Kitchen Tip: How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

"Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana." - Groucho Marx

Fruit flies thrive in the summer when the heat causes fruit and vegetables to ripen and spoil quickly on the counter. Below are some of the best ways to quickly get rid of fruit flies.

1. Store onions and shallots in the refrigerator. The natural sugars and powerful scent of the onion is like a sweet siren song for fruit flies. Potatoes and onions can also be problematic; pop those in the fridge, too.

2. Once a week, empty out your fruit/vegetable baskets, and rinse and wipe them down with warm water and a little dish soap before filling them up again.

3. Check your fruit daily, and put any very-ripe fruits of fruits with gashes or soft bruises in the fridge. 

4. Make a homemade fruit fly trap by leaving a cup or wine glass filled with about 2 inches of red or white wine in it near the fruit basket. The flies will be drawn to the sweet smell, fly or crawl in, drown, and die a boozy death. You can also use vinegar with a slice of ripe/rotting banana or peach in it, but I honestly find that wine works best.

5. Keep a small fan in the kitchen (I have one on top of my fridge). If the flies start buzzing around (fruit flies or really any kind of winged flying creature), turn it on. Flies are very weak, and even the slightest breeze from a fan can knock them off course and send them away. This is also a great tip if you're trying to keep the larger flies from bothering you outdoors. Plug in a few fans and it'll keep the bugs away better than any citronella candle ever could. 

Bonus Tip: Remember that garbage cans, wet sponges, and damp mops can also be breeding grounds for fruit flies. Take out the trash regularly, spraying and wiping the can down about once a week. Swap out sponges regularly (or keep them clean and dry by washing them in the dishwasher along with your dishes and letting dry in the sung). Wring mops out well and let dry in the sun before storing. 

Click here for more fun kitchen tips. 

This has nothing to do with fruit flies. I just like it.