DIY Easy and Effective Fruit Fly Trap
Every year around the end of summer for some reason or another it seems that the fruit flies in my home become more and more apparent. Although fruit flies are tiny and for the most part harmless they are not pleasant to have flying around, especially in the kitchen.
Years ago when I was trying to find a natural solution to deal with these tiny things I stumbled upon a diy trap that used apple cider vinegar as bait. Apparently fruit flies love apple cider vinegar, and since I had it on hand I decided to give it a go.
This trap was so successful, I now make it every year when the fruit flies start to make themselves present. Here's how to get rid of fruit flies with a simple trap.
For this project you will need apple cider vinegar, a ziplock bag, a rubber band, a pair of scissors, and some type of jar. I prefer to use an opaque jar for this as its more discrete, but for demonstration purposes I used a mason jar this time.
Begin by cutting of the smallest tip from the corner of the ziplock bag.
Pour the apple cider vinegar into the jar of your choice. I filled mine about 1/3 of the way full. Place the cut corner of the bag into the jar, so that it resembles a funnel.
Flip the bag over the rim of the jar and secure it in place with a rubber band. I like to trim the excess bag around the outside for a neater appearance, but that is completely optional.
The way that the trap works is that the fruit flies will smell the vinegar, fly down through the funnel and once they are in it is extremely difficult for them to find the escape exit again.
A few hours later I went back to check the trap and it was already proving to be successful.
As I mentioned before I prefer to use an opaque jar for this as I leave it out on my kitchen counter by the fruit basket and its not appealing to look at, but it works wonderfully and I’m happy I don’t have to deal with the little flies anymore!
DIY Mason jar ideas
Resources for this project:
See all materials
Comments
Join the conversation
-
Dear Brigitta,
You are spot on.
I use a small 4-8oz. drinking glass, or jar, adding a couple an inch or so of sweet Balsalmic Vinegar ( it need not be expensive) and use Stretch Tight clear plastic wrap on the top of the jar, pulling the sides down tight to stick to the outside of the glass, to maximize the tension. The bugs can’t escape, once they get down in the vinegar. (Viscus, sticky, happy)
I never add dishwashing liquid to the water, these tiny fruit flies nosedive down to the vinegar and beyond that, they paddle around for awhile until they give up.
mine started up again after 2 weeks. Within a day 9 fruit flies gave their lives up to kitchen science. More to come.
-
any thing I can do for the tiny little red bus that cereal on my back and front porch?
-
Are they box elder bugs? Then water and Dawn dishwashing soap usually kills them.
-
Frequently asked questions
Have a question about this project?
Do you know if this will work on Japanese Beetles. Currently using something very similar specifically made for Japanese Beetles.
I saw someone use a Bundt cake pan for a planter. Could you place the jar in the center with real or faux plants to disguise it?
Does it work for nats too?