How to get rid of fruit flies

Remove what they breed in first, and trap only what is left.

A vibrant assortment of fresh fruits in a striped bowl. — Photo: Denise H. / Pexels

Area: HomeFrom age 14Time to learn: 30 minutes to clear the sources, then a week of trapping

Find and clear every source of fermenting food or moist film, catch the remaining adults in a cider-vinegar jar trap, and, for drain flies, scrub the slime out of the drain.

SafetyIf you choose an aerosol insecticide after the source is gone, read and follow the label, and keep the spray away from food and dishes.

Why it matters

Fruit flies lay their eggs on fermenting fruit and vegetables and on any moist film of fermenting material, and a single forgotten potato or juice spill can breed thousands. Trapping or spraying adults without removing the source does not end the problem, because new flies keep emerging. Drain flies work the same way, breeding in the gelatinous film inside sink, shower and tub drains.

A female fruit fly can lay about 500 eggs, and the whole life cycle from egg to adult can be completed in about a week.

Source: University of Kentucky Entomology, ENTFACT-621: Fruit Flies, 2026.Measured

How to do it

Identify the fly. Fruit flies are about 1/8 inch long, usually with red eyes, a tan front and a black rear. Drain flies, also called moth flies, are about the same size but dark and fuzzy, with leaf-shaped wings held like a roof over the body.
Search for breeding sites: overripe or damaged produce, a rotting potato or onion at the back of a cupboard, juice spilled under the fridge, the trash can, recycling bins, empty bottles and cans, mops and cleaning rags.
Eat, refrigerate or throw out ripe produce. Cut away and discard cracked or damaged parts of fruits and vegetables, where eggs or larvae may be.
Empty and wash the trash and recycling containers, rinse bottles and cans, and clean up spills.
Test drains and the garbage disposal: tape a clear plastic food storage bag over the opening overnight. Flies caught in the bag mean they are breeding there.
To get rid of drain flies, scrub the gelatinous gunk out of the drain with a stiff-bristled brush, or use a biological drain cleaner that breaks down organic material. University of Minnesota Extension says hot or boiling water, bleach and chemical drain cleaners are not effective.
Trap the remaining adults: pour a few ounces of cider vinegar into a jar and set a funnel rolled from a sheet of notebook paper in the opening. Put a trap wherever you see flies.
Keep them from coming back: refrigerate ripe produce, keep home-canned food and home-made wine, cider or beer tightly sealed, and fit windows and doors with tight-fitting 16-mesh screens.

Common mistakes

Setting traps but leaving the source. Until breeding sites are removed or cleaned, the problem continues no matter how many adults you kill.
Pouring bleach or boiling water down the drain for drain flies. Scrubbing out the film is what works.
Checking only the fruit bowl. Recycling bins, mops, rags and drains are common hidden sources.

You can do this when …you have found and cleared the breeding source, and the jar trap catches no new flies after a week.