How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies: A Guide

Key Insights: How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

• Source over symptoms: trapping the fruit flies you can see does little if the eggs and larvae underneath are still developing in a drain or a piece of produce.
• Sink flies aren't always fruit flies: drain flies are a separate species that breed in the exact same buildup, which is why the same cleanout fixes both.
• Gnats are usually a different pest entirely: true fungus gnats come from damp houseplant soil, not food waste, so kitchen cleaning alone won't solve them.
• Speed matters: a fruit fly can go from egg to breeding adult in as little as seven to ten days, so a problem left for even a couple of weeks can escalate fast.
• DIY usually works: a vinegar trap paired with removing the source clears most infestations within a week, and professional treatment is rarely needed unless the source is hidden.

In this guide, you'll read about:

1. How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies: Overview
2. How Do You Eliminate Fruit Flies? Get Rid of the Source
3. How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in a Kitchen
4. How to Get Rid of Sink Flies
5. How to Get Rid of Gnats: Gnats vs. Fruit Flies
6. When to Call a Pest Control Pro
7. Find a Pro on HomeStars
8. FAQs

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies: Overview

Fruit flies are the small, tan insects that show up around fruit bowls, garbage bins, and sinks, usually in warmer months. They are drawn to fermenting sugars, which means overripe produce, empty juice containers, and drain buildup are all fair game.

Getting rid of a fruit fly infestation comes down to two steps done together: removing whatever they are breeding in, and trapping the adults still flying around. Skipping the first step is the most common reason a fruit fly problem seems to come back a few days after it appeared to be solved.

Most home infestations clear up within a week once both steps are in place. If flies are still showing up after that, the source has not been fully addressed, which the sections below walk through by location.

How Do You Eliminate Fruit Flies? Get Rid of the Source

A fruit fly lives only a few days, but a female can lay dozens of eggs in that time directly into soft, fermenting material. Swatting the flies you see barely slows things down since the next generation is already developing somewhere out of sight.

Find Where They Are Breeding

Walk through the kitchen and check these spots, since fruit flies need very little material to establish themselves:

• Fruit bowls: any piece with a soft spot or broken skin.
• Garbage and recycling: especially containers that held anything sweet or fermented.
• Compost bins: indoor or countertop compost is one of the most common breeding sites, since it's a constant source of decaying material.
• Sink drains: the layer of gunk that builds up inside a drain over time.
• Cutting boards and counters: juice or produce residue left to sit.

Set a Trap While You Clean

A simple trap catches the adult flies while you deal with the source underneath.

1. Pour about half a cup of apple cider vinegar into a small jar or bowl.
2. Add a couple of drops of dish soap and stir gently.
3. Cover with plastic wrap and poke a few small holes in the top.
4. Set near the problem area and replace every one to two days.

The vinegar draws the flies in, and the dish soap breaks the surface tension so they cannot fly back out.

Clean and Remove the Source

Once the trap is set, clear out anything the flies could be breeding in: toss overripe produce, empty and rinse the garbage and recycling bins, and wipe down counters and cutting boards with soap and water. The exact steps differ depending on whether the problem is in the kitchen or the sink, covered next.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in a Kitchen

A kitchen infestation almost always starts with produce or waste sitting out longer than it should. The fix is mostly about storage and cleanup rather than treatment.

Storage Changes That Stop New Flies From Starting

• Fridge: move ripe fruit and vegetables into the fridge instead of leaving them on the counter.
• Bins: use a garbage can and recycling bin with a tight-fitting lid, and take both out before they sit for more than a day or two in warm weather.
• Recycling: clean cans, bottles, and containers before they go in recycling, since leftover juice or sugar is enough to attract flies.
• Pantry produce: check onions and potatoes regularly, since a soft one can breed flies just as easily as fruit.

Cleaning Steps for an Active Kitchen Infestation

1. Remove anything overripe or spoiled from the counter, fruit bowl, and pantry.
2. Wash the fruit bowl itself with soap and water, since eggs can be present on the surface.
3. Wipe down counters, backsplash, and the inside of cabinets near the problem area.
4. Take out garbage and recycling, then rinse both bins.
5. Set an apple cider vinegar trap near the area for a few days to catch any adults still around.

Most kitchen infestations resolve within a few days of this routine, provided nothing new is left sitting out in the meantime.

How to Get Rid of Sink Flies

If the flies are gathering around a sink rather than a fruit bowl, the source is almost always inside the drain itself, where organic buildup collects in a moist, undisturbed environment.

Confirm the Drain Is the Source

Cover the drain overnight with a piece of plastic wrap secured by a rubber band or tape, leaving a small gap. If flies are trapped against the underside by morning, the drain is breeding them.

Clean Out the Drain

• Boiling water: pour a full kettle down the drain once a day for three to four days. Skip this step if the pipes are PVC, since boiling water can warp plastic piping.
• Physical scrub: use a flexible drain brush or an old bottle brush to reach inside the drain, since buildup coats the pipe walls and boiling water alone will not remove it.
• Baking soda and vinegar: pour a half cup of baking soda down the drain followed by a cup of vinegar, let it sit for fifteen minutes, then flush with hot water.
• Enzyme cleaner: a bacterial or enzyme-based product, left in the drain overnight, breaks down the organic film that boiling water and scrubbing miss.

Fruit Flies or Drain Flies?

What's living in a sink drain is not always a fruit fly. Drain flies, also called moth flies, are a separate species with small, fuzzy, moth-shaped wings, compared to the smoother, tan body of a fruit fly. They breed in the same kind of drain buildup, so the cleanout steps above work for both, but drain flies tend to come back faster if any residue is left behind, since they need only a thin film of organic matter to keep breeding.

How to Get Rid of Gnats: Gnats vs. Fruit Flies

Many people searching for how to get rid of gnats are actually dealing with fruit flies or drain flies, since all three are small and easy to mix up at a glance. True gnats, specifically fungus gnats, come from a different source entirely: damp potting soil.

How to Tell Them Apart

Pest	Where It Breeds and How to Spot It
Fruit fly	Breeds in ripe or rotting produce and drains; tan or brown body with red eyes.
Drain fly	Breeds in drain buildup and damp pipes; fuzzy, grey, moth-shaped wings.
Fungus gnat	Breeds in wet potting soil in houseplants; dark, thin body with long legs, mosquito-like.

Getting Rid of Fungus Gnats

Since fungus gnats breed in soil rather than food waste, kitchen cleaning will not resolve them. The fix instead centres on the plant itself:

• Dry soil: let it dry out between waterings, since fungus gnat larvae cannot survive in dry conditions.
• Top dressing: add about half an inch of sand or fine gravel on top of the soil to stop adults from laying eggs at the surface.
• Sticky traps: set yellow sticky traps near affected plants to catch adults before they lay more eggs.
• Soil drench: for a heavier infestation, drench the soil with a diluted insecticidal soap or a product containing Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, often sold as BTI.

When to Call a Pest Control Pro

Most fruit fly, sink fly, and gnat problems clear up with the steps above. A pro is worth calling when:

• Duration: the infestation has lasted more than two to three weeks despite consistent cleaning and trapping.
• Recurrence: flies keep returning after the drain has been cleaned and the source appears to be gone.
• Hidden source: the breeding site seems to be inside a wall, under a floor, or somewhere else you cannot access directly.
• Multi-unit buildings: a neighbouring unit could be the actual source of the problem.

A pro can pinpoint a hidden breeding site with equipment and experience that go beyond what's available for a DIY approach, and can treat drains and pipe joints more thoroughly than a household cleanout.

Find pest control pros near you

Find a Pro on HomeStars

If the problem is not resolving on its own, you can find pest control pros near you on HomeStars who can inspect the property, confirm the source, and treat it directly. Describe what you're seeing and pros in your area will respond with their assessment and a quote.

Get matched with a pest control pro

FAQs: Common Questions About How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

How long does it take for a fruit fly to go from egg to adult?

A fruit fly can complete its full life cycle, from egg to breeding adult, in as little as seven to ten days under warm conditions. This is why a problem left unaddressed for even a week or two can go from a couple of flies to a noticeable swarm, and why cleaning the source matters more than trapping the flies you can currently see.

Will pouring bleach down the drain get rid of sink flies?

Bleach is not an effective fix for sink flies. It does not coat or penetrate the organic film along the pipe walls the way an enzyme cleaner or physical scrubbing does, so the larvae underneath the surface layer usually survive. Undiluted bleach can also damage certain pipe materials and is not a good long-term choice for regular drain maintenance.

Are store-bought fruit fly traps worth buying instead of a DIY vinegar trap?

Commercial traps and a homemade vinegar trap use the same basic principle: a scent lure paired with something that prevents the fly from escaping. Store-bought traps are often more discreet and can last longer without needing to be refreshed, but a DIY trap works just as well for most household infestations and costs next to nothing to set up.

How much does it cost to hire a pro for a fruit fly or gnat problem?

A standard insect treatment in Canada typically runs $150 to $350 per visit, according to HomeStars' exterminator cost guide, and fruit flies or gnats generally fall on the lower end of that range since they don't require the specialized equipment bed bugs or termites do. Inspection fees of $75 to $250 are common but often waived if you book treatment during the same visit.

Is a one-time treatment enough, or should I look into a maintenance plan?

For most homes, a single treatment paired with proper source removal is enough to resolve a fruit fly, drain fly, or gnat problem for good. A maintenance plan is worth considering if a home is near green space or water, or in a multi-unit building where pests can move between units, since these situations tend to see recurring pressure. HomeStars lists pros who offer annual plans, typically priced between $500 and $1,200 per year for ongoing coverage.