Peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, white vinegar, castile soap
How to use
3-5 drops per kitchen drain at night, once the sink is done for the day
Best with
A weekly drain scrub and hot-water flush, and deterrent discs on the counter
Made in
Greenville, South Carolina, in small batches
How do you use it?
Three steps, about a minute. Each disc starts releasing its scent the moment you open the pouch.
Open a disc
Set one a few inches from the fruit bowl. One disc per problem spot.
Stick one by the sink
The included velcro dot holds it on a faucet base, cabinet or trash lid.
Drops in the drain at night
3-5 drops per kitchen drain once the sink is done for the day. Swap a disc when its scent fades.
Why do fruit flies keep coming back?
Because the ones you see are only the last stage. A fruit fly goes from egg to adult in 8 to 10 days at room temperature, faster in a hot kitchen, and one female can lay about 500 eggs in the wet film inside a drain, trash can or compost bin. A trap only touches the adults.
One generationWhere each stage lives, and which product reaches it
Sink Drops reach these stages, in the drainDiscs
Eggsabout a day
Laid in moist, fermenting film: drains, disposals, compost, overripe fruit.
Larvaeabout 4 days
Feed in that same film, out of sight.
Pupaeabout 4 days
Rest in a dry spot nearby.
Adultsday 9 onward
Follow food smells to your fruit, mate within a day, then lay the next 500. Traps only act here.
Day
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On the counter
Deterrent discs put out peppermint and clove where adults land, instead of the food smell a trap uses to pull them in.
In the drain
Sink Drops go into the drain at night, the breeding spot a counter trap can't reach. Pair them with a scrub and hot-water flush, as entomologists recommend.
Life cycle timing and breeding sites: University of Kentucky Entomology, ENTFACT-621; Purdue Extension, HN-66.
What scent do fruit flies hate?
Peppermint is the best-studied answer. In peer-reviewed lab tests, peppermint oil and its main compounds repelled fruit flies, and clove's main compound made a close relative avoid fruit. That research is why our discs are 75% peppermint and 25% clove. Here is the data, drawn to scale.
Figure 1Measured effect of peppermint, menthol and mint oils in published tests
Flies kept off a fruit-juice bait by peppermint oilClose relative, lab, checked for 6 days
"Common fruit fly" is Drosophila melanogaster, the kitchen species. "Close relative" is D. suzukii, the spotted-wing drosophila. Bars show the effect reported by each study against its own untreated control.
Figure 2What's on a disc, by share of oil
75% peppermint oil25% clove oil
Peppermint brings
menthol, menthone and menthyl acetate, the compounds that repelled common fruit flies in Wang et al. 2021
Clove brings
eugenol, which made a close relative avoid fruit and lay fewer eggs in Baleba et al. 2026 and Eben et al. 2020
The honest part: these studies tested the ingredients, not Fruit Fly Defense products, and a lab isn't your kitchen. That's why every order comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Figure 3How fast avoidance showed up, and how long peppermint held, in the same tests
This is why we say the discs start working the moment you open them, and why we tell you to replace a disc when the scent fades instead of promising a number of weeks.
The discs start releasing peppermint and clove the moment you open the pouch, with nothing to plug in, bait or wait for. In published lab studies of the ingredients, common fruit flies moved away from menthol, peppermint's signature compound, within 30 minutes, and flies stayed off a peppermint-treated bait from the very first one-hour check. Those studies tested the ingredients, not our discs, and how quickly you notice a difference depends on where your flies are breeding. That's why we pair discs with Sink Drops and give you 30 days to decide.
Why do I have fruit flies when there's no fruit out?
Check the drain, the garbage disposal, the trash and the recycling. Fruit flies breed in any moist, fermenting film, including drain buildup, a sticky can or a damp sponge. That's why we make Sink Drops for the drain.
The flies are in my bathroom or shower drain. Will this help?
Tiny, fuzzy, moth-shaped flies in a bathroom drain are usually drain flies, a different insect. Sink Drops are made for fruit flies in kitchen drains, so we'd rather tell you now than have you disappointed later.
What's in it?
The discs are natural wood, hand-soaked in 75% organic peppermint oil and 25% clove oil. Sink Drops contain peppermint oil, cedarwood oil, white vinegar and castile soap. That's the whole list.
Can I use it around pets and kids?
Treat it like any essential-oil product: keep discs and the dropper bottle out of reach of children and pets, and away from food. Cats are especially sensitive to concentrated essential oils, so place discs where cats can't get to them.
How does Subscribe & Save work?
You get 20% off and a fresh delivery every month. You can skip a delivery, pause or cancel anytime from your account, with no fees.
What if it doesn't work for me?
You have 30 days. If you're not happy, email donny@fruitflydefense.com and we'll refund you. US shipping is free on orders over $35.
Complete your setup
Discs cover the counter, Sink Drops cover the drain. Most kitchens need both.
Use it in your own kitchen. If you're not happy, email donny@fruitflydefense.com within 30 days and we'll refund every dollar. No return shipping, no questions.
