In All Uncertain Terms

Several weeks ago, my home was subject to an invasion–nay, an infestation. I can’t pinpoint what caused it, but before I knew it, the entire house was overrun with fruit flies. These pesky little creatures began to drive me insane. My husband and I would be sitting on the couch, trying to enjoy a show together, only to be tormented by tiny insects buzzing around our heads. Of course, they were most drawn to the kitchen. I couldn’t cook a meal or even make myself a sandwich without constantly batting away near-invisible foes like I was practicing a martial art routine. Desperately needing salvation from my predicament, I turned to my trusty sidekick, the internet. I scoured the housekeeping blogs and Reddit boards, searching for any and all possible methods to bring some reprieve to myself and my agonizing family. I tried everything–and in case you are in the same situation I was in, this post is here to help. I’ve compiled a list of all the most effective ways rid your house of fruit flies, and ditched the ones that don’t work, so you don’t have to.

1. Don’t be a slob

It may seem like common sense, but not to some. Don’t let the sink pile up with dirty dishes for days. Don’t keep pressing and pressing trash into the already-full trash can until it inevitably overflows; take it out! Don’t leave rotting fruit on the counter. All these things attract the flies in the first place, and provide breeding grounds for them to multiply.

2. Clean

Besides the bare minimum of not being a slob, you may actually need to clean. Move objects off of counter tops to wipe them down, sweep and mop, etc. Take any fresh produce off of the counter, and move it to the fridge, so the flies can’t get to it, or will die if they do. You may find there was a spill or piece of food of which you were unaware, that was drawing the flies.

3. Homemade traps

If cleaning didn’t solve the problem, try this: make a homemade trap using apple cider vinegar, dish soap, a glass, and a funnel or piece of plastic wrap. Pour a little apple cider vinegar into a glass. This will attract the fruit flies. Squirt some dish soap into it, and stir it up. The soap breaks the surface tension of the liquid, so that flies cannot land on it, but will fall in. Cover the glass with a funnel or a piece of plastic wrap with holes poked in it. The flies will go down the hole, but will have a hard time getting out again, until they drown in the vinegar.

4. Clean the drains

Sink drains can collect a film of organic material along the sides of the pipe, and fruit flies are drawn to the food and moisture. They may be laying their eggs in your drains. Baking soda and vinegar will create bubbles to help clean the drain, and have some antibacterial properties as well. Bleach or boiling water will kill the flies and eggs. Drano or a similar product will kill the insects and eggs, but will also help eliminate the organic film attracting the flies in the first place. Be sure to remember the overflow drain, too, as they may be inhabiting it. You can also tape over or stop up the drains, both to prevent new flies from going into them, and to try to find out from which drain existing flies are coming.

5. Store-bought traps

At your local store, you may be able to find traps that plug into a wall outlet to emit a blue light, and have a replaceable sticky cartridge. The flies are attracted to the blue light, then get caught on the sticky part.

6. Home-made or store-bought spray

It may be helpful to have a spray you can use to kill any flies you see buzzing around if, like me, you have too many to count, and want to get rid of as many as possible as quickly as possible. Diluted bleach would work, but I wasn’t too keen to spray bleach all over my kitchen and appliances, so I used Zevo brand spray meant for flies, gnats, and fruit flies. It uses more natural ingredients and is safer for people and pets. As a bonus, it also smells really nice, at least if you like the smell of mint. I have also tried water with a small amount of dish soap mixed in, and it seems to work relatively well. Take this as an opportunity to indulge in the violent nature that resides in every human heart. Show no mercy to the flies. If you like shooter video games, this is your chance to bring them to life guilt-free.

7. Clean the trash cans

Fruit flies may be residing and breeding between the trash bag and trash can, so it may not be enough to take out the trash regularly. You may need to take the can outside, scrub it with bleach or another disinfectant, and give it a good rinse with the garden hose, then let it dry in the sun.

8. Silica gel

Fruit flies love moisture, and can find it in places you might not ever imagine. I found them swarming around the tiny remnants of water left in my watering can. Of course, you can try to dry any water or other moisture you can think of, but you might not get it all. I propose another solution. Silica gel seems to be easily available for about two dollars a pound, so perhaps the most thorough way to create a hostile environment for fruit flies would be to dump it all over your home. Sure, cleaning it up afterward may be a pain, but that is not our concern. Our first priority is to get rid of the flies at any cost.

9. Vacuum cleaner

Flies’ wings are no match for the strong winds of a vacuum cleaner. Break out the cleaning appliance, and bring the tiny insects to their horrifying doom. While you’re at it, this may help with cleaning up the silica gel, too.

10. Honey

You know the saying, “You catch more flies with honey.” Sure, it’s typically said as a metaphor, but it is literally true. Cover various surfaces of your house with honey. The sugar will attract the flies, but they’ll get stuck. This will be hard to clean up, and might cause additional infestations (ants, for example), but at least you’ll get rid of the fruit flies!

11. Extreme temperatures

Fruit flies die after prolonged temperatures of 104° F or higher, or within minutes at 113° F or higher. If it’s summer, try turning off your air conditioning, Turning the oven on to its highest temperature, and leaving the door open. You may need to turn the burners on as well. If you manage to get the house temperature high enough for long enough, congratulations! No more fruit flies.

Alternatively, if it’s winter, you can try turning off the heat and opening the windows and doors. Fruit flies will stop developing at temperatures below 53° F, but may be able to survive until warmer weather. However, they die at 32° F or colder, so try to get your home below freezing.

12. Predators

If you tried solution 9, and now have a colony of ants in your home, be not dismayed. Ants can be predators of fruit flies, and they may solve your problem. Other animals to consider bringing in to eat the pests are beetles, spiders, wasps, crickets, birds, frogs, lizards, or bats. Some of these are also predators of ants, so you might be able to solve two problems at once. If these predators take care of the fly problem, but you’re unhappy with your new infestation, consider getting a cuter, permanent predator of the predators: a cat.

13. Cohabitation

Come to the realization that the fruit flies, like us, just want to eat and sleep and procreate before they die. We’re not so different after all. Why must humanity be so selfish as to demand that our homes belong to us and us only? Joyfully welcome your new roommates, and buy a couple extra apples for them every once in a while.

14. Abandon the need for earthly possessions

If you cannot come to terms with living with fruit flies, consider this: the idea that a person needs a house, and objects inside the house, is really just a product of our capitalistic, consumeristic culture. True happiness will come when you understand that these things just burden you with their upkeep and constant demand for more. Whatever it looks like for you, whether becoming a wandering monk or hanging out under the overpass, know that this is perhaps the most fulfilling response to fruit flies in your home. You get the satisfaction of breaking free of the shackles of materialism, and the rewarding feeling from the generosity of giving your home to a swarm in need.

15. Call an exterminator

The very last resort, this is one of the more expensive options, but more importantly, it reveals a deep flaw of character: giving up and admitting you need help. When all else fails, the professionals might know of some methods not covered in this blog post. I can’t imagine what they could possibly be.

Disclaimer

Full disclosure, I have not personally tried methods 8 through 15. If you have, let me know in the comments how it worked out!

I hope these tips help you to return to a peaceful, fly-free home.