Fruit flies can be a menace in the home, getting into food and multiplying quickly. But getting rid of fruit flies is easier than you might think with this simple homemade trap. It only takes minutes to put together, and you might already have the necessary ingredients in your cupboard. Here's how to make this basic yet effective fruit fly trap. Show
Although vinegar is the main ingredient and it is considered safe for consumption, liquid dish soap is not. Keep this solution out of the reach of children.
Before you begin, toss out any overripe fruit that might be attracting fruit flies.
Vinegar is a natural, versatile, environmentally friendly kitchen product. In addition to its cooking uses, it is an inexpensive ingredient in many cleaning DIYs. Plus, unlike many commercial products, vinegar does not emit harmful, harsh fumes. Fruit flies are attracted to the smell of the cider vinegar and will attempt to land on its surface. However, they will pass through the dish soap on the surface, not be able to get back up through it, and drown.
If you don't have any vinegar on hand, you can also trap fruit flies by placing a piece of overripe fruit in an open plastic bag. Wait for the fruit flies to congregate on the fruit, and then carefully seal the bag, trapping them inside. If you'd like to try more than making a trap, here are some good solutions:
Fruit flies are bad enough when encountered outside. When they show up in the home, however, it's out-and-out war. Although few people are as agile with the fly-swatter as they'd like to be, our brains are bigger, so it's absolutely possible to simply outsmart the average fruit fly. It's easy enough to learn how to get rid of fruit flies by using simple homemade hacks, but if you'd rather leave the dirty work to someone else, there's a product for that, too. Keep fruit flies out of your homeBefore we get to that, however, do yourself a favor in the future and prevent fruit flies outright. Try not to leave doors and windows open any longer than necessary, as the little suckers are shockingly fast fliers. Also, check your home for tiny cracks that could be letting them in and then, consult the apartment maintenance person for help fixing them. And for the love of everything holy, wash your produce thoroughly when you bring it home unless you want tiny hitchhiking eggs to erupt into a whole colony of ravenous fruit flies. How to get rid of fruit fliesFruit flies are naturally drawn to the fermented goodness of decomposing produce and garbage. So, it makes sense that the most effective DIY traps involve such materials, most of which are found lying around the average home. Ironically, as much as most people would like to make flies simply go away, you don't want to focus on fly repellant, so much as a fly attraction. 1. Apple cider vinegarExperts swear by apple cider vinegar traps as the best way to get rid of fruit flies. White vinegar can also be used in a pinch.
2. Vinegar and dish soapThis homemade fly trap is even easier. All you need is some vinegar, a bowl and a drop of dish soap.
The purpose of the dish soap is to change the consistency of the vinegar so that the fly becomes immediately trapped. 3. Beer or wine trapAnother fermented substance that most people have handy is beer or wine.
They won't be able to resist the fermented goodness the alcohol promises, but will quickly get trapped in the bottle. You can also add a drop or two of dish soap to encourage faster trapping if you want. 4. Milk and sugar mixThis is a trick your great-grandparents probably used.
5. Ripe fruit trapThis is one of the most effective solutions, especially if you have extra fresh product.
Commercially-available products to get rid of fruit fliesIf you don't want to DIY your fly repellent, consider picking up one of these online products:
How to get rid of gnats in the houseAll that said, don't get fruit flies confused with gnats. Gnats tend to travel in swarms and can bite, whereas fruit flies are loners. However, they're attracted to the same rotting foodstuffs. Fortunately, it's easy enough to learn how to get rid of gnats in a house. One process is very similar to a fruit fly trap. Mix up some apple cider vinegar, water, dish soap and sugar. Then, leave it in a bowl on the counter and wait. Or, you can mix up some red wine and dish soap. If you notice gnats, which are about half the size of fruit flies, hanging around the sink just pour bleach down the drain. Forget about fruit fliesHopefully, you've learned how to get rid of fruit flies by using one of these DIY or commercial traps. Now, just keep the doors and windows closed and the produce put away so it doesn't happen again! But even if it does, next time, you'll already know how to get rid of fruit flies like a pro. |