A moment ago there was a ripe banana in the fruit bowl, and now a small cloud is buzzing above the worktop: fruit flies – also known as vinegar flies – multiply at lightning speed. If you want to get rid of them, you need to do two things: eliminate their breeding sites and catch the adult flies. Here you'll find out where fruit flies come from, how to get rid of them step by step and how to stop them coming back.
Contents
- Identifying fruit flies
- Where do fruit flies come from?
- Getting rid of fruit flies in 5 steps
- Making your own fruit fly trap
- Preventing fruit flies
- Are fruit flies dangerous?
Identifying fruit flies
Fruit flies (Drosophilidae) are only about 2 to 4 millimetres long, light to dark brown with yellowish markings, and have strikingly red eyes. You'll find them wherever there's a smell of ripe or fermenting fruit: around the fruit bowl, the food waste bin, open wine or juice bottles and the sink.
They are often confused with two other small flies:
- Fungus gnats are black-grey, slimmer and sit mainly on the potting soil of houseplants. You can read what helps in that case in our guide Getting rid of fungus gnats.
- Drain flies look like tiny, furry moths and sit on the tiles in bathrooms and kitchens. They develop in the drain – what helps most there is thoroughly cleaning the drain and U-bend.
Where do fruit flies come from?
You bring most fruit flies home yourself without noticing: their tiny eggs are often already stuck to the fruit and vegetables you buy. On top of that, in summer and autumn many flies come in through open windows – attracted by the smell of ripe fruit.
The tricky part is how enormously they multiply. According to the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), a female lays up to 400 eggs, preferably on overripe fruit, fruit leftovers or in the food waste bin. At temperatures of around 25 °C, it takes only about ten days for the next generation to lay eggs itself. This way, a few flies quickly turn into a great many.
Particularly popular breeding sites are:
- overripe bananas, tomatoes, grapes and cut fruit
- food waste and compost caddies
- empty, unrinsed wine, beer and juice bottles
- leftover juice in glasses and damp dishcloths with food residue
Getting rid of fruit flies: 5 steps to a fly-free kitchen
1. Remove breeding sites immediately
No breeding site, no new flies. Throw away overripe and cut fruit, empty the food waste bin – the German Environment Agency recommends emptying compost caddies every day – and rinse the container out with hot water. Rinse out empty bottles and wipe down worktops, the fruit bowl and the sink thoroughly.
2. Store fruit correctly
As long as fruit flies are around, fruit belongs in the fridge or under a cover – this is also what the German Environment Agency advises. Wash fruit after buying it and store particularly susceptible varieties such as bananas separately. It's best to keep food in closed containers.
3. Set up a fruit fly trap
To quickly get rid of the flies that are already there, you need a trap with an attractant. The Ollie Fruit Fly Trap with Adhesive Catcher contains a ready-to-use liquid bait with a scent blend that imitates ripe fruit. The fruit flies follow the scent into the trap. The adhesive catcher, which you can attach to the bottle, also catches insects as they fly in.
- Shake the bottle, remove the lid, set up the trap – done, no mixing needed.
- Works for up to 4 weeks, after which you replace it.
- Three ways to set it up: free-standing, on the bin or on the wall with the adhesive pad.
Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.
4. Place traps in the right spots
Set up the trap where most of the flies are – usually next to the fruit bowl and by the food waste bin. In larger kitchens or with a heavy infestation, a second trap near the sink is worthwhile. For this, the Ollie Fruit Fly Trap is available as a Set of 2 and a Set of 4. Place the trap out of the reach of children and pets; with the adhesive pad, it can also be attached higher up on the wall.
5. Stay consistent for one to two weeks
Because flies still hatch from eggs that have already been laid, a few stragglers often appear after the initial success. So leave the trap in place and keep fruit and waste consistently under control for at least one to two weeks. After that, the problem is usually over.
Making your own fruit fly trap: how the vinegar trap works
In an emergency, you can quickly make a simple trap from household items:
- Fill a small glass about a third full with apple cider vinegar or a mixture of vinegar and fruit juice.
- Add a drop of washing-up liquid. It reduces the surface tension so that the flies can't land on the liquid but sink instead.
- Place the glass next to the fruit bowl. If you like, cover it with cling film and poke small holes in it.
The vinegar trap works, but has its drawbacks: the mixture has to be renewed every few days, smells distinctly of vinegar and – especially with juice – can accidentally be mistaken for a drink.
| Homemade vinegar trap | Ollie Fruit Fly Trap | |
|---|---|---|
| Preparation | mix and fill | lid off, set up |
| Duration of use | a few days | up to 4 weeks |
| Adhesive catcher | no | yes, also catches insects as they fly in |
| Set-up | free-standing only | free-standing, on the bin or on the wall |
Preventing fruit flies: checklist for your kitchen
- Store fruit in the fridge or under a cover in summer and autumn
- Empty food waste every day and regularly rinse the container out with hot water
- Rinse out empty bottles and glasses straight away
- Wash knives, chopping boards and plates straight after cutting fruit
- Fit fly screens to kitchen windows
- Set up a trap as soon as you see the first flies, before they multiply
Are fruit flies dangerous?
In terms of health, fruit flies are considered harmless. According to the German Environment Agency, eating fruit that fruit flies have sat on is generally not expected to cause any problems in private households. They're still unappetising, though – and they can transfer yeasts and bacteria, which makes fruit spoil faster.
Conclusion
Getting rid of fruit flies isn't rocket science: remove breeding sites, refrigerate or cover fruit and catch the existing flies with a trap. If you stick to these three things consistently for one to two weeks, you'll soon have your kitchen to yourself again.
View Ollie Fruit Fly Trap with Adhesive Catcher · All products against fruit flies
Sources: German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt) – vinegar fly, German consumer advice centre (Verbraucherzentrale) – fruit flies