8 Natural Ways to Get rid of Fruit Flies [Homemade Fruit Fly Spray]

Fruit Flies are not only annoying, but they can also carry a lot of diseases. They sit on every type of food item, leading to a very high risk of contamination. Fruit flies often flock around a garbage can or even rotten food items, which can also allow them to carry harmful microbes.

Regardless, it is safe to say that fruit flies are not welcome inside your house, and the worst thing is that getting rid of them is quite difficult. Unlike bigger flies, fruit flies are very agile and are able to fly away before they can be caught or killed.

However, all hope is not lost, as there are many home remedies and natural ways to get rid of these annoying flies, without causing any damage to your family or your pets. 

8 Effective Home Remedies to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Naturally

1. Apple cider vinegar trap

The sweet smell of Apple cider vinegar attracts fruit flies towards it. When used in a trap, this is very effective at catching these flies.

There are many ways to make a trap using apple cider vinegar and household items, but one of the most simple ones is to use a simple plastic wrap.

Once you have set up the trap, flies will immediately start gathering and soon you’ll be able to get rid of them. 

Required Material: 

• Apple cider vinegar 
• Bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Rubber band

Step by Step Process: 

• Add a few spoons of apple cider vinegar into a bowl. 
• Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and tie a rubber band around it to secure it. 
• Poke a few holes in the plastic wrap that are big enough for fruit flies to enter, but not big enough for them to fly out freely. 
• Fruit flies will enter the bowl, attracted by the smell of the vinegar, but they will not be able to come out, hence getting trapped. 
• Once the flies have died, you can discard the vinegar solution and repeat the process. 

Precautions: 

Make sure that the holes are just big enough for the flies to enter. If you make them too big, then they can easily fly out and won’t be trapped. 

2. Rotten Banana

It’s a well-known fact that ripe and rotten fruits attract fruit flies the most. Therefore it’s one of the best ways to attract and trap fruit flies. You can create a simple yet effective trap with simple items that you already have at home.

Once the fruit flies are trapped, you must wait a few days to kill them before discarding the entire contents of the trap, so you can make several of these traps to increase effectiveness. 

Required Material: 

• Over-ripe banana
• Glass 
• Paper 
• Scissors 

Step by Step Process: 

• Place an over-ripe banana in a glass after peeling it. Mash it lightly with a spoon. 
• Make a cone with a piece of paper and cut a small hole at the bottom of the cone. Make sure the hole is just big enough for 
• Place the cone inside the glass. 
• Flies will be able to go inside, attracted by the smell of the banana, but they will not be able to come outside and get trapped. 
• Once enough flies have been trapped, cover the glass with a cover and allow the flies to die naturally. 
• Discard the contents of the container and then clean it out. 
• You can repeat the process again. 

Precautions: 

The hole at the bottom of the cone must be just big enough for the flies to get inside. If it’s too big, then the flies will not stay trapped inside. 

3. Dish soap and wine trap

Wine attracts the fruit flies towards it, while dish soap reduces the surface tension of the wine, which makes the fruit flies drown when they touch the surface of the wine.

This is a genius technique at trapping and killing fruit flies. It’s also quite easy to clean up afterward. If you do not have wine, you can also use grape juice as an alternative. 

Required Material: 

• Dish soap 
• Wine
• Bowl

Step by Step Process: 

• Mix ½ cup of wine with 2 teaspoons of dish soap. 
• Place this mixture in a bowl (or several bowls if you want to cover a larger area). 
• Place the bowls in areas that have the most fruit flies. 
• Soon you’ll find fruit flies landing on the bowl and drowning. 
• Once the bowl is full of fruit flies, you can discard the liquid along with the dead flies and repeat the process if necessary. 

Precautions: 

If you have children or pets, avoid putting the bowls in areas where they can access them, as the liquid can be poisonous if ingested. 

4. Lemon trap

Lemons, similar to bananas, attract fruit flies towards it. However, unlike bananas, lemons do not leave behind any strong smell. In fact, this method can double as a room freshener, as you are required to microwave the entire contents of the trap in order to kill the fruit flies. 

Required Material: 

• Microwaveable container with lid
• Fresh lemons
• Sharp tool

Step by Step Process: 

• Take a small microwavable container with a lid. Poke a small hole into the lid with a sharp tool. The hole should be just big enough for flies to enter. 
• Cut a lemon in half and squeeze out the juice. Take the other half and put it inside the container, with the cut side facing upwards. 
• Cover the lid and leave it on your kitchen counter or anywhere with a fruit fly problem. 
• Within a day or two, you’d see that a lot of fruit flies have gathered inside the container on the lemon. Simply take the container and microwave it for 20-30 seconds. 
• The flies inside will die and your room will also smell fresh because of the lemon. You can then discard the contents and repeat the process if required. 

Precautions: 

Be extremely careful while using a sharp tool to make a hole in the lid of the container. 

5. Use Beer bottles

The smell of beer attracts fruit flies towards it and the shape of the bottle is actually perfect for trapping them inside.

The narrow neck of the bottle allows the flies to enter the bottle but does not allow them to escape freely. This is a great way to catch and dispose of the flies in one go, while also reusing your beer bottles. 

Required Material: 

• Beer bottles that have not been washed
• Water 
• Unscented liquid soap

Step by Step Process: 

• Take a few beer bottles that have not been rinsed out with water. The important thing is that the bottles must still have the smell of beer. 
• Make a mixture of ½ cup of water with 1 teaspoon of unscented liquid soap. 
• Fill about 2 cm of the beer bottles with the water and soap mixture. Additionally, you can add a few drops of beer into the mixture if you want. 
• Leave these bottles in areas that have a lot of fruit flies. Soon they will start gathering inside the bottle and they will drown in the soapy water mixture. 
• Discard the bottle as a whole or simply rinse out the contents inside. 

Precautions: 

Try using bottles that have been used very recently, this way the smell of beer will still be prominent. 

6. Alcohol Spray

Alcohol is a great way to kill fruit flies on contact without the risk of any poisonous residue. Alcohol evaporates very quickly so there is no risk of leaving behind a smell or any residue, making it a very safe option for those with children or pets. 

Required Material:

• 91% Alcohol
• Spray Bottle

Step by Step Process:

• Pour 91% pure alcohol into a spray bottle and simply mist it on any fruit flies that you come across. You can spray it on fruits and vegetables as well. 
• As soon as the alcohol comes in contact with the fruit flies, they will die instantly and fall off. You can then sweep and discard the dead flies. 

Precautions:

Make sure not to spray the alcohol into your eyes or nose, as it can cause irritation. 

7. Homemade Fruit Flies Repellent Spray

Several plants have been associated with repelling fruit flies, one of the most common ones being basil. Peppermint is another popular one.

While you can simply plant a few peppermint or basil plants in your house, it may not be sufficient to keep them out of your home. This is why you can make a homemade repellent spray, which will drive away these pesky flies. 

Required Material:

• Peppermint or Basil essential oil
• Witch hazel
• Water 
• Spray bottle

Step by Step Process:

• Mix ½ cup of water with ½ cup of witch hazel. Pour this mixture into your spray bottle. 
• Add 20 to 30 drops of basil or peppermint essential oil into the mixture. 
• Shake it well before use. Spray the mixture on your kitchen counter, near your garbage bin, on your food storage, and anywhere else that may be frequented by fruit flies. The smell is quite pleasant and it will also keep away fruit flies. 

Precautions:

Always wash your fruits and vegetables before using them, since the spray can leave a residue on them if sprayed directly onto them. 

8. Milk and Sugar trap

Milk is just as attractive to fruit flies as fruits. To make it even more attractive, sugar can be added to the milk. And as for the trap, it’s simply a matter of adding a few drops of soap. This will allow the flies to drown in the milk instead of being able to fly off. 

Required Material: 

• Milk 
• Sugar 
• Dish soap
• Large dish 

Step by Step Process: 

• Take about ½ cup of milk. Add two teaspoons of sugar into it. Heat up the mixture until the sugar dissolves and then let it cool. 
• Add a few drops (about one teaspoon) of liquid dish soap into the milk and mix well. 
• Place this mixture in a large dish and place it in an area where the most fruit flies are seen. 
• Soon you’ll start to see that the fruit flies are getting stuck to the milk and unable to escape. Once you have caught enough fruit flies, you can discard the liquid along with the flies. 
• Repeat the process if necessary. 

Precautions: 

Do not leave this mixture out in an area where pets or children can find it. If ingested, it can cause stomach problems. 

5 Natural Ways to Prevent Fruit Flies

1. Reposition your garbage can

Your garbage can is probably one of the main sources of fruit flies. You may be unaware of their existence until you open up the garbage bin and discover a swarm of flies inside.

The rotting food inside garbage bins is a perfect breeding ground for these flies. To avoid the flies from entering your house, you can reposition your garbage cans to an area that is further away from any entrances to your home.

If that is not possible, then always make sure to use a covered bin, which will not allow any flies to enter or leave the garbage bin. 

2. Plant repellent plants in your home

Plants such as basil and mint are natural repellents to fruit flies. Not only can you plant them inside your house in pots, but they also double as kitchen condiments.

Simply put a few mint or mint plants in your kitchen or anywhere else that may have a fruit fly problem, and within no time, you can see that the fruit flies will be gone. 

3. Remove any rotten fruits or vegetables from your house

Rotten or over-ripe fruits, such as bananas, lemons, oranges, apples, etc, attract fruit flies. To avoid this, remove any rotten or inedible fruits from your home immediately.

If you see that a ripe fruit or vegetable is gathering fruit flies around it, you can seal it in a ziplock bag to store it. This will help you avoid fruit flies sitting on it. 

4. Store fruits and vegetables in a closed area

As the name suggests, fruit flies love fruits. They also love vegetables.

To avoid cross-contamination from fruit flies, always make sure to store them in a proper closed area in your house. This will make sure that there is no attractive smell for the fruit flies. 

5. Clean your house and garden

Scraps of food, rotten fruits, or even decomposing leaves can attract fruit flies to your house.

To make sure that your house doesn’t become an attraction to these flies, clean your house and garden regularly and remove any decomposing fruits, leaves or anything else you may find.

If you have a compost pit, make sure to cover it well and keep it in an area away from your house. 

Top 5 Natural Fruit Fly Repellents Available Online

If you are looking for readily available natural repellents to get rid of fruit flies, check below listed 5 best Natural/Organic Repellents.

Final Words:

Fruit flies are certainly an annoyance, but they can also pose a health risk. This is why it is very important to get rid of them as soon as possible.

It could be incredibly difficult to get rid of them since they are very small and agile, which is why traps are the most common and popular way to get rid of them.

Once you learn the proper techniques to trap them, it becomes quite easy to get rid of them from your house immediately.

So do not worry at all, simply follow our natural ways to get rid of fruit flies and you will soon successfully be able to get rid of these nasty flies.