The Best Way to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Plants

The best way to get rid of fruit flies in plants is to keep the soil clean, use fruit fly traps for immediate results, and adjust watering habits to prevent future infestations. You can also plant plants with a smell that fruit flies don‘t like to keep them away.

Figuring Out Why Fruit Flies Are Around Your Plants

These tiny pests are drawn to moist soil and decaying plant matter, often found buzzing around your indoor plants or fruit bowls.

They're small, have red eyes, and can lay hundreds of eggs, leading to a quick infestation known as fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster).

We also found these fruit flies around our freshly sprouted tomato seedlings and bigger indoor plants so they can appear basically around every plant.

But stop! Don't remove your garden plant entirely, here are the techniques we successfully use to get rid of fruit flies:

Multiple Solutions to Remove Fruit Flies from Your Plants

Cleaning Up Your Space

Remove any rotting plant matter or overripe fruit near your plants, as these are perfect breeding grounds for fruit flies. Regularly clean surfaces to ensure there are no sticky leftovers that could attract more flies, this is a very effective method that has also worked for us.

Trap Them with DIY Solutions

Build A Fruit Fly Trap

Mix a small amount of dish soap with vinegar or wine in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and poke tiny holes with toothpicks.

The scent attracts the flies, but they get trapped by the soap mixture, this is one of the best DIY fruit file traps you can build.

• Pro Tip: This trap doesn't work on most common types of plant pests, only with small flies.

Use Yellow Sticky Traps

Yellow sticky traps are excellent for catching adult fruit flies. Place them near the affected plants. The flies are attracted to the color yellow and will stick to the trap, reducing the population around your plants.

How to Prevent Future Fruit Flie Invasions

Proper Watering Techniques

Overwatering creates an ideal environment for fruit flies because in our case we also found that these pests often chill in water.

Let the soil dry out between waterings to discourage fruit flies from laying eggs. This not only helps with the fruit fly problem but also promotes healthier root growth for your plants.

Refresh the Topsoil

If you notice fruit flies emerging from the soil, it might be time to replace the top layer of soil. Remove the top few inches and replace it with a fresh potting mix. This can remove any larvae or eggs.

Use Natural Predators

Introducing natural predators like nematodes or predatory mites into your soil can help control fruit fly populations. These beneficial organisms feed on fruit fly larvae, reducing their numbers naturally.

How to Maintain Your Fruit Fly-Free Garden

Regular monitoring and maintenance of your plants are key to preventing fruit fly infestations.

If you follow these steps that we tried and tested, you can enjoy healthy fruits and vegetables but also plants without the annoyance of fruit flies no matter if you take care of flowers or grow herbs.

So keep your gardening area clean, monitor your watering habits, and be vigilant about removing potential fruit fly attractions.

Sources

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1. DIY fruit flies traps: 3 Best DIY Fruit Fly Traps to Get Rid of Pesky Flies (thespruce.com), The Best DIY Fruit Fly Trap for Getting Rid of Fruit Flies | The Kitchn

2. What attracts fruit flies: Fruit Flies | Entomology (uky.edu)

3. Fruit flies general information and FAQ: Fruit Fly Facts | Get Rid of Fruit Flies in the House | Orkin, Where do fruit flies come from? They don't just 'magically appear.' (usatoday.com), Fruit Flies | University of Maryland Extension (umd.edu), An introduction to fruit flies | The Berg Lab (washington.edu)

4. Using yellow sticky traps for fruit flies: Are Yellow Sticky Traps an Effective Method for Control of Sweetpotato Whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, in the Greenhouse or Field? - PMC (nih.gov)

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Calin Oancea

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Calin is in the garden industry for 5 years now and knows a lot about gardening and plants. He is the owner of this website and responsible for most of the content.