Fruit flies are common household pests that can be a terrible nuisance around your home. These flies are present year-round, but they are especially prolific in late summer and fall. Fruit flies are known for their small size, red eyes and brown bodies. Fruit flies are not harmful on their own, but they can be a sign of unsanitary household conditions.
Signs You Have a Fruit Fly Infestation
The clearest way to spot a fruit fly infestation is by seeing these pests flying around your home. Look for them in kitchens and other areas where food can be found.
Where Do Fruit Flies Come From?
Fruit flies often come in to your home through cracks in walls, loose seals around doors or windows, or via eggs laid inside of a piece of produce from the grocery store. Fruit flies can seem to come from out of nowhere to infest your home, but this is mainly due to how quickly fruit flies breed and develop.
What Attracts Fruit Flies?
Fruit flies are mainly attracted to extra ripe, fermenting fruits and vegetables. However, they are also drawn to things such as drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash bags, cleaning rags and mops. Essentially, they are drawn to food waste and moist environments. Fruit flies only feed on food surfaces, so the chance of ingesting these pests is close to zero.
How Long Do Fruit Flies Live?
Despite the popular myth that fruit flies only live 24 hours, the average lifespan of a fruit fly is to 40-50 days under ideal conditions. During that time, female fruit flies can lay several batches of eggs, allowing the fruit fly population in a home to grow quickly. Fruit flies also live longer in warmer temperatures.
Where Do Fruit Flies Lay Eggs?
Fruit fly eggs are very tiny, and adult fruit flies often lay them inside of fruits or vegetables. Fruit flies can lay up to 500 eggs at a time — primarily in fermenting or decaying, sweet, organic material.
How to Catch and Trap Fruit Flies
The best way to catch fruit flies is by using a trap baited with apple cider vinegar and dish soap. Fill a bowl or cup about half way with the vinegar and add a couple of drops of dish soap. Cover with plastic wrap held in place with a rubber band and poke a few holes in the wrap covering the mouth of the bowl or cup.
The fruit flies will be attracted to the vinegar, enter through the holes, and become trapped in the dish soap. Any fruit flies that manage to escape the layer of soap will be trapped by the plastic wrap. This method is best used alongside measures to prevent future infestations.
How To Prevent a Fruit Fly Infestation
best way to prevent a fruit fly infestation is to remove sources of attraction. Seal your produce in airtight containers,store it in the refrigerator and remove any overripe produce. Keep drains and garbage disposals clean and dry and regularly disposing of trash. You can also prevent fruit flies from even entering your home by installing mesh screens on windows and doors.
If fruit flies have made your home or business their own, get some help from Arrow by filling out the form below.
FAQs
How long do fruit flies live? Fruit flies are known for their rapid reproduction and relatively short lifespans. The average lifespan of a fruit fly is about 40 to 50 days. The fruit fly life cycle is made up of four stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult.
How long does it take for a fruit fly infestation to go away? ›
Once you have a fruit fly infestation, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get rid of the nuisance. By taking proactive steps in cleaning and trash disposal, you can save yourself the time and hassle.
What attracts fruit flies? ›
Fruit flies are especially attracted to ripened fruits and vegetables in the kitchen. But they also will breed in drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash containers, mops and cleaning rags. All that is needed for development is a moist film of fermenting material.
What kills fruit flies instantly? ›
Bowl and Soap Trap
Fill a microwave-safe bowl with apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Microwave the bowl so the mixture becomes even more aromatic. Leave the bowl out uncovered as fruit fly bait. The soap will reduce the surface tension, causing any fruit fly that lands on the surface to drown.
What causes a lot of fruit flies in the house? ›
Fruit flies are mainly attracted to extra ripe, fermenting fruits and vegetables. However, they are also drawn to things such as drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash bags, cleaning rags and mops. Essentially, they are drawn to food waste and moist environments.
What smell do fruit flies hate? ›
Fruit flies can't stand the smell of basil, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass, lavender and clove. If you've had a fruit fly problem in the past, try placing these fragrant herbs in muslin sacks or tea bags and hanging them around the house. You could also buy them in essential oil form and use them in a diffuser.
What is the best homemade fruit fly killer? ›
Pour 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar in the bottom of a jar or bottle. Add a small drop of dish soap. This helps break the surface tension of the apple cider vinegar. This means the fruit flies can't sit on top of the solution.
What is the best fruit fly trap? ›
The four traps should be: paper funnel with banana, paper funnel with red wine, plastic wrap with banana, and plastic wrap with red wine (Shown in the project logo). Place your baited traps near an open window (screen can be in place) and wait 5 days.
How do I get rid of fruit flies 100%? ›
Make a trap with vinegar, sugar and dish soap to get rid of fruit flies in the house. Some Tips on Using the Trap: Let the solution sit out for up to 14 days, adding water as needed to replace any that evaporates. Place it near ripening fruit on the kitchen counter.
How long does it take for fruit flies to turn into maggots? ›
Within 24 to 30 hours, fruit fly eggs hatch into larvae known as maggots. These maggots feed on the fruits within which they were laid. Within one week, maggots burrow through the decaying matter and molt. After five to six days, larvae move to a dry surface and transform into pupae.
Dangerous bacteria and other germs can stick to their hairy bodies, that can get on our food or hands and spread illnesses that cause health problems, especially diarrhea. In order to prevent illness from fruit flies, you should wash your hands after coming into contact with fruit flies.
What kills the most fruit flies? ›
DIY a vinegar and dish soap trap
To create a DIY fruit fly trap, mix a quarter cup of either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar with a few drops of dish soap. The idea is that the irresistible vinegar attracts the fruit flies, while the soap breaks the vinegar's surface tension and drowns them.
What repels fruit flies the most? ›
Fruit flies hate several rather nice smelling natural scents, including peppermint, lavender, eucalyptus, lemongrass, and clove.
Where do fruit flies lay eggs in the house? ›
Fruit flies typically lay their eggs directly on rotting fruits and vegetables or else inside drains that are not kept clean. The pests may produce up to 500 offspring during any mating season, and it only takes about a week for the entire life cycle to conclude.
How long do fruit fly eggs take to hatch? ›
Eggs are most commonly laid on moist, fermenting food masses such as overripe fruit and vegetables. Within 24 to 30 hours, fruit fly eggs hatch into larvae known as maggots.
Do fruit flies go all over the house? ›
Fruit flies often infest homes with ripe, rotting, or decayed fruit and produce. They also enjoy fermented items such as beer, liquor, and wine. Fruit flies also may breed and develop in drains, garbage disposals, trash cans, and mop buckets.
