How to Kill Fruit Flies in Your House

A vinegar trap can trap and kill fruit flies.

Fruit flies can present a challenge. Once they show up in your home, they reproduce rapidly and can be tricky to eradicate. Cleanliness is key -- along with a baited trap to gradually address the infestation.

Things You'll Need

• Baking soda
• Vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Cider vinegar
• Liter bottle
• Dishwashing liquid
• Coffee filter
• Double-sided tape

Instructions

1. Clean your sink drain, especially if you have a garbage disposal. Pour 2 tablespoons of baking soda down the drain, a quarter cup of vinegar or lemon juice and several cups of boiling water. Keep dirty dishes out of the sink to withhold moisture and rotting food from the fruit flies.

2. Place 2 cups of red wine or cider vinegar in an empty liter bottle. Add 3 tablespoons of dishwashing liquid and 3 tablespoons of warm water. Swirl the mixture to blend it.

3. Shape a paper coffee filter into a funnel and stick it in the top of the soda bottle. Line the inside of the paper filter with double-sided tape to snag fruit flies that try to escape after getting into the bottle.

4. Poke a few tiny holes in the bottom of the funnel, roughly 1/8-inch across, to allow fruit flies to get in but too small for them to find their way out.

5. Place the soda bottle in the kitchen near where the fruit flies like to congregate.

Tips & Warnings

• You can modify the trap by using a jar or other bottles.

References

• The University of Kentucky College of Agriculture; Fruit Flies; Michael F. Potter; January 1994