Are fruit flies driving you crazy in your kitchen?
Those pesky little gnats seem to multiply out of nowhere and make a nuisance of themselves. But don’t worry, you can get rid of fruit flies without calling an exterminator or using harsh chemicals.
Making a simple DIY fruit fly trap is a cheap, easy, and effective way to eliminate fruit flies from your home.
What Attracts Fruit Flies?
Fruit flies are naturally drawn to overripe and rotting produce like bananas, melons, tomatoes, potatoes, and onions. They are also attracted to spills and residue from fruits and vegetables, open containers and bottles, dirty drains and garbage disposals, old sponges, and mops. Basically, anything with fermented and decaying food particles is like a neon “open” sign for fruit flies.
The fruity, vinegar-like scent from these sources lures fruit flies inside. Once they take up residence, their life cycle is incredibly short only about 8 days from egg to reproducing adult. So a few fruit flies can quickly turn into an infestation if not eliminated right away.
Getting Rid of Fruit Flies Is Easy & Cheap
While fruit flies reproduce quickly, they’re also quite easy to get rid of without calling a pest control company. All you need are a few basic household items to whip up a highly effective fruit fly trap. In fact, making multiple traps is recommended to hit those sneaky flies from multiple angles.
How to Make a Fruit Fly Trap
The principle behind most DIY fruit fly traps is simple – you use an enticing “bait” ingredient to lure the flies in, and then a funnel or wrapping prevents them from easily escaping. There are several variations on this theme, but here are three of the easiest and most common homemade fruit fly trap recipes:
vApple Cider Vinegar Trap
Ingredients:
Apple cider vinegar
Plastic wrap
Rubber band
Small bowl
Instructions:
1. Pour a little apple cider vinegar into a small bowl, filling no more than 1 inch deep. Fruit flies are drawn to the vinegar scent.
2. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap.
3. Use a rubber band to secure the plastic wrap and create a seal around the edges.
4. Poke several small holes in the plastic wrap using a toothpick or fork. The holes are big enough for the fruit flies to enter, but not escape.
5. Place the trap in the area with the worst fruit fly problem, such as near fruit bowls or the trash can.
Funnel Trap
Ingredients:
Apple cider vinegar
Liquid dish soap
Tall glass or jar
Piece of paper
Rubber band
Instructions:
1. Pour a couple inches of apple cider vinegar into the glass/jar.
2. Add a small squirt of liquid dish soap. This will reduce the surface tension so flies sink instead of escaping.
3. Roll the paper into a cone or funnel shape with a small hole at the bottom, about finger-width.
4. Place the funnel into the glass with the narrow opening pointing down into the vinegar.
5. Use the rubber band to secure the funnel in place around the jar’s mouth.
6. Place the trap in a fly-ridden area. Flies are lured in by the vinegar scent but can’t escape back out.
Wine/Beer Bottle Trap
Ingredients:
A wine bottle or beer bottle
Plastic wrap
Rubber band
Bait (ripe fruit, piece of bread, vinegar, wine, etc.)
Instructions:
1. Place a little of your chosen bait into the bottom of an empty wine/beer bottle.
2. Seal the bottle opening with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band.
3. Use a toothpick to poke several small holes in the plastic wrap.
4. Put bottle trap near fruit flies’ location. They’ll enter but can’t exit.
Why These DIY Traps Work So Well
These simple homemade traps work because they utilize ingredients that naturally attract fruit flies, like fermented foods and beverages with a sweet, vinegar-based scent. The flies easily enter but then can’t escape, getting trapped inside.
The vinegar in many of these traps is especially alluring due to its pungent, fermented smell. For a fruit fly, that scent means there’s a delicious, decaying food source they’re hardwired to seek out.
While the flies can easily enter through the small holes or funnel, the smooth surfaces and soapy liquid make it impossible for them to climb back out. They simply get stuck in the trap and eventually expire from dehydration and starvation.
Apple cider vinegar happens to be a very effective lure, but other bait options that give off a yeasty odor also work – like wines, beers, rotting fruits, bread, and even just leaving some of the rotten, fermenting produce out that initially attracted the flies.
Placement and Timing are Key
For best results, place multiple fruit fly traps around your home, wherever you’ve been noticing the most fly activity. Popular hotspots include:
• Kitchen counters and sinks
• Near the trash can or compost bin
• Around fruit bowls or produce baskets
• Underneath sinks and near drains
• Pantry areas
• Moist, dark spaces behind appliances
Check on the traps daily and replenish the bait if needed to keep it smelling strong. You’ll probably start noticing tons of dead fruit flies accumulating in the first few days.
But be patient – it can take 7-10 days to completely wipe out the infestation since the traps will continue catching newly hatched adult flies. Once the existing population is eliminated and you remove whatever was attracting them initially, any lingering fruit flies should disappear.
More Tips to Prevent Future Infestations
Along with setting out effective traps, you’ll also want to take some preventative measures to discourage fruit flies from returning:
• Keep all produce sealed or refrigerated
• Don’t let ripe fruits and veggies over-ripen too long on counters
• Rinse produce as soon as you get home from the grocery store
• Don’t let spills or crumbs sit out too long
• Take out trash bags regularly
• Rinse recyclables before storing
• Clean trash cans regularly
• Fix any leaky pipes or moisture sources
• Clean drains with a baking soda/vinegar flush
• Keep windows/doors closed when possible
• Use a moisture absorber in damp, humid areas
You may significantly reduce the likelihood that fruit flies will re-infest your home by removing their food supplies, possible breeding grounds, and access points.
So try making one of these incredibly easy and affordable DIY fruit fly traps! With a few basic kitchen items, you can quickly get rid of those pesky gnats and take back your kitchen from the dreaded fruit fly invasion.