How To Get Rid Of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are attracted to ripening fruit and vegetables, so don’t leave fruit and vegetables in open containers for more than a day or two—or at all if they’re already overripe.

Wash any containers you use to store fruit or vegetables in the open every other day with soapy water to get rid of any fruit fly eggs.

Line all of your garbage containers with disposable plastic bags and dispose of the bags frequently.

Soda and beer cans attract fruit flies, so rinse empties well before you put them in your recycling bin—or close your bin with an airtight cover.

If you maintain a compost pile or bucket, keep it as far away from your house as possible.

If you notice flies around your houseplants, treat the soil with insecticidal soap or kill maggots by mixing in diatomaceous earth.

Squirt a drop of liquid soap and a quarter-cup of cider vinegar into your cup. Add water until the soapsuds reach the lip. Place the cup near the source of the flies, who will get trapped in the bubbles.

If that doesn’t work, leave out a small amount of red wine in a wide dish. Add a drop of liquid soap. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and poke holes in the cover. Change your trap every few days. Soon, no more hovering dots.