HowToSimply Quizzes Surprise me
Quizzes

How to get rid of fruit flies: find where they breed, then trap the rest

In short: Fruit flies breed in anything wet and fermenting. Clear the source (fruit, bin, recycling, drain, mop), test the drain overnight with a food bag, then catch the adults with a cider-vinegar trap. A spray on its own won't end it.

Co-authored by Sonia Abu Bakar✓, MSc Botany

By 7 min readPublisher: Saadat Rafiq

Last updated: 29 October 2026References

Set preferred
Illustration of a woman in a kitchen looking at a fruit bowl with a few tiny flies above it, a small glass trap on the worktop beside herIllustration

At a glance

You need
Apple cider vinegar, washing-up liquid, cling film, a rubber band, clear food bags, tape
Egg to adult
About a week (University of Kentucky); 7 to 10 days (MSU)
The real fix
Remove the breeding site; traps only catch adults
Drain test
A clear food bag taped over the plughole overnight
Advice from
MSU Extension, University of Kentucky Entomology, Texas A&M AgriLife, read 28 October 2026
Checked
October 2026

Fruit flies lay their eggs in anything moist and fermenting, and a new generation can be flying within about a week (University of Kentucky). That is why killing the flies you see rarely works: MSU Extension says to aim at the eggs and larvae instead. So the order matters. Find and clear where they breed first, then trap the adults that are left.

Are they fruit flies?

Tiny, tan-and-black, red eyes, around fruit, bins and glasses

Fruit flies. Adults are about 1/8 inch (roughly 3 mm) long, tan at the front and black at the rear, usually with red eyes (University of Kentucky). Follow the steps below.

Dark, long-legged, like tiny mosquitoes, around houseplant pots

Probably fungus gnats, which breed in damp compost, not fruit. They need a different fix: drying out and treating the compost.

How to get rid of them

  1. Clear out the fruit bowl and the vegetable store.

    Illustration of a hand lifting a soft, overripe banana out of a fruit bowl and dropping it into a lidded caddy, with a bag of potatoes open beside it
    Illustration

    Eat, refrigerate or throw away anything ripe or damaged (MSU). Larvae feed near the surface, so you can cut away a damaged patch and keep the rest (University of Kentucky). Bananas and strawberries are favourites (Texas A&M AgriLife).

    Then open the potato and onion store. A single rotting potato or onion at the back of a cupboard can keep an infestation going (University of Kentucky, Texas A&M).

    You should see: nothing soft, leaking or mouldy left out. Ripe fruit goes in the fridge until the flies are gone.

  2. Empty the kitchen bin and recycling, then wash them out.

    Illustration of a woman rinsing an empty kitchen bin in a sink, with a row of rinsed bottles and cans drying on a rack beside her
    Illustration

    Sticky liquid at the bottom of a bin is an ideal breeding site (Texas A&M). During a bad outbreak, MSU suggests emptying the kitchen bin every evening and keeping it clean and dry.

    Rinse bottles and cans before they go in the recycling, and keep the recycling box out of the kitchen if you can (MSU). University of Kentucky entomologists point to recycling bins that are never emptied or cleaned as a common source.

    You should see: a dry, clean bin with no film of liquid in the bottom, and rinsed recycling.

  3. Hunt down hidden spills, damp mops and cloths.

    Illustration of a woman kneeling with a torch, shining it into the gap under a fridge where a small sticky puddle shows, a damp mop leaning against the wall
    Illustration

    University of Kentucky entomologists say all the flies need is a moist film of fermenting material. Shine a torch under the fridge and behind appliances you can move, where juice or drink spills hide (MSU). Check floor cracks as well (Texas A&M).

    Wash or replace damp mops and cleaning cloths, which can breed flies too (University of Kentucky). Check any home-brew, cider or pickling jars for a seal that isn't tight.

    You should see: dry floors under and behind appliances, and clean, dry mops and cloths.

  4. Test each drain overnight with a clear food bag.

    Illustration of a clear plastic food bag taped flat over a kitchen sink plughole, a few tiny flies inside the bag
    Illustration

    If the flies keep coming and you can't find a source, the drain may be it. Tape a clear plastic food bag over the plughole and leave it overnight (MSU, University of Kentucky). Do the same for the dishwasher drain area or any other drain near where the flies gather.

    You should see: in the morning, either an empty bag (that drain is not the source) or flies caught inside it (it is).

  5. Careful: don't mix drain products. Washington State Department of Health warns that bleach mixed with acids, including vinegar and some drain cleaners, gives off chlorine gas, and bleach mixed with ammonia gives off toxic chloramines. If you have already poured something down the drain, don't add a second product on top of it.

    Scrub out the drain that caught flies, then rinse it with very hot water.

    Illustration of a long thin brush being pushed into a sink plughole, with a kettle waiting on the worktop beside the sink
    Illustration

    MSU says to clean the drain and trap as thoroughly as you can, then sterilise them with boiling water. A long, thin drain brush reaches the slime inside the pipe where the larvae live.

    If your sink or pipes are plastic and you are not sure they can take boiling water, check with the maker first.

    You should see: a clean plughole with no slimy film. Repeat the bag test the next night to check.

  6. Set a cider-vinegar trap where the flies gather.

    Illustration of a small glass two-thirds full of amber liquid, covered with tight cling film held by a rubber band, a toothpick poking small holes in the film
    Illustration

    MSU's recipe: fill a small glass about two-thirds full with apple cider vinegar, add one or two drops of washing-up liquid and swirl. Stretch cling film tightly over the top, hold it with a rubber band and poke about a dozen holes with a toothpick. The soap stops the flies floating, so they drown.

    No cling film? Roll a sheet of paper into a cone and stand it, narrow end down, in a jar with a little vinegar, juice or rotting fruit (University of Kentucky, MSU). Make several traps and put them where you see the most flies. MSU says to replace the bait in a fruit trap every day.

    You should see: flies in the liquid within a day. Fewer each day means the breeding sites are gone.

  7. Keep the traps going and keep checking for about two weeks.

    Illustration of a wall calendar with two weeks ticked off, next to a worktop with an empty fruit bowl, a lidded bin and one small trap
    Illustration

    Texas A&M AgriLife says the flies disappear fairly quickly once the breeding sites are gone, because their life cycle is a week or less. Eggs already laid can still hatch, though: MSU says adults can emerge 7 to 10 days later. So two weeks of checking is our suggestion, not a rule from the sources.

    You should see: empty or nearly empty traps by the end of the second week.

How to tell it worked

  • The traps catch fewer flies each day, then none.
  • The overnight bag test on each drain comes up empty.
  • No flies hover over the bin or fruit bowl for several days in a row.
  • Bin, recycling, mops and the floor under the fridge are clean and dry.

Breeding-site checklist

CheckWhat to look forSource
Fruit bowl and fridge drawersOverripe, cracked or leaking fruit, especially bananas and strawberriesMSU, Texas A&M
Potato and onion storeA soft or rotting one, often at the backUniversity of Kentucky, Texas A&M
Kitchen binLiquid or syrup at the bottomTexas A&M
RecyclingUnrinsed cans and bottles; a box that is never cleanedMSU, University of Kentucky
Under and behind appliancesDried-on juice, beer or wine spillsMSU, University of Kentucky
Sink and other drainsFlies in the overnight bag testMSU, University of Kentucky
Mops and clothsDamp and left in a bucket or cornerUniversity of Kentucky
Home brewing, cider, picklesA jar or container that isn't sealedUniversity of Kentucky

Rules in the UK, Germany, the US and Pakistan

UKGermanyUSPakistan
Do you need a professional?Rarely: the steps above work without insecticide. If flies keep coming from a drain or a shared bin area in a rented home, tell your landlord, since the rules for pests in rented homes apply (Shelter in England, Berliner Mieterverein in Germany)
If you buy a spray or baitThe label must show the HSE authorisation number and the uses it is authorised for (HSE)Biocide labels name the BAuA registration number (N-...) and the approved uses (DLG guide published by LAVES Niedersachsen)EPA registers all pesticides; buy one registered for that pest and read the label first (EPA)Every pesticide brand must be registered; selling an unregistered one is an offence (Agricultural Pesticides Ordinance 1971, s. 4)

If they keep coming back

What happensWhat it meansWhat to do
The traps fill up every day for more than a weekA breeding site is still activeGo through the checklist again; bag-test every drain, including bathroom ones
The trap catches nothingThe bait or the place is wrong, or they aren't fruit fliesMove it to where the flies gather, try wine or banana (Texas A&M), and check the "Are they fruit flies?" box
Flies come back after shoppingEggs can arrive on fruit from the shop (MSU)Keep ripe fruit in the fridge and use it up quickly
They appear even with a clean kitchenAdults can get in through window screens (MSU)University of Kentucky suggests tight-fitting 16-mesh screens

Questions readers ask

Where do fruit flies come from if I haven't left fruit out?

Often from somewhere you can't see: a drain, the bottom of the bin, a recycling box, a damp mop or a forgotten potato. MSU Extension adds that eggs can already be on fruit when you bring it home, and adults can get in through window screens.

Are fruit flies harmful?

They are mainly a nuisance. University of Kentucky entomologists say they can carry bacteria and other disease-causing organisms onto food, so throw away anything they have been crawling on.

Does a red wine or banana trap work instead of vinegar?

Yes. Texas A&M AgriLife lists apple cider vinegar, wine and bananas as baits. MSU describes a funnel in a glass with a splash of wine; change the bait every day.

Will a fly spray get rid of them?

Not on its own. MSU and the University of Kentucky both say sprays only kill the adults you can see, while eggs and larvae keep developing in the breeding site. Clear the source first.

What did you think?

Reaction counts are loading.

Spotted a mistake? Menus change with updates, and we want every step to match your screen. Email us about this page or use the contact form. We read every report, and fixes are listed on What changed.

Liked this article?

Follow us for new articles and short how-to videos.

Subscribe on YouTubeFollow on InstagramFollow on FacebookFollow on XFollow on ThreadsFollow on Pinterest