Fruit flies are a common problem in homes and are usually found in kitchens. These pests can pop up throughout the year, but they are most active in summer and early fall. Fruit flies multiply quickly, so you’ll want to take steps to kick these pests out of your house. We’ve gathered information to help you get rid of fruit flies.
1. Identify an Infestation
Before you can take care of a bug problem, you need to correctly identify one. Fruit flies will be seen hanging around their food sources and breeding spots such as overripe or decaying produce, trash bins, and sink drains. These flies are small, growing to about 1/8". Fruit flies have a tan body, and their abdomen is black and gray. They have large red or dark eyes. Because fruit flies hang out in and near drains, they can be mistaken for drain flies. Unlike fruit flies, drain flies look like moths with a hairy body and fuzzy wings.
2. Inspect & Protect Your Produce
One of the best ways to prevent a fruit fly problem is to inspect your produce. Before purchasing any fruit or vegetables, check them for signs of fruit flies. You may notice damage to produce or fruit flies flying near the produce bins. When you bring your produce home, give it a good wash. Though fruit bowls look nice, you’ll want to avoid leaving your produce on the counter. Place it in the refrigerator to prevent fruit flies from having accessing to it. This will also help to keep it fresher for longer.
3. Remove Potential Attractants
Removing sources of food and breeding sites will help to keep fruit flies away. Keep your kitchen clean, removing crumbs and spills. Wipe down counters and clean your floors regularly. Avoid leaving dirty dishes in the sink, and use a drain cover to help minimize food particles being left in your sink. Fruit flies breed in damp and dark environments, so minimize moisture build-up in your home. Repair plumbing leaks, fix slow drains, and wipe up any excess water. Don’t leave water in mop buckets, and let your mop dry outside.
4. Seal Entry Points
To keep your home free of fruit flies, you’ll want to seal potential entry points. Though fruit flies sneak inside on produce, they can also make their way into your home through openings. Check for cracks, gaps, or holes on the exterior of your house and seal any you find. Repair or replace damaged screens on your doors and windows. It’s best to leave your doors and windows closed if you don’t have screens on them.
5. Use Pest Control Products
If fruit flies have invaded your space, pest control products can help. Because fruit flies can be attracted to different things in your kitchen, you may need to implement multiple control methods. Maggie’s Farm has several products that are labeled to control fruit flies.
- Use a Fruit Fly Trap: Our easy-to-use Fruit Fly Traps discreetly lure and capture fruit flies, preventing them from breeding and multiplying in your home. You can place the traps in your kitchen around fruit bowls, sinks, dishwashers, garbage areas, and other areas where these flies are seen.
- Treat Your Drains: Fruit flies can also be a problem in drains. Our Drain & Fruit Fly Killer can be used in drains to kill fruit flies at the source. It will kill fly eggs, larvae, and adults. Simply apply the product around the edges of your drain to allow the formula to coat the sides of the drain. You can also place a sprayer top on the bottle to spray areas that attract fruit flies, including trash bins.
- Take Care of Your Trash: Our Garbage Refresh Deodorizer & Insect Control blocks can help to take care of fruit flies hanging out in your trash bin. These blocks kill and repel fruit flies while also deodorizing and refreshing kitchen trash cans. You’ll want to hang the block, using the included hook, in your trash can. Replace the block weekly or when most of the fragrance is gone.
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Use a Plant-Based Insecticide Spray: To spot treat fruit flies, you can spray them with a plant-based insecticide spray. Our Flying Insect Killer kills and repels fruit flies. When spraying, spray in short 2–3 second bursts, working to make contact with as many flies as possible. Try to spray flies when they are resting to get the best spray coverage possible.
Fruit flies can be a challenging pest to control because of how quickly they multiply. Thankfully, there are things you can do to prevent and control an infestation. If you’re dealing with fruit flies or other pests, we have your back! Check out our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products for a more environmentally and family-friendly solution when used as directed.