
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Naturally: Easy Solutions That Really Work
, by Tatianna Gerard, 12 min reading time
, by Tatianna Gerard, 12 min reading time
You’ve just cleaned the kitchen, only to spot tiny flies hovering around your fruit bowl, sink, or compost bin. Fruit flies are one of the most frustrating pests to deal with — not because they’re dangerous, but because they seem to appear out of nowhere and multiply almost overnight.
These tiny insects are especially common during the warmer months in Australia, where fresh produce, open windows, and indoor composting create the perfect breeding ground. And once they settle in, a fruit fly infestation can be surprisingly persistent.
With the right knowledge — and a few simple tools — you can get rid of fruit flies quickly and keep them from coming back.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through:
We’ll also answer common questions like: Do fruit flies bite? How long do they live? And what kind do I actually have in my home?
Let’s dive in and get those fruit flies out of your space — for good.
Fruit flies are small, fast-breeding insects that are drawn to fermenting or overripe fruit, food scraps, sugary spills, and even damp organic material like mop heads or compost. While there are many species of fruit fly, the ones you’re most likely to see buzzing around your home in Australia belong to the Drosophila species, often called common fruit flies or vinegar flies.
A close-up of a fruit fly feeding on overripe fruit
These tiny flies are only about 2–4mm long, with light brown or tan bodies and distinctive red or dark eyes. Unlike the fruit flies that damage crops in agriculture (like the Queensland or Mediterranean fruit fly), Drosophila melanogaster and its close relatives are mostly found indoors, feeding and breeding near fermenting food and organic waste.
Because they reproduce so quickly — and can thrive in even small amounts of food residue — they’re notoriously hard to eliminate once they get established.
Fruit flies are attracted to:
Even if you can’t see where they’re breeding, it only takes a small amount of fermenting food or damp organic matter for them to start laying eggs. And once that happens, a fruit fly infestation can go from “annoying” to “out of control” in just a few days.
Drosophila species are known for their short lifecycle and high reproductive rate. A single female can lay hundreds of eggs, which hatch into fruit fly larvae in as little as 24–30 hours. Within a week, those larvae can become adult flies — ready to start the cycle all over again.
That’s why it’s so important not just to swat the adults, but to find and eliminate the source — whether it’s hidden fruit scraps, drain gunk, or an old sponge.
Fruit flies are attracted to anything moist and fermenting — especially fruit that’s ripening, damaged, or starting to rot. A female fruit fly can lay hundreds of eggs at a time, often on:
Fruit flies usually enter your home through:
Even if your fruit looks fine, it may already have fruit fly eggs on its surface, especially if it’s been stored in a warm or humid environment.
Understanding the lifecycle helps explain why fruit flies are so hard to eliminate once they start breeding:
The entire process can take as little as 8–10 days — so if you don’t break the cycle early, a few fruit flies can turn into a full-blown infestation in under two weeks.
It’s easy to mistake fruit flies for gnats — after all, they’re both small, fast, and seem to come out of nowhere. But despite their similar size, these two pests have different habits, hangouts, and triggers, which means the way you get rid of them isn’t the same.
Here’s a quick comparison of the two:
Feature |
Fruit Fly |
Gnat |
Body shape |
Rounded body |
Long, slender body |
Colour |
Tan to brown, often with red or dark eyes |
Dark grey to black |
Attracted to |
Ripe or rotting fruit, wine, sugary spills |
Moist soil, houseplants, damp areas |
Found near |
Fruit bowls, bins, drains, compost |
Plant pots, soil, overwatered plants |
Flight behaviour |
Slower, hover near food |
Erratic, often fly in zig-zags |
These are the common kitchen culprits, often seen buzzing around fruit, food scraps, and drains. If you notice them clustering near your compost bin or hovering around a wine glass or juice spill, you’re probably dealing with fruit flies.
Gnats, particularly fungus gnats, are more commonly found around indoor plants. They lay eggs in moist soil and their larvae feed on decaying plant matter and roots. They don’t go after your fruit — but if your houseplants are overwatered, you might see gnats flying around them.
One of the most common questions people ask when they notice fruit flies hovering around their food or buzzing near their skin is: “Can fruit flies bite?”
The short answer is: no — fruit flies cannot bite humans.
Fruit flies don’t have biting mouthparts. Instead, they feed by sucking up liquids from overripe fruit, fermenting food, or sugary spills. Their mouthparts are designed to lap up moisture and nutrients from decaying organic matter — not to pierce skin like mosquitoes or other biting insects.
So if you feel a little sting or itch when a tiny fly is nearby, it’s likely not a fruit fly — it could be another small insect like a midge or gnat, or it might just be a coincidence.
While fruit flies can’t bite, they can still be a health concern. Because they land and feed on rotting food, bins, and dirty surfaces, they can carry bacteria or germs on their feet and bodies. If they then land on clean food or utensils, there’s a risk of cross-contamination.
That’s why it’s important to:
Start by cutting off their food and breeding supply:
Fruit flies are drawn to moist, sugary, or fermenting materials — so the cleaner and drier your space, the better.
Even if your kitchen looks clean, fruit flies often breed in less visible places like:
Flush drains with boiling water or a vinegar and bicarb soda mix to disrupt hidden larvae. Toss out old dishcloths or give them a hot wash.
To catch the adult flies already buzzing around, you’ll need a fruit fly trap. You have two main options:
Make your own at home with simple ingredients:
The vinegar acts as fruit fly bait, luring them in with the scent of fermentation.
For a longer-lasting or low-odour option, you can also use a ready-made fruit fly trap. These often use non-toxic, food-safe attractants and are easy to place around the kitchen, near bins, or anywhere flies are gathering.
Our recommendation: Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap
It’s a discreet and effective solution designed to lure and trap fruit flies using a natural bait system.Store-bought traps like these are especially helpful if you want something that blends into your kitchen without the vinegar smell.
Because fruit flies reproduce quickly, you may need to repeat the cleaning and trapping process over several days to completely break the lifecycle. Be patient and consistent.
💡Tip: If you use a compost caddy or keep fruit out on the counter, consider using a ventilated compost bin with a charcoal filter and fruit fly-proof produce covers.
Fruit flies are one of the most common (and annoying) pests to show up in Aussie homes. With the right approach, they’re also one of the easiest to get rid of.
The key is to act quickly, stay consistent, and tackle the root of the problem, not just the flying insects you can see. That means removing food sources, cleaning hidden spots like drains and bins, and using a reliable fruit fly trap to catch the ones that slip through.
Understanding the fruit fly lifecycle, and setting up a prevention routine can even make all the difference. And now that you know the difference between a gnat and a fruit fly, you won’t waste time using the wrong methods.
A few simple habits — like keeping fruit covered, cleaning drains regularly, and setting a trap like the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap as a backup — can help you stay ahead of any future infestations.