How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Fast (2-Minute Trap That Actually Works)

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Quick Answer: Pour a little apple cider vinegar in a small bowl, add a drop of dish soap, cover with plastic wrap, poke a few tiny holes, and set it near the source.

Want an even faster fix? Use a pre-filled fruit fly trap and you’re done in 10 seconds.

Fruit flies show up when ripened fruit, sticky bottles, or a damp drain gives them a place to breed. The fastest DIY solution is the classic vinegar trap; the most effortless solution is a ready-made, pre-baited trap.

DIY Vinegar Trap (2 Minutes)

• What you need: Apple cider vinegar, a drop of dish soap, a small bowl or cup, plastic wrap, and a toothpick.
• How to set it: Add 1–2 tablespoons of vinegar to the bowl, put in a tiny drop of dish soap (breaks surface tension), cover tightly with plastic wrap, and poke 4–6 pin-size holes.
• Where to place it: Right next to the fruit bowl, trash can, recycling bin, or sink drain that’s drawing them.
• When to swap: Replace daily until you see zero new flies for 24–48 hours.

Fastest No-Mess Option

Skip the mixing and use a sealed, pre-baited trap. They start catching within minutes and keep working for days.

Recommended: Plug-and-Play Fruit Fly Fix

• Pre-Filled Fruit Fly Traps (4-pack) — Open, set, done. Works on counters and near sinks.
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• Sticky Trap Cards — Good backup around plants or bins to catch stragglers.
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• Enzyme Drain Cleaner — Knocks out eggs/organic gunk in sink overflows and disposal flaps.
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Stop the Comeback (Simple Prevention)

• Store ripe fruit in the fridge; rinse sticky bottles/cans before tossing.
• Empty the trash and wipe the lid lip; clean the recycling bin weekly.
• Flush kitchen drains with hot water, then use an enzyme cleaner at night.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long until fruit flies are gone?
Often 24–48 hours if you place a trap right at the source and clean up the attractant.

Vinegar vs. wine vs. juice?
Apple cider vinegar is the most reliable; wine can work too. The dish-soap drop matters.

Will bleach down the drain work?
It may kill some, but it doesn’t remove the gunk they breed in. Use an enzyme cleaner.

Fruit flies or drain flies?
Fruit flies hang around produce and counters; drain flies are fuzzy and hover over drains. Sticky cards + enzyme cleaner cover both.