Menu

PreventionLow risk

How Do I Get Rid of Small Flies in My Kitchen?

Written by PestMan Editorial TeamTechnical review pendingPublished Updated

Quick answer

Tiny flies hovering around fruit and bins are usually vinegar flies (often called fruit flies). Get rid of them by removing what they breed in: overripe fruit, sticky recycling, bin residue, damp sponges and drain slime. Then trap the adults with a small dish of vinegar and a drop of detergent. Numbers drop within a week once breeding stops.

Why this happens

Vinegar flies breed in any moist, fermenting film. A single overripe banana, a juice-stained recycling bin or the slime at the bottom of a kitchen drain can produce hundreds.

Their life cycle is fast, about a week in warm weather, so killing adults without removing the breeding site doesn’t last.

If the flies are fuzzy and mostly near the sink or shower, they may be drain flies instead.

What you may be seeing

  • Tiny tan flies with red eyes around the fruit bowl, bin or sink.
  • Flies around wine, beer or juice glasses.

What you can do

  • Eat, refrigerate or throw out ripe fruit and vegetables.
  • Rinse bottles and cans before putting them in recycling, and wash the bins.
  • Scrub the kitchen drain and strainer with a brush and hot water.
  • Replace or wash damp sponges, cloths and mops.
  • Set a trap: a small dish of apple cider vinegar with a drop of detergent, or a jar covered with cling wrap pierced with small holes.

What not to do

  • Do not spray insecticide near food or fruit bowls.
  • Do not pour bleach down drains as a fix; it doesn’t remove the film larvae live in.

When professional help may be needed

Pest control is rarely needed for vinegar flies. For a food business with a persistent problem, a pest manager can help find hidden breeding sites such as floor drains and under equipment.

Flies

Two-winged insects that breed in rotting organic matter. House flies, blowflies, vinegar flies and drain flies each point to a different breeding source, and finding that source is the key to getting rid of them.

Species mentioned

Vinegar Fly ("Fruit Fly")

Drosophila spp.

Tiny tan flies with red eyes that hover around fruit bowls, bins and drains. Often called fruit flies, but different from the Queensland fruit fly, which attacks fruit on trees.

Guide

Common Brisbane Household Pests

A Brisbane-specific overview of the pests residents meet most often, when they are active, and what the subtropical climate, storms, creeks and Queenslander homes mean for pest pressure.

Guide

Pest Prevention Checklist

A printable seasonal checklist of simple, low-cost tasks that reduce pests around Australian homes, with the reason behind each step and extra lists for renters, apartment residents, pet owners and Queenslander owners.

Guide

Understanding Pest Activity After Rain

Why storms and wet weather bring cockroaches, ants, mosquitoes and spiders into homes, what to expect in the days and weeks afterwards, and what to do before and after rain and floods.

Still have a question?

Ask PestMan. We’ll show you any answers we already have — and if we don’t have one yet, your question helps decide what we answer next.

Sources & further reading

PestMan provides general information only and does not replace licensed pest-management, medical, veterinary or structural advice. Always read and follow product labels. Read our disclaimer.