How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Your Refrigerator

Fruit flies will occasionally find their way into your refrigerator for a few different reasons. However, cold temperature kills fruit flies, which means that they won’t be able to survive in your refrigerator and will die. This may sound like good news, but the last thing you want is to find dead fruit flies inside your refrigerator. Here’s how you can get rid of fruit flies in your refrigerator.

Why are There Fruit Flies in My Refrigerator?

Fruit flies, as their name suggests, feed off overripe fruit. However, the flies are also attracted to meat, fresh food, and rotting food sitting around. When you transfer fly-laden food into your refrigerator, the tiny black bugs may end up in your fridge and perish with the cold. This is the main cause of fruit flies in the fridge.

You may not notice the exposed food immediately. The flies may seek the warmest area in your fridge, hence, you may find a number of dead flies around your refrigerator door. Still, they most likely originated from any exposed fruit, spoiled food, or meat in your fridge. Cleaning your fridge should remove most dirt, rotting fruit particles, and dead fruit flies.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies in Refrigerator

There are a few ways you can eliminate fruit flies in your home: using vinegar traps, cleaning the drains, and setting sticky fly traps around your kitchen. These will kill off fruit flies and fruit fly larvae, getting rid of the infestation for good!

Cleaning Your Refrigerator

Here’s how you can clean your fridge and prevent fruit fly infestations:

1. Place all perishables in a cooler to prevent them from spoiling.
2. Store food in airtight containers, or cover them with cling film to prevent flies from getting to them.
3. Throw away any spoiled and rotten food immediately. This is important as fruit flies may be attracted to moldy food.
4. Wipe up any spills in your refrigerator.
5. Create a soapy water solution by adding a few drops of dish soap to a bowl of water.
6. Dampen a sponge with the solution and use this to clean up any spill residue, dried food particles, meat drippings, and crumbs from your fridge.
7. If possible, remove shelves and wash them with some soapy water in the sink
8. Clean the drip tray, which can become a breeding ground for fruit flies if left unattended for too long.
9. Let the fridge dry and cool before returning all the items inside. Make sure that your containers are free of any pests.
10. If possible, turn on your refrigerator’s dehumidifier settings to keep your fridge fresh.

For a more comprehensive refrigerator cleaning guide, check out this article on how to deep clean a refrigerator.

Properly Closing the Refrigerator Door

It’s important to make sure that your refrigerator door is always closed properly. Bugs like fruit flies can easily enter through any gaps that lead to the inside of your refrigerator. Aside from a simple oversight, your refrigerator door may not be closing properly due to the improper placement of the refrigerator cover, as well as any incorrectly placed shelves. It can help if you rearrange the items in your refrigerator to allow the door enough room to shut completely.

Using Apple Cider Vinegar Traps

Here’s how to create an apple cider vinegar trap:

1. Fill an empty jar with apple cider vinegar until it’s ⅛ full.
2. Add a few drops of dish soap and stir.
3. Cover the jar with cling film and poke small holes to allow the flies to enter. You can also secure a piece of plastic over the top with a rubber band.
4. Place the trap in your refrigerator. The trap should entice fruit flies to enter through the small holes and trap themselves as they can't find the way out.

Note: Fruit flies are attracted to ripe fruit, and apple cider vinegar gives off the smell of fermenting fruit, making it the ideal bait to catch fruit flies.

Using Overripe Fruit Traps

If you want to get rid of fruit flies without apple cider vinegar, then here’s an easy alternative for you that uses overripe fruits instead. Follow these simple steps:

1. Place a piece of overripe fruit in a jar.
2. Cover the jar with cling wrap and poke small holes in the plastic. Alternatively, you can use a piece of plastic and secure it in place with a rubber band.
3. Place it in your refrigerator. The fruit flies will be attracted to the smell of the overripe fruit but won’t be able to escape.

Checking the Refrigerator Door Gasket

The gasket is the rubber seal that outlines the interior of your refrigerator door and makes sure that it’s closed tightly. Any damage or dent in the door gasket could provide fruit flies with the opportunity to infiltrate your refrigerator, so make sure to schedule an immediate gasket replacement if necessary. This is especially important, as the point of contact between the refrigerator and the gasket is warm, which can attract fruit flies.

It’s also worth checking if the refrigerator door gasket is stained with any food substance, as this can also attract fruit flies. If you see any weird stains on the gasket, you can dip either a sponge or toothbrush in some rubbing alcohol to clean it off.

How to Keep Fruit Flies Away

Fruit flies, drain flies, and fungus gnats inside the fridge carry bacteria and viruses that can affect your food. Your best bet in removing these pests is to manage the cleanliness of your kitchen. Make kitchen cleaning easy, convenient, and hassle-free with Luce part time maid Singapore cleaning services - we'll make sure those pests bug off for good!

Looking for kitchen cleaning tips? Check out our blog for articles on kitchen cleaning, sanitizing, and organizing!