At best, they’re annoying, hovering in your peripheral vision. At worst, they’ll multiply into swarms, carrying germs as they go. That’s why learning how to get rid of fruit flies is vital, especially if you love a countertop fruit bowl. “They especially love fruit bowls because their favorite food is acetic acid, the main component of fruit fermentation,” says Tracey Brooks of Wondercide, an Austin-based company that makes plant-powered pesticides. “They voraciously feed on fermenting foods, sweet foods (like nectar), and yeast—compost piles are their Disneyland,” she says.

To keep these pests from making you bug out (not-so-fun fact: adult fruit flies can each lay around 400–500 eggs during their lifespan, and eggs hatch within hours), we talked to Brooks about how to avoid them and what to do if you already have a fruit fly problem.

What causes a lot of fruit flies in the house?

We’ve already mentioned that fruit, especially rotten fruit, is a breeding ground for fruit flies. Brooks points out that acetic acid can also be found in vinegar, wine, and yeast, which is why these flying insects are also attracted to those foods. Essentially, she says, “They love anything that’s yeasty and starting to ferment.”

That means that even if you keep your fruit bowl fresh, you might be attracting flies with cocktails and open containers of wine, uncovered charcuterie boards, and even empty cans or jars in your recycling bin. Even mini morsels can be problematic. “Tiny food crumbs left on your kitchen sponge or countertop are a feast for the fruit fly,” says Brooks.

Are fruit flies harmful to humans?

The good news is that fruit flies don’t bite or sting, and they don’t spread diseases to humans. However, they can carry bacteria from dirty surfaces (such as your garbage cans) to clean ones (like that crisp apple in your fruit bowl), so they can contaminate your food. The bacteria they can carry includes listeria, E. coli, and salmonella. That’s why it’s important to get rid of them as soon as they appear. It’s also a good reminder to always wash your produce before eating it, even if you’re just grabbing it from a container on your countertop.

Do fruit flies go away naturally?

Fruit flies rarely go away without some intervention. As mentioned earlier, fruit flies reproduce fast. “One female fruit fly can lay approximately 500 eggs,” says Brooks. “So the little ones will quickly appear in your home and then start to breed themselves. And so on. Worst case, you’ll be overrun with thousands and thousands of fruit flies in your home.” That’s why getting rid of these buggers at the first sign of an issue, then keeping your home spick-and-span, is the best way to go. “Fruit flies also carry germs and can cause some pretty bad health issues,” says Brooks. “So keeping them off the food you eat and surfaces you touch is a top priority.”

How to get rid of fruit flies in the house

Because “the more the merrier” definitely doesn’t apply to these annoying insects, you’ll probably want to bid them adieu—permanently. The most common way to kill fruit flies is to drown them in a DIY mix of dish soap and vinegar. Though if you don’t want to go the DIY route, there are ready-made traps you can buy to do the deed. Another method is to use rubbing alcohol. Here’s more on how to make each method happen.

DIY fruit fly traps

There are a number of DIY fruit fly traps you can create using simple household ingredients. Consider the following four methods.

1. DIY vinegar and dish soap fruit fly trap

You can make a straightforward fruit fly trap with items that you likely already own: vinegar and dish soap.

• A fourth of a cup of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• A few drops of dish soap
• A container to hold your liquid bait

1. Mix: To create a DIY fruit fly trap, mix a quarter cup of either apple cider vinegar or white vinegar with a few drops of dish soap.
2. Set the trap: Leave the mixture on a counter or surface near fruit fly activity. The idea is that the irresistible vinegar attracts the fruit flies, while the soap breaks the vinegar’s surface tension and drowns them.
3. Wait: Soon you should see dead fruit flies in the liquid.
4. Repeat: Clean your vessel and remake the mixture every few days.

Tip: You can even find vessels made specifically to hold DIY bait, including a dish that has a lid perforated with small holes and a faux fruit option.

2. A vinegar-free fruit fly trap

Don’t have vinegar on hand? Don’t stress. In a bind, you can use overripe fruit and a small piece of plastic wrap to make an easy fruit fly trap.

• A chunk of overripe fruit
• A piece of plastic wrap
• A glass or small bowl
• A rubber band
• A toothpick

1. Add fruit: Place the fruit (a banana, chunk of melon, or an apple are all great) in a glass or small bowl.
2. Cover: Cover the opening of your container with plastic wrap that’s stretched taut. Use a rubber band to secure the wrap.
3. Poke: Use a toothpick to poke a few tiny holes in the plastic wrap so that the flies can get in (lured by the fruit), but they won’t be able to easily escape.
4. Set: Place your trap nearest to where you’re noticing the infestation—whether it’s the kitchen sink, trash can, or a fruit bowl—and give it about 12 hours to do its job. Better yet, place a few traps around the room to be even more effective.
5. Repeat: Clean, remake, and reset the trap every few days until the infestation goes away.

3. A paper cone fruit fly trap

The idea here is the same as the vinegar and dish soap trap, but the materials are different. In this case, you’ll create a trap with a funnel that’s easy to enter, but tricky for fruit flies to escape.

• Vinegar or a piece of overripe fruit
• A glass or small bowl
• Sheet of paper
• Scissors

1. Add bait: Once again you’ll use either vinegar or overripe fruit as bait, placing it at the bottom of a glass.
2. Create a cone: Roll a piece of paper into a cone and give the tip a tiny snip, creating a slight opening. Put your cone in the glass tip side down, leaving a few inches between the paper and your bait.
3. Set trap: Place the trap near your sink, trash can, fruit bowl, or other location where you’ve seen fruit flies.
4. Repeat: Clean, remake, and reset the trap every few days.

4. Kill fruit flies with rubbing alcohol

We call this method the “alcohol spritz.” While it might sound like you’re hosting these unwanted houseguests for a cocktail party, it’s actually a quick and lethal way to clear them out.

• Rubbing alcohol
• A spray bottle

1. Fill spray bottle: Add 91% isopropyl alcohol to a spray bottle.
2. Spray: Spritz directly on fruit flies. Try to avoid spraying your fruit in the process. Not only should you avoid consuming rubbing alcohol, it can also damage the fruit’s skin and make it spoil much faster