How to get rid of fruit flies in my drain

Pat11544256
by Pat11544256

Bug spray doesn't work.




  23 answers
  • TENITA DEAL TENITA DEAL on Oct 05, 2016
    We had the same problem here. We poured a large cup of clorox down the drain and poured wine in a glass on the counter (covered with saran wrap and punched small holes in it) We did the same thing with melon. The flies loved it. Neighbors tell me the only answer is the old fashioned "fly tape" that hangs. It' a disgusting thought, but I'm told it works.
  • Jean Insell Thomas Jean Insell Thomas on Oct 07, 2016
    I use bleach also but, I clean the sink thoroughly at night then pour about a cup of bleach down the drain and allow to sit all night. I understand the little pests breed in the traps and the bleach kills the whole nest. Works for me!
  • Shel Shel on Oct 06, 2016
    Cider vinegar 1/2 c with about 4 drops dish soap in small container near where fruit flys are. The will be attracted get in and die. Dump down sink and make new when needed. For your sink dump about 1/2 c baking soda followed by 1 c white vinegar down drain let sit 30-45 minutes rinse with hot water. This will help keep drains open and also freshen them. Should get rid of fruit flies also.
  • Cindy Carmichael Cindy Carmichael on Oct 06, 2016
    Are you sure they aren't drain flies? They live and breed in the deposits in the drain, along the wall. They are hard to get rid of from what I understand. If you can, get under the sink and remove the trap (bucket for water). Thoroughly clean the trap and drain pipe of the sludge. Replace the pipe using plumbers tape on the threads before assembling.
  • Sandy Sandy on Oct 06, 2016
    I add a drop or two of dish wash soap to vinegar...it coats them & they fall to the bottom of the cup. If you use hot water, make sure it is NOT boiling. Too hot water can loosen seals on pipes.
  • Kaye Hawthorne Kaye Hawthorne on Oct 07, 2016
    Pour some baking soda in each drain, then pour some vinegar in the drain. In a few seconds it will start a foaming/bubbling action...heat several pans of water....take steaming/boiling water pour into drain...this will remove any build up residue in the drain and it even helps prevent clogs. Hope it helps!
  • Cindy Hagemann Cindy Hagemann on May 25, 2018

    Pour some bleach with hot water running in the drain, then do it again every 2-3 days until they are gone. Their eggs will keep laying until you get them all.

  • Niki Burrows Niki Burrows on Aug 20, 2016

    I cleaned out the pipes several ways too. I used disposal foamy packets in the disposer. I put Baking soda in the other drain and followed it with vinegar and boiling water. Denture tablets and hot water to make them foam. And finally pure Clorox. I had the fruit flies for three solid years, year round. Have not had one since, but have not had any bananas either. May try some this winter and see what happens. In 45 years I never had a problem, but I redid my kitchen 3 years ago and the pipes under the sink got changed to PVC from metal - not sure if that made the difference. Good luck!

  • Heidy Heidy on Sep 07, 2015
    I couldn't believe it but ours were actually coming from our drains! Clorox every few days helped immensely! And scrubbing the garbage disposal with ice and lemons.
  • Kelly-n-Tony Kelly-n-Tony on Nov 19, 2018

    50/50 hot water and bleach down the drain! This works for me quite well. Boiling hot water is best. I've had to do this once this year and once last year.

  • DesertRose DesertRose on Nov 03, 2018

    Fruit flies live in your drains if you have all the fruit put away like in the fridge. I use Simple Green and spray ALL drains daily for a week. That means in all bathroom sinks and showers and tubs as well as any other sinks or drains besides the kitchen drains. After a week you should not see less, Continue daily the squirts in each drain until you do not see any fruit flies. Then spray weekly to keep them gone. I spray my kitchen sinks daily anyway. That is where it starts when they come in on produce you purchase or grow. It can be found in Walmart in concentrate in the auto/boat/camping area or in home improvement stores where they sell soap. I buy the concentrate (one part Simple Green to 8 parts water) but you can buy it in spray bottles too in home improvement stores. I keep a bottle in the kitchen and every bathroom.

  • Mary Mary on Nov 08, 2018

    They breed at night in sink drains. Just pour a circle of dawn in every sink drain in the house, including bathroom and shower before going to bed. One or two nights of this and they will be gone. My sister had them for months until I told her about this. She was glad it worked so fast. She thought it was odd that she had been seeing them in the bathrooms. Make sense now :)

  • Kathy Hord Kathy Hord on Nov 17, 2018

    A silly question... Are they in your Bathroom? The look like Fruit Flies ? If this is the case squirt some liquid dish deteregent into your tub/ shower drain. Pour very hot/boiling water into the drain. This will kill the bugs and their eggs. Also do this in your bathroom sink drain. You’d think water going down the drains would kill them. The soap and Very Hot water does the trick. Even if you don’t see them in another bathroom or wash room do the same process there also.

  • Peggy L Burnette Peggy L Burnette on Aug 11, 2019

    Hi Danka, sorry you have flies in your drain. Hope this will help you. How to Kill Fruit Flies in Drains. Some fruit flies make their home in areas where it's just not practical to place a trap. Examples include shower drains, bathroom sink drains, toilets, etc. To get rid of fruit flies in these areas, pour boiling water (or boiling white vinegar) down drains and toilets.

    How to Kill Fruit Flies and Get Rid of Them For Good

    https://housewifehowtos.com/clean/how-to-kill-fruit-flies-and-prevent-them-too/

  • Patti Nicholas Patti Nicholas on Aug 17, 2018

    1/2 cup course salt poured down the drain, 1/2 cup baking soda down the drain. Follow with one cup white vinegar and seal the drain tightly. When the fizzing stops pour 4-8 cups boiling water down the drain. This cleans any buildup in the drain and helps keep it clean and fresh.

  • Mogie Mogie on Apr 03, 2023

    Mix a half cup of salt, half cup of baking soda, and one cup of vinegar, and pour the mixture down the drain. You can follow that with boiling water a few hours later. But check to see if you have build up in the drain.

  • Pour boiling water down the drain a couple of times a week.

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Apr 16, 2023

    Start with washing your fruits and veges because there are eggs on them. Then refrigerate them except the bananas. Since the eggs are now in the drain, you'll need to kill them with the baking soda/vinegar combo, when it stops fizzing, run hot water to flush it all out. Then cover your drain. For the flying ones, take 1/2 of a sticky cardboard (used for catching mice), peel off the protecctive layer and place a piece of decaying fruit in the center of it, The airborne ones will land and stay stuck, use the other half if needed.

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Apr 17, 2023

    Fill a microwave-safe bowl with apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Microwave the bowl so the mixture becomes even more aromatic. Leave the bowl out uncovered as fruit fly bait. The soap will reduce the surface tension, causing any fruit fly that lands on the surface to drown. Now, if what you have might be drain flies...if that is what you have try this: Boil some water on the stove and pour down your drain several times a day for about a week or Mix 1/2 cup salt, 1/2 cup baking soda and 1 cup of vinegar and then pour the mixture down the drain, leaving it overnight. In the morning, pour boiling hot water down the drain.

    If a drain fly infestation lasts longer than 20 days despite different approaches to get rid of them, then it’s time to call a professional exterminator.

  • Mogie Mogie on Jun 02, 2023

    Another method is to pour some bleach down the drain. Put a stopper in place that night and the next morning they should be dead.

  • You can check out this in-depth guide on how to get rid of fruit flies for more homemade traps, repellents, and prevention ideas: https://www.hometalk.com/diy/outdoor/pest-repeller/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-44422215