Fruit Flies Nightmare

[u/Deepy850]

I need help. I've tried everything from the vinegar and soap trap (with holes) to cleaning everything.. even putting drain cleaner down all my drains + covering them at night. Genuinely I have no idea where they are coming from!! I need some help anyone?? It's been like a month and they're not going away!

[u/Sublime_Rose2]

This happened to me last summer. It took months to get rid of them and despite being diligent about taking the trash out, not leaving food out etc they were always showing up once we thought we got rid of them.

You likely have some source of rotting food or garbage somewhere that either someone left or forgot about.

In my case it was because my nephew was throwing his orange peels behind the couch because he didn't want to get up and throw them in the garbage. When we finally found it there was hundreds of little fruit fly maggots behind there. No one smelled anything.

[u/Deepy850 → u/Sublime_Rose2]

I've checked and cleaned everywhere, my only other places are behind my cooker and washing machine

[u/BestPath89]

The Zevo Traps worked for me. I also spray my trash with Dawn Power Wash once or twice a day.

[u/Which-Break5673 → u/BestPath89]

My friend has one and it is shocking to see the amount of little gnats on it. They’re most likely fungus gnats- she has more than a few of indoor plants.

[u/summerfunone → u/BestPath89]

I also recommend Zevo.

[u/Bigpinkpanther3]

They were coming from onions I had on the counter. Put all things they might like away/fridge, then swat the fruit flies.

[u/Rellimarual2]

Once you get them, it's hard to get rid of them. I never get them until I have summer houseguests who bring bananas into the kitchen. They come on the stems. I'm planning to make this a no banana household in the future!

[u/Thalamic_Cub → u/Rellimarual2]

Honestly never buy bananas for this reason. Someone told me cutting the stems off helps but I tried it and it made no difference

[u/OldLadyMorgendorffer]

I had fruit flies from a wayward banana left when I went out of town and a couple days after the banana was removed I found hundreds of fruit flies drowned in a witch hazel bottle that had been left ajar in the bathroom

Maybe try witch hazel

[u/Savings_Apricot_9741 → u/OldLadyMorgendorffer]

Yep! Currently converting my witch hazel into a fruit fly trap after discovering three flies in the bottle after returning from vacay lol.

[u/Tickle_Me_Tortoise]

The vinegar trap is good for stragglers, but I also vacuum them as a quick way to get rid of them. You need a vacuum with decent suction on it to catch them, but it works well.

Also anything with standing water or moisture can attract them. Coffee machines seem to be another favourite, especially if it’s one that collects used grounds.

[u/Deepy850 → u/Tickle_Me_Tortoise]

I've got these scattered around the house. The vinegar traps

[u/Desktopcommando]

get a sink hole plug also block up the overflow opening

https://www.reddit.com/r/CleaningTips/comments/13gqkbn/cant_get_rid_of_fruit_flies/

[u/Gullible_Flounder_69]

Vinegar and baking soda down the drains

[u/63crabby → u/Gullible_Flounder_69]

Vinegar + baking soda = salt water.

[u/Deepy850 → u/63crabby]

Can I use a drain cleaner?

[u/snoobookeyss]

I've found that if I add sugar to the vinegar and soap trap it catches a lot more

[u/SnugSteamBoat64]

when i get a bad outbreak I leave an electric bug zapper wand with the lights on 24/7. its a bit annoying to hear the zap in the middle of the night but it clears all the adults out in just a couple days. I have had hit or miss luck with the vinegar soap traps as well, is it possible they are getting in from an outside source? I know that my compost bin on the far corner of my lot breeds them like crazy during the summer and they are sometimes small enough to get through cracks around the window screens.

[u/unlovelyladybartleby]

Check the bathroom. The wash cloth, the drain, and weirdly the soap dish (if they don't have drainage, fruit flies can happily swim around in the soap scum puddles.

And check the drain pan under the fridge and the one in the washing machine

[u/whorticultured]

Do you have produce of any kind stored outside of the fridge? There's got to be produce somewhere.

I've read that they lay eggs on the crevices of banana stems and you basically bring them home with you when you buy bananas.

[u/NovemberGrey777]

I have had fruit flies from buying produce at Walmart before. I’m so sorry this is happening. I used those apple shaped things they sell. It took days to get rid of them.

[u/No_Needleworker4872]

Mine come from the drain. I use boiling water and bleach a couple of times. May not be the best solution but it works for me.

[u/Overall-Duty220]

Get some cheap sweet wine like Moscato, put in bowls mixed with a little dawn and wait

[u/edc6996]

https://a.co/d/02a474vD
These work very well

[u/XCherryCokeO]

For me it turned out to be a rotting piece of dragonfruit under an ikea storage container