelling fresh and keep the food you leave out covered.

Other problem flies

Fruit flies aren’t the only flies that can be a nuisance. Our team of experts can identify which flies are causing the problem, from filter and drain flies to cluster flies, and provide effective treatment and eradication.