I have a problem.
Over the past few days, my kitchen house has been invaded…
By fruit flies.
And not just a couple here and there…a LOT of freakin’ fruit flies.
I’ve resorted to putting all of my fresh fruit in the fridge, with the exception of my bananas; they’re keeping their counter status with the help of some Clearly Fresh Bags that I was sent a while back. So far, the bags are working very well.
The swarms of fruit flies, however, are going nowhere. Except, of course, in my face.
Normally, my apple cider vinegar trap does the trick. I just place the vinegar in a small cup, cover it with plastic wrap, and poke some holes in the top with a toothpick.
But over the course of three days, I’ve trapped three fruit flies.
THREE.
Thanks to a tip from my dear friend Heather, I also tried doing the same sort of trap, but with a banana slice inside.
So far, nada.
The only other trap I could come up with is the sticky fly trap that I can remember my dad hanging in our garage all while I was growing up.
Call me crazy, but I’m not quite sure that I want these beauties hanging from my kitchen ceiling…
So I’m begging. If you have ANY tips for how to get rid of these darn little things, please send ‘em my way. I’m going nuts!
*****
Dinner
Have I ever mentioned how much I love leftovers? Especially when it’s too hot to turn an oven on.
Tonight, Jay enjoyed some of last night’s leftover steak while I finished off the rest of Monday’s Chicken Taco innards. I also added a dollop of plain Chobani + salsa to tonight’s leftovers which made it even more delicious.
On the side, I also had a piece of toast with a little light butter.
I’m hoping tonight’s meal will do a good job of keeping me fueled without feeling too full for my softball game.
Yes, lucky me has a softball game tonight in this sweltering heat. I’m trying not to complain though, especially since Jay is playing two games tonight. It could always be worse, right?
*Just a Reminder: There’s only 1 more day left to enter my SOYJOY Daycation Giveaway…and now there’s TWO kits to be given away!
Question for the Evening:
How do I get rid of these darn fruit flies??? Please tell me I’m not the only one dealing with the invasion!
Karen says
We have then too!! So annoying….
Kathryn says
I used to leave a glass of beer or wine on the counter for a few days. Usually helps for me. Otherwise get rid of whatever was causing them and just wait.
Lisa @ Sunny Seed Stories says
You should buy this buy spray at Target, the name of which I can’t recall right now. Basically, you set it down in the middle of the room you need to debug, press a button, and it shoots bug spray throughout the room. (Also, you need to leave the house for a few hours.) It worked really well in my kitchen last year. Sorry I can’t think of the name.
Jen M. says
those are bug bombs! they work best if you do your entire house (like one bottle for every couple of rooms, spread out, put away all food/etc.) because otherwise it tends to just chase the bugs to another corner of your home…
Lisa @ Sunny Seed Stories says
Yes, bug bombs! For me, the bugs were concentrated in my kitchen and a bathroom, and doing those rooms did just fine, but I was in an apartment, not house, so you might want to take Jen’s advice.
Alyssa says
omg they are the worst!! We had a ton of them at my house recently too – best way to get rid of them is with an empty bottle! We used an empty 2L soda bottle and cut all the way around it, right above the label. Then we poured apple cider vinegar in the bottom, and inverted the top part of the bottle into the bottom part! Once they get in there they can’t find their way out! It works SO well!
Kristen @ notsodomesticated says
Bummer! I have no suggestions, only sympathy! We sometimes get these weird rolly-polly bugs in the summer. But we only get a couple a week… not too bad. The fruit flies would drive me crazy!!!
Vanessa @ Sweaty in Pink says
So unfortunate there is not an inconspicuous way to get rid of fruit flies, like an ant-trap or something. I wish I could offer some advice, but the only thing that I’ve heard of that works are those strips — which are total eyesores!
Emily @ Perfection Isn't Happy says
We have fruit flies too! Every time I’m eating fruits or vegetables, they seem to swarm right to my food. It’s gross. We usually take all of the food off the counter, and they’ll eventually go away.
Ebru says
Just 2 weeks ago I had the same problem and I thought I was losing my mind! I stuffed everything in my fridge and even some things in the microwave just to keep everything out of sight. They wouldn’t leave! “My” flies would gather around my kitchen sink area and would drive me crazy so after an extensive Google search, I decided to take some people’s advice of pouring bleach down all the drains including the bathroom sink just in case. Guess what? I left the sinks like that overnight and in the morning…voila! Not a single one! Now I am not sure if it’s environmentally safe to pour bleach down the drain but at that point nothing was more important than my mental health so I just went ahead with it! If you do try it, I hope it works for you as well. They can be so annoying!
Erica @ For the Sake of Cake says
Ah I wish I had a good tip for you; that’s got to be really annoying! :(
I <3 leftovers, too! Who doesn't, actually?!
Corey @ Family Fresh Meals says
Yes.. I have heard of Alyssa’s idea working great! My college roommate actually had to breed fruit flies for one of her pre med classes. UGH! Those suckers ended up getting EVERYWHERE. I now have a deep hate for fruit flies…. a deep deep hate :) good luck!
Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles says
I hear ya on not wanting to turn on the oven when it’s hot outside – no bueno!
Julie H. of Spinach and Sprinkles says
I hate fruit flies!!! They get in your face and seem to land on things you can’t swat them on… AHhhhhh, they drive me insane, veeeerrry slowly; which is the worst part!
Gina @ running to the kitchen says
I could use some tips on this as well I have a ton of fruit in the house bc it’s prime fruit season of course! But, there are a ton of fruit flies now too and they are just gross!
Sarah R says
I’ve always done cider vinegar in a dish with a drop of soap. The soap breaks the surface tension so the flies drop right into the vinegar when they land on it.
Jen M. says
Ya, this is what I’ve done too…
Kristen says
I agree about the dish soap! I usually put a teaspoon or so of dish soap in a small tupperware and then about the same amount of cider vinegar and just sit it on the countertop by where I see them the most. I came home from work the other day to 18 fruit flies in it… YUCK! I resorted to not buying bananas :( because I don’t eat them fast enough to deal with the fruit flies, and bananas kept in the refrigerator seriously gross me out. I need to try those bags!
Brittany says
Yes ma’am, I mix soap and ACV. Works every time. I usually mix it up to make some bubbles. I don’t know if the bubbles make a difference, but it’s worth a shot to get rid of them!
Nicole says
Having the same problem!! No idea why!! Sorry I dont have any suggestions..but thanks for yours! I’m going to try the apple cider…very annoying!
Gloria says
Fruit flies are the weirdest things because we had a huge problem with them at my apartment in Worcester, MA, and at a restaurant I worked at there as well. But, at my family’s house in Connecticut, we have never had any problem with them (knock on wood), even with bananas laying out all the time.
At my old apartment, we tried putting a banana peel in a zip lock bag with small holes in it. That actually worked pretty well. The only thing that really helped though was buying insect spray (Raid) and spraying that in the kitchen. Another thing that helped after that was wrapping all fruit/vegetable scraps (like peels, seeds, and cores) in plastic bags before throwing them out in our garbage.
Good luck!
Shelley says
Do the apple cider vinegar trap, but put a couple of drops of dish soap in with it. It’ll kill them and i think it also lures more flies in. Try that out :)
Girl in the pink says
Ughh I wish I could help you! I have the sane prob!
Mary @ Bites and Bliss says
Gah, I had the EXACT same problem for the past few weeks!! I tried everything and couldn’t get rid of the dang things. I’m really hoping scrubbing my kitchen totally clean, emptying it of any open food whatsoever, then leaving for three weeks will help. Or I’ll come home and my entire house will be infested..but fingers crossed.
colleen laquay urbaniuk @ thegiftofmondays says
definitely try the vinegar with dish soap…it works great!!! i put about half apple cider vinegar into one of those plastic containers that you were using in the pics and then add a couple of squirts of dish soap (any kind) and do not stir!!! i do this in the morning and then again at night (with a new batch of brew). sometimes it takes 2 days of doing this to get rid of them but then suddenly, they are gone!!!
Laura says
Fill a glass with white wine then put a little drop of dish soap in it. Works like a charm for me! Hope it helps!
alyssa - fashion fitness foodie says
Try red wine vinegar instead!
Colleen @ Jimmy Choos on the Treadmill says
Ew! Fruit flies are the worst! Wish I had some tips for you!
Sherri says
Definitely try setting out a small glass of wine with a drop of dish soap. It works!
Emily says
Are you sure they’re fruit flies? I thought I had the same problem in my apartment, but it turns out there are similar flies that come from overwatering house plants. If you have a lot of plants in the house, water them less than you usually do for a couple of weeks and they should go away.
Jen M. says
Yes! I’ve had this happen with plants too — the eggs are sometimes in the soil and then the heat + moisture from too-frequent watering causes them to hatch or something. You can also put a couple drops of dish soap into the water you use to water your plants and it helps to kill little bugs…
Gabriella @ Loosedirections says
We always vacuum them right out of the air. Works like a charm
Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean says
oh man, what a pain! those little guys are SO annoying!
Jessamy @ The Rambling Asian says
I have filled a shot glass or three with vinegar and soap. Normally does the trick :)
Sarah @ Food and Love Diaries says
Booo fruit flies are the worst! That dinner looks pretty tasty though.. not enough to distract from the flies i’m sure :(
Julie K. says
I use an empty sports drink bottle or Vitamin Water bottle, drill 5 or 6 holes in the lid and fill the bottle half full of plain old vinegar and it seems to do the trick!
Carey @ Positively Blonde says
My roommates and I had the worst fruit fly problem in college. We used every at home remedy to try to get rid of those little pests, and finally discovered a winner- dishwashing soap and apple cider vinegar. Mixx them in a cup and leave it uncovered. Good luck!
Kelsey says
A glass of white wine! We just put it on an open counter top (ours is right near the sink) there were 10 floating the next morning and now there practically all gone and its only been 3 days!!
Pure2raw twins says
oh no hate fruit flies, I normally do apple cider with a little dish soap in a bowl and it takes some but eventually they make it in the bowl
Cute~Ella says
spray down all surfaces that might have any traces of food on them with windex.
run hot hot hot water down the drains for about 5 min and then pour bleach in the drain (I like lemon scented) and let it sit for like 10 min or so and then another round of hot hot hot water.
I’m having the same problem too and have my dish out, but the drain thing helped A LOT
Halley (Blunder Construction) says
You are definitely not alone. I’ve also tried pouring some red wine into just a dish and leaving it out, I’ve caught many that way.
Also, I’m sure you’ve done this, but on a particularly bad day, I wipe down all the surfaces around the sink/where the hang out. Walls, cabinets, counters, even the tops of counters get a quick wipe.
Elizabeth says
The glass of red wine works for me! they are disgusting!
Regan says
Last year when we bought our house…the previous owners left a apple pie from McDonald’s in the cupboard…and along with it…ton’s of fruitflies….I was furious…….so we researched…and made our own little recipe….. we added anything and everything…in the traps like you’ve made…I’d suggest adding WINE….pork and bean sauce/juice….simple syrup…..good luck….and patience…. hope your free of then soon!…p.s. I Love your blog!! :) RLA
Jen @familyfoodfitnessandfun says
When I had that problem, I would make the same trap, but with wine! Those little buggers really seemed to like wine :)
Alyssa @ Life of bLyss says
I had the same problem in college! I used to pour wine into a bowl and poke the holes as a trap… try some sweet red! ;)
Lee @ in the pink of condition says
I feel your pain! At least you aren’t in NYC though. We get EVERYTHING! Ants, mice, roaches, flies, waterbugs, you name it. I’m not even phased by anything anymore. No matter how clean your home is, you’re gonna get infested!
TheBloggersBrother says
I know if you put like 6 pennies in a bag of water it keeps bugs out of dog food, not sure if it would work with fruit flies? worth a shot..
Kate says
I put balsamic vinegar in a little bowl with a couple drops of dish soap. Shake it up so the dish soap makes bubbles on the top. The little gaffers smell the vinegar but get stuck in the bubbles!
Laura says
i’ve had a few fruit flies before but nothing extreme, poor thing!
oh & your dinner looks delicious!
Aine @ Something to Chew Over says
I’ve never had them before, sorry I can’t help!
Brittany @ Itty Bits of Balance says
There’s been a fruit fly invasion occurring in my house over the past 3 months! I would just try to keep the doors and windows closed as much as possible and swat them whenever you see them so they don’t multiply
jacqueline says
Pour a little bleach down every drain in your house at night and then cover them, in the morning they should be gone!
Michelle Binkley says
Get a jar (I’ve used mason jars in the past) and cut a paper cone to slide into the top. Make sure the opening of the bottom of the cone is very small. Place part of a banana peel in the jar. Tape the cone to the jar. The flies will go in to get to the banana, but will be unable to fly out. Be prepared, though, the first time I did this I was totally grossed out by how many fruit flies were trapped in there! Here’s a link to a picture of the “trap” I found online.
http://littlejungfarm.blogspot.com/2010/08/fruit-fly-trap-cheap-and-chemical-free.html
Hope this helps!
Katy says
I had this problem a few years back! Mine would always concentrate near my kitchen sink. I did the apple cider vinegar thing and it didn’t fix the problem. For me, I could *always* see them all over the kitchen and near the sink. So, in a fit of rage (which ended up working quite well!), I grabbed the vacuum, attached the hose, and sucked up those damn little flies!
Worth a shot ;)
Brittany says
Don’t they always say you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar… ;)
Steph @321delish says
I had fruit flies like whoa last summer, and I went to the hardware store and bought this little thing that was shaped like a tiny apple, filled with some kind of chemical, with one way in and no way out for the bugs. It was similar to the vinegar in a cup idea, but whatever was in it worked WAY better than the vinegar (I tried it too). I just don’t remember what it was called…
sarah says
We have ’em too! UGH! they are a very unnecessary part of creation (along with a ton of other critters). I do something that’s a little wierd, but hey it works for me. When i see one, i just make a really scary face with my mouth open wide and eyes bulge. The Catch- YOU CANT BRUSH YOUR TEETH YET SO DO IT IN THE MORNING. Your breath HAS TO STINK. Then the little flies do what anyone else in that situation would do- they fall over.
Courtney says
LOL!!!!!! :-D
Maria@La_Piattini says
We have them too! So annoying! I need to read through your comments to get some suggestions for my house ;)
Melissa says
Fly paper–icky, yes. But it’s the only thing that really gets rid of them. And fast. Just do it!
Taylor says
We just had the same problem – A secret that we found was spraying them with Windex!! You may feel insane carrying around the bottle with you lol, but spray them at the little pests and they are instantly down for the count :)
Heidi R says
The wine works! We had a HUGE problem with fruit flies the past 2 summers and strangely enough, we live in Worcester, MA too like one of the previous commenters mentioned-maybe it’s a Worcester thing! ;) I tried everything-nothing worked until I put some cheap wine (fruit flies like their wine fruity and cheap-think white zin) in a bowl, used a drop of dish soap to break the surface tension, and then covered the bowl with saran wrap with holes poked in it. Flies got in, but couldn’t get out-worked like a charm! (And I was horrified by how many flies we trapped. UGH!)
Lauren says
I have heard that orange juice with a bit of vinegar mixed together works well! Just in a little bowl with plastic wrap and little holes poked in it.