Fruit flies are a particularly annoying problem affecting gardeners and shoppers alike. This annoying problem is often challenging to get rid of, but the best fruit fly spray can help.
At home, fruit flies arrive with the fruit. The fruit flies lay eggs that are microscopic. These eggs are laid on the fruit’s skin—these eggs hatch in early fall after reaching your home. The larvae then grow up and infest your house.
Overripe fruits, Rotting fruit, rotten fruits, decaying fruit, food particles, and rotting organic matter attract fruit flies. The larvae feed on these fruits their whole life cycle, and female fruit flies and other adult fruit flies feed there too. Some fruit flies infestation happens in the trash cans, and there are some drain flies, and pomace flies can be found there too!
How to get rid of this issue?
Well, there are a few DIY ways and commercial ways to get rid of fruit flies. Some people use apple cider vinegar, vinegar with dish soap, etc., from local grocery stores. These may work for some people. But not all types of fruit flies are susceptible to these remedies. You need to understand the life cycle of the fruit flies.
There are other methods, like fruit fly trap, gel, zapper, and sprays.
We are reviewing the some of the finest fruit fly sprays on the market today. These sprays are bought and used by real people like you and me, and with their recommendation, we have prepared this list.
We will add a buying guide for you, and we will answer some of the most asked questions on the internet.
8 Best Fruit Fly Sprays Reviewed: Our Top Picks
These are some of the selected products that are available in the market. Let’s jump into the list!
Natria 706250A Neem Oil Spray
The highest rated product on our list is Natria Neem oil spray.
This is a versatile insect killer that works on fruit fly, whitefly, spiders, mites, spider mite, and other annoying insects. This works as a fungicide as well. You can use this to fight black spots, mildew, and other fungal infections.
This is an organic matter, essential oil based spray that works by contact. You can use this directly on fruits and vegetables, even flowers. You just have to wash the produce before eating.
This essential oil based spray contains 0.9% clarified hydrophobic neem oil extracts. This oil uses the vintage method of the Indian subcontinent. It uses the supreme pharmacological capacities of neem in fighting diseases and infections. Neem is considered holy for the cleaning and disease fighting properties in the Hindu religion.
It can be used on your home garden as well. This is a pet safe, child safe organic spray that has pleased a lot of users.
The spray instructions as Natria has prescribed are-
Fungicide Use:
- Mix formula at the rate of 2 tablespoons (1 fluid ounce) per gallon of water. Mix 0.5 tablespoons (0.25 fluid ounces) of this product per quart of water.
Insect Control Use:
- Mix formula at the rate of 2-4 tablespoons (1-2 fluid ounces) per gallon of water.
- Mix 0.5 -1.0 tablespoons (0.25-0.50 fluid ounces) per quart of water.
- Thoroughly mix the solution and then spray all plant surfaces (including the underside of leaves) until completely wet.
Pros
- Neem oil fruit fly killer
- Works to kill fruit flies and kills other insects
- Directly apply to fruit fly breeding areas, eliminates fruit fly
- Safe for garbage cans
- Kills adult flies, gives total fruit fly control
- Affordable fruit flies killer
Cons
- No information on killing fruit fly eggs or fruit fly larvae
- No scent
Mighty Mint Insect and Pest Control Peppermint Oil
Mighty Mint insect and pest control spray is a plant based formula that uses peppermint oil to repel fruit flies and other flying insects and to kill them. Mighty Mint Peppermint oil is a 100% safe, organic matter, plant based spray for killing flying insects.
The Mighty Mint is a very effective and naturally safe spray for getting rid of your fruit fly infestation. The spray contains essential oils that are non-toxic and safe for home use.
The spray comes in a 16 oz bottle that has an extra concentrated spray that gives you long lasting protection from insects. This product is used in home gardens and commercial gardens to get rid of pesky insects.
This is an affordable product that has the finest natural insecticide properties.
Pros
- Natural insecticide with peppermint oil
- Works to kill fruit flies and kills other insects
- Directly apply to fruit fly breeding areas, eliminates fruit flies
- Kills adult fruit flies, safe for garbage cans
- Affordable fruit fly control spray
- Peppermint oil, fresh smell
- Non-toxic
Cons
- Could use a little more information on their amazon page.
Ortho Home Defense Flying Bug Killer with Essential Oils
This is another premium product that is used to kill home invading bugs and flies.
This fruit fly killer with essential oils kills fruit flies, mosquitoes, houseflies, and other flying bugs. It is safe to use in the kitchen and restaurants. It is safe for kids and pets.
A direct spray like this will kill any bug infestation. It is a direct, on-contact insect killer for the highest number of kills.
The main ingredient in this fruit fly spray is sodium lauryl sulfate that is skin safe and is used to make soaps, face wash, and toothpaste. The other organic ingredients are different types of essential oil. There is cinnamon oil, geraniol, castor oil, corn mint oil, and clove oil.
This is a home defense system. You can kill tough bugs with this on contact spray. Ortho offers 100% satisfaction and has a proven kill record.
This 14-ounce bottle is very affordable, and you can get a whole set for all your bug problems.
Pros
- Kills other insects besides fruit flies, small flies
- Directly apply to fruit fly breeding areas, eliminates fruit fly
- Scented with essential oils for fruit fly control
- Affordable fruit fly life cycle killer
- Safe for garbage cans
Cons
- Some packages arrive defected
- Don’t spray on the food source
Wondercide Natural Products – Indoor Pest Control Spray
The Wondercide Fruit fly spray is an eco-friendly spray that kills the fruit flies for you. This is a perfectly safe fruit fly and other insect killers spray for your house. It is pet safe and kids safe.
This spray can be used to kill other pests like ants, roaches, spiders, flies, fleas, ticks, wasps, scorpions, mosquitoes, silverfish, moths, gnats, carpets beetles, earwigs, palmetto bugs, waterbugs. In addition, it can kill the fruit fly eggs and larvae and has a considerable residual effect.
This spray uses sodium lauryl sulfate, a safer skin chemical that is used on soaps, face washes, and toothpaste. The main ingredient is a safe chemical, and the other ingredients are natural and plant based essential oils.
This spray does not harm your clothes or stain your floors. It is an on contact pest killer that is very effective in killing flying, crawling, biting, and stinging insects.
This eco-friendly fruit fly killer uses no high end, harmful chemicals. It has no added colors.
The spray bottle comes in a lemongrass scented flavor. And it features natural insecticide, cedarwood oil.
You can apply this directly to the fruit fly breeding areas for effective fruit fly control. Or, you can just leave some rotting or rotten fruit, overripe fruits, rotting organic matter to attract fruit flies and other pesky insects in the fruit fly trap. And then, spray directly to get rid of the fruit flies.
It has a lemongrass smell that prevents the strong smell of rotting food particles. This is a 32 floz or 945 ml spray bottle.
Pros
- Kills other insects besides fruit flies
- Directly apply to fruit fly breeding areas, eliminates fruit fly
- Kills adult fruit flies, fruit fly eggs, and larvae
- Great fruit fly control, lemongrass oil smelled
- Can be sprayed on rotting food attracting fruit flies
- Affordable to kill fruit fly in different stages of life cycle
Cons
- The direct spray might cause irritation to pets or kids or food source
Zevo Instant Action Flying Insect Killer
Zevo is an instant insect killer that kills on contact. It kills fruit flies, flies, gnats, drain flies, and moths.
It is made with Bio-selective technology that is patented. It uses essential oils as active ingredients that are safe for indoor uses. So, it is safe around people and pets
The spray doesn’t use complex and harmful chemicals such as imiprothrin, cypermethrin pyrethroids, butane, or propane. It is an organic matter, natural, plant based, essential oil.
You spray Zevo Instant Action Flying Insect Killer directly on the fruit fly infestations or fruit fly breeding areas to eliminate fruit flies. And then, wipe the whole surface with a cloth.
The residual effect is a considerable feature of this fruit fly killer.
It is a very affordable fruit fly killer; you can also get two insects killer spray bottles.
Pros
- Kills other insects besides fruit flies
- Can be used outdoors, safe for floor drains
- Directly apply to fruit fly breeding areas, eliminates fruit fly
- Scented with essential oils, kills small flies
- Affordable for fighting fruit fly infestations
Cons
- Direct spray can cause irritation in pets
Eco Defense USDA Biobased Pest Control Spray
EcodefenseUSDA Biobased Pest Control Spray is a home invading pest killer. It uses natural, organic, and non-toxic ingredients to kill pesky bugs. This pest control spray is a perfect alternative to chemical sprays, baits, and pesticides.
These pest control fly killers can kill Cockroaches, Spiders, Ants, Fleas, Earwigs, Stink Bugs, Gnat, Mites, scorpions, Silverfish, fruit flies, and other common household pests.
Eco Defense is a fast acting spray and has a residual effect that lasts longer than other alternatives in the market.
This is a USDA certified spray that can kill all the bugs that are common in these parts of the world. Without using any harmful chemicals that are known for allergies, skin irritation, headaches, or itchy eyes.
It is a house safe, kitchen safe, living room safe spray that doesn’t harm you, your kids, or your pets. Because this is a natural, organic, and plant based spray.
This has no strong chemical smell that can be irritating. This is an odorless spray that doesn’t irritate you. Likewise, people with allergies have used this product that doesn’t give them any problems.
Pros
- Non scented, stain free
- Kills other insects besides fruit flies
- Directly apply to fruit fly breeding areas, eliminates fruit fly
- Affordable small flies killer
Cons
- Hard to kill roaches with this
Bonide (BND217) – Citrus, Fruit and Nut Orchard Spray, Insecticide
Bonide BND217 is an insect killer that is effective against all types of common bugs that infest our homes and gardens.
You can kill beetles, fruit flies, caterpillars, mealybugs, spider mites, thrips, scale, leafhoppers, and other pests with this spray. It is a fast acting pesticide.
It also prevents fungus gnats. It can prevent powdery mildew, rust, blight, brown rot, leaf spots, and more.
This fruit fly spray is a safe product for foliage and fruits like apples, avocados, cabbage, broccoli, carrots, peppers, pecans, lemon, limes, oranges, peas, onions, lawns, roses, flowering plants and shrubs, and many more plants. It kills the infestations.
This is a concentrated formula with greater surface tension that is very economical.
Bonide is a brand that is almost a century old brand that has been producing farming products and pesticides for all that time.
Bonide uses sulfate and pyrethrin materials.
This concentrated spray is to be mixed with water (not warm water) and then applied with a sprayer, hose end sprayer, or tank sprayer. You can use this product before harvest.
Bonide is a strong insecticide that can be used to repel and prevent these infestations. It is a garden product that prevents fruit flies.
Pros
- Non scented, stain free
- Kills other insects
- Directly apply to fruit fly breeding source, infested area, and food sources eliminates fruit fly
- Use in the garden in late summer
- Concentrated mix, spray with water
- Affordable
Cons
- Strong chemicals, indoors use is not recommended.
Raid Multi Insect Killer
The commercials for Raid bug spray are so well-known that they’ve etched themselves into our minds. Many of us grew up with the term “Raid!” spoken by cartoon cockroaches on Saturday mornings.
It’s not just the clever advertising campaigns that have made Raid bug spray a household name, but the fact that it works.
Four very effective, scientifically developed chemicals are combined in Raid Multi Insect Killer to target the neurological systems of bed bugs, flea, lice, fruit fly, dust mites, lice, clothing moths, and carpet bugs. After the insect has been treated with insecticide, the compounds adhere to the insect’s exterior shell and steadily poison the bug until immobility and eventual demise occur.
A parasitic or closely related taxon is the common denominator among all the pests focused by this spray. It contains chemicals from the pyrethroid family, and this is the most widely used chemical pesticide collection in the world.
You must keep in mind that this bottle is only important when it comes into contact with the insect. Reusing a formulation that has a residual component can help in the battle against bedbugs and fleas when you can’t detect and spray the bugs yourself. But as a direct-contact killer, this treatment is one of the finest available on the market.
Use this solution for bedbugs in all of the locations where they hide, including bedding sides and the inside of bed frame and dresser drawer, photo frame underside, borders and below furniture. Be sure to get rid of any bugs that are still alive, as well as any eggs that may have
Douse the carpets, all zones where pets live, and all window and door frames and beadboard in flea-killing insecticide. Pests are getting harder and harder to get rid of, which is why Raid Multi Insect Killer is such an effective direct-contact pesticide. Despite the lack of a necessary lingering effects, it will destroy any bugs you see.
Pros:
- The aroma has a pleasant quality to it
- It is extremely efficient in eliminating any ants and roaches that come into touch with it
- Components that remain
- Toxicity is minimal
Cons:
- Leaves behind a sloppy mess
Best Fruit Fly Spray Buying Guide
Fruit flies are an annoying pest. Fruit fly infestation is different from other bug and pest infestations. You can use preventive measures for other bugs, like citronella plants, UV lights, wine bottles, and apple cider vinegar, etc. But fruit flies do not come through the door, windows.
Where do fruit flies come from anyway?
Well, fruit flies come with fruit that you buy from the market or get from the garden. Adult fruit flies lay eggs on the fruit, which then hatch later, and sometimes inside your home. And, then you discover fruit flies’ infestation.
So, as we now know, fruit flies are different from other flying insects, and they have different ways of getting inside the house. We will need to know what features we should be looking for in a fruit fly spray.
Active ingredient
There are many active ingredients that are very effective in killing fruit flies. Insecticides like dimethoate and fenthion were used in orchards as a cover spray to kill fruit flies. These insecticides have a few days of residual effect that can kill eggs and fruit fly larvae too. But the use of these insecticides has been withdrawn for various reasons.
There are newer and safer insecticides and chemicals that can be used as a spray for fruit flies. Chemicals like – sodium lauryl sulfate, clothianidin, trichlorfon, and chlorpyrifos, and many others are in trials around the country.
The products on our review list offer sodium lauryl (or laureth) sulfate, a chemical that is used in beauty products, and toothpaste. Some other products in our list use completely organic materials like Cedar Wood Oil, Citronella, Neem, and many other common and natural ingredients.
These chemicals are safe and not harmful for you and your kids and pet. But the direct spray of any chemical might cause irritation in people and pets.
Residual effect
The residual effect is another buying consideration that you should keep in mind while buying a fruit fly spray.
The direct spray will kill some fruit flies, but can the spray kill eggs and fruit fly larvae that are microscopic?This is a crucial question. Eggs and larvae are the underlying reason for fruit fly infestation. If you do not take care of that problem, this will not result in anything significant.
Our reviewed products have a considerable amount of residual effect that makes sure these pesky fruit flies do not come back.
Smell
Fruit flies usually are born and feed on rotting, fermenting fruits and vegetables. This means there is a considerable amount of stench that needs to be taken care of.
But insecticides, chemicals do not have a pleasant smell either.
Most fruit fly spray comes with gentle and fresh smells. We reviewed the products that have essential oils and organic materials that offer you a better aromatic experience.
While getting rid of the fruit flies, you can also get a fresh, strong-scent-smelling kitchen.
Cedar Wood Oil, Citronella, Chrysanthemum flowers, and Neem have natural odor fighting capabilities with pleasant smells. Our list is a thoroughly thought conglomeration of aromatic and functional products.
Safety
Many people feel discomfort while using any insecticides or pesticides for more than one valid reason.
Is it safe for children and pets? Are the chemicals applicable indoors? What are the health risks?
We are pleased to inform you that all these products are safe for kids and pets. They are safe for indoor uses.
These sprays use chemicals that are used in beauty products. These not so complex chemicals can be found in toothpaste, facewash, and soaps. The spray contains these chemicals in a significantly lower amount.
Some fruit fly sprays use organic and natural insecticides like neem and citronella oil. These are essential oils that are good for your health. These oils are beneficial and give you a fresh scent around the house. So, these are safe products that are very functional for your use.
Brands
This is a controversial point. Brands are often monopolistic and exploitative. Likewise, they care so little for customer’s health and safety.
But, on the other hand, they have the quality checked products that are the base of their whole market presence. They have a reputation to protect! Also, there are several government agencies that are dedicated to testing the products if any problem arises.
The market is well saturated now. No single brand can influence the market when it comes to one product. With the advent of online shopping, the monopolistic nature of brands has been demolished. Now, they have to compete with smaller brands and manufacturers.
Smaller manufacturers lack the infrastructure to do more prominent brands’ quality checks! So, it is always better to buy the product with which the stake for the brand is so high that they can’t afford to mess anything up.
Having said that, our primary selection criteria are not brand names. It is the usefulness that people have vouched for and recommended. You can buy these products without any hesitation.
Post Spray Clean Up
After buying a fruit fly spray from our list here and getting rid of fruit fly infestation in your house, there are certain things that you should do to prevent fruit flies re-infestation.
- Get rid of rotting fruits, decaying organic matter, and vegetables as soon as possible
- Get rid of overripe fruit (light yellow)
- Keep edible things on a lidded container, not fruit bowls
- Actively clean food spills and other messes
- Routinely clean the garbage disposals cleaner and drain pipes
- Clean countertops regularly, get rid of food contamination
- Clean sink and drains, and floor drains
- Keep your trash in lidded cans
- Clean floor, floormats
- Cleaning rugs and dead insects are recommended
- Clean fruits and vegetables with fruit cleaners
- Keep the fruit fly spray away from children in a dry, cool place
Conclusion
Getting rid of fruit flies is a regular occurrence in American households. These pesky insects can reinfest any time. Since they enter your home through your fruits and vegetables, they are almost certainly coming back.
Some people claim they have DIY home remedies for fruit flies. While some are true, most of these DIY remedies are insufficient because they do not consider the details.
There are those who advocate using bleaching powder or bleach to get rid of fruit flies. Bleach is harmful, and should not be used for fruit fly control, ever! You run the risk of damaging your clothes, skin, pipes, floor, cabinets, and pets and children if you use bleach willy-nilly! Do not use bleach for fruit fly infestation.
Our list features affordable and functional remedies to the fruit fly problem. There are a few that are a bit expensive, but they do compensate by the service they provide for you.
This list features the most suitable fruit fly sprays for you. These sprays were customer tested and reviewed. You can also write to us for more information and suggestions (data rights reserved by our privacy policy).
But, we would definitely like to hear what you have to say about these; if you have a favorite that you think worked best, write to us and help us expand the list. You can write to us about your support and suggestions. We are always appreciative of suggestions (data rights reserved by our privacy policy).
That’s all for today!
FAQs
How do you get rid of a fruit fly infestation?
Category: Fruit Fly Spray
Ans: You can use the fruit fly sprays on our list and regularly clean your house, kitchen, trash cans, and garbage disposal units. You can try fruit fly traps as well.
What are the best Fruit fly sprays?
Category: Fruit Fly Spray
Ans: The top fruit fly spray brands are Mighty Mint, Natria, Wondercide, Ortho, Zevo, Eco Defense, and Bonide.
What are the ingredients in a fruit fly spray?
Category: Fruit Fly Spray
Ans: There are sodium lauryl sulfate, clothianidin, trichlorfon, and chlorpyrifos, and there are essential oils like Cedar Wood Oil, Citronella, Neem, and other natural ingredients in the fruit fly sprays.
What can I spray on my plants to get rid of fruit flies?
Category: Fruit Fly Spray
Ans: You can spray your plants with Bonide (BND217) and Natria 706250A to get rid of fruit flies. These are the finest fruit fly sprays in the market.
What is the fastest way to get rid of fruit flies?
Category: Fruit Fly Spray
Ans: The fastest way of getting rid of fruit flies is using the fruit fly sprays with an insect growth regulator. It is the ideal way to kill and control fruit fly infestation. Some people use fruit fly traps.