Fruit Fly Control: How To Get Rid of Fruit Flies

This page is a general fruit fly control guide. Using the products and methods suggested, you will get control of fruit flies. Follow this guide and use the recommended products; we guarantee 100% control of fruit flies.

Fruit flies are a common household nuisance, especially in kitchens and other areas where food is stored. As their name shows, fruit flies infest rotten or fermented fruits and vegetables. However, aside from fruit, fruit flies also like to hang around drains, garbage disposals, trash cans, or wherever there is food or filth.

Fruit Flies can be relatively complex to get rid of once they have entered your home and can potentially spoil foods more quickly by laying eggs on the item. No matter the case, fruit flies like to make themselves home in any kitchen and will not promptly leave as much as we would like them to.

If you have a fruit fly infestation in your home, our DIY guide will present you with expert advice and pesticide options proven to eliminate them with our easy-to-follow techniques.

Identification

Before you can proceed with treatment, you need to make sure you're dealing with Fruit Flies.

• The fruit fly is typically smaller than the house fly, spanning about a 1/8 of an inch in length including the wings. The most distinguishing feature of the Fruit Fly has to be its bright and bugged out red eyes.
• Another feature that makes the fly stand out is its tan thorax. Their abdomen is gray underneath and black on top. To the naked eye, fruit flies appear brown or tan. Fruit flies are active all year but are abundant in the summertime, where they fly around and feed on ripened fruits and vegetables.

Use the image and description above to help you correctly identify the fruit fly. If you are unsure, contact us, and we will try to assist you with correct identification.

Inspection

Once you have identified fruit flies, proceed to an inspection. You need to know the areas where fruit flies congregate or the decomposing materials attracting them. During the inspection, you will focus on finding these problem areas around the home where fruit flies are more commonly seen.

Where To Inspect

Like all living things, fruit flies need food to survive. Our homes and businesses offer them the decomposing materials they need to feed and breed, whether rotten or spoiled fruits, clogged drains, or garbage cans that haven't been taken out.

Search inside your home or structure, focusing on the kitchen and bathroom areas. Look around garbage cans, sinks, floor drains, and garbage disposals.

What To Look For

You're looking for fruit flies and their breeding grounds. This means looking for rotten fruits and decomposing materials in the abovementioned places. Inspect every drain in your structure and look for leftover spills or trash at the bottom of garbage cans. Once you have identified decomposing materials or areas where fruit flies are emerging from or visiting, this is where you will apply the treatment.

Treatment

Once you have confirmed fruit fly activity, it is time to begin treatment. Remember to read all product labels, follow the application instructions on these labels, and stay safe by wearing personal protective equipment (PPE).

Our top recommendations for fruit fly control are a combination of good sanitation measures, treating drains with Forid Drain Gel Cleaner, setting up Natural Catch Fruit Fly Traps to capture Fruit Flies, and Pyrid Aerosol to knock down any lingering flies still around after cleanup.

Step 1: Sanitize Your Home

Fruit flies are usually around because they are a source of filth or food that attracts them. You can do this with preliminary home sanitation to keep the place clean and eliminate the attractive filth source. In most cases, fruit flies will leave after the place is clean.

Wipe down countertops and remove the trash in a sealed outdoor bin or dumpster. Ensure no rotting or spills are at the bottom of your garbage can.

Get rid of any rotten or uneaten fruits or vegetables. Seal all food goods in plastic containers. Clean up after your pets, and empty litter boxes if you have them. Vacuum and mop the whole house.

Step 2: Treat Drains with Forid Drain Gel Cleaner

Forid Drain Gel Cleaner is a concentrated microbial degreasing product that quickly breaks down organic waste that builds up in drains, sinks, and garbage disposals. This eliminated the fruit flies food source and breeding site.

Apply Forid using 4 oz. per drain. Pour the Forid around the lip of the drain so that it coats and runs down the sides of the drain. Repeat the process daily for 5 to 7 days.

Now you're ready to apply products. You will use Forid, Natural Catch Fruit Fly Traps, and Pyrid. Natural Catch Fruit Fly Traps is a liquid trap that attracts fruit flies and kills them by trapping them inside the trap. Pyrid will be used as a contact and space spray to knock down fruit flies quickly.

Step 3: Set up Natural Catch Fruit Fly Traps

Natural Catch Fruit Fly Traps are ready-to-use traps filled with a vinegar-based liquid attractant. The top has 4 vent holes, which give fruit flies access to the attractant and prevent them from flying back out and escaping.

Simply pierce the 4 holes on the lid to expose the attractant and place it around areas where fruit flies have been frequently visiting. Depending on the level of infestation and the size of your rooms, you may need to set up multiple traps to catch fruit flies. Make sure to put them far away from pets and children's reach, as the trap is a liquid that may spill.

Replace Natural Catch Fruit Fly Traps once the product has been filled with fruit flies or when 30 days have passed after the first application.

Step 4: Spray Pyrid Aerosol

Finally, Pyrid Aerosol can be used as a space spray to kill any remaining fruit flies. Pyrid is a pyrethrin-based aerosol insecticide designed for quick contact kills of many pests, including Fruit Flies.

To use as a space spray, apply at the rate of 1 to 3 seconds per 1,000 cubic feet.

For contact spraying, apply directly to where fruit flies are flying, providing a quick knockdown of Fruit Flies. Ensure that pets and people are vacant from the rooms where the product is applied.

Do not allow anyone (or pets) to enter areas sprayed until 15 minutes have passed and the room has been ventilated.

If you apply Pyrid Aerosol in your kitchen, make sure no food serving items (plates, bowls, pots, etc.) or eating utensils are exposed. After applying, wipe all countertops and food serving surfaces clean.

Prevention

After you have driven fruit flies out of your home through treatment, it's important to put in place preventative measures so they do not return.

• Start by maintaining a regular cleaning schedule. Take out the trash daily, vacuum and mop your whole home regularly, and wipe countertops clean.
• Pick up any spills or crumbs that develop, and do not let them sit for hours.
• Get rid of decaying or rotting fruits, and do not let them sit in your kitchen or property for a while.
• Finally, if your drains start to clog again, use Forid to remove any decomposing material that might be blocking them.

Key Takeaways

What are Fruit Flies?

• Fruit flies are attracted to filthy and rotting fruits, and they can arrive in large numbers if there is organic matter around for them to feed and breed on.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

• We recommend getting rid of fruit flies with a combination of Natural Catch Fruit Fly Traps, Pyrid Aerosol, and Forid Drain Gel Cleaner.

Prevent Fruit Flies Reinfestation

• Keep fruit flies away with a regular cleaning routine that includes wiping down spills, taking out the trash, and getting rid of decomposing food and material.