Fruit flies breed quickly in ripe produce and damp organic residue. Trapping the adults helps, but the problem will only stop when you remove the place where they are breeding.
Step 1: Find the source
Check fruit bowls, potatoes and onions, trash cans, recycling bins, damp mops and sponges, and any spills under appliances.
Step 2: Clean thoroughly
- Throw away overripe or damaged produce.
- Empty and wash trash and recycling bins.
- Rinse bottles and cans before recycling.
- Clean sink drains and disposal units with a brush.
- Replace or wash sponges and cloths.
Step 3: Trap the adults
- Pour some apple cider vinegar into a small jar.
- Add a drop of dish soap, which breaks the surface tension so flies sink.
- Leave it near where you see the flies, and replace it every few days.
A paper funnel in the top of the jar, or plastic wrap with small holes, can make the trap more effective.
Step 4: Keep them away
- Keep ripe fruit in the refrigerator for now.
- Wash produce when you bring it home.
- Take out kitchen waste often.
Since fruit flies breed so fast, it may take a week or two to clear them completely. If small flies gather around houseplants instead, you may have fungus gnats, which breed in damp soil.
