Wondering the best way to get rid of fruit flies? This easy DIY fruit fly trap will help you rid the kitchen of fruit flies and gnats quickly and easily, with just 2 ingredients!
The Best Way To Get Rid of Fruit Flies and Gnats
Once a banana goes bad in the warm months it seems like within minutes the fruit flies appear out of thin air. There is not much more annoying and gross than gnats or fruit flies swarming around the kitchen. Yuck.
To get rid of these pesky bugs quickly we’re going to make an easy DIY fruit fly trap! There is no better way to kick these things out of the kitchen than this. Trust me, I’ve tried them all.
The best part about this fruit fly trap is that there are no chemicals involved, just dish soap and apple cider vinegar! It can be whipped up in seconds and within a few hours, you’ll likely want to dump it out and make a new one!
Just note that in addition to making this magic trap, you still need to find the source of the problem. Usually, it’s something pretty obvious, like a banana or an old bag of potatoes. If you don’t get rid of it, more fruit flies will keep showing up, regardless of how many traps you set.
What Are Fruit Flies and What Attracts Them?
Fruit flies are just tiny little flies or gnats that tend to congregate in the kitchen in the summer months. They’re harmless and don’t bite but extremely annoying! They also reproduce incredibly quickly, which can make it seem as if they appear out of nowhere.
Fruit flies, as the name implies, are attracted to ripened fruit and sometimes vegetables. I usually notice them as soon as a banana gets a little too ripe in the summer!
Other things that can attract fruit flies include garbage, especially if it includes organic waste, mops and cleaning rags, empty bottles and cans, and fermented beverages like beer, wine, and liquor.
What You’ll Need
You really need just 2 ingredients to make your fruit fly trap.
- Apple cider vinegar – The smell attracts the flies.
- Dish soap – The bugs get stuck in the soap and it also attracts them.
- Small bowl – Any size bowl really works but small ones are easier to leave discretely throughout the kitchen.
- Plastic wrap – To cover the bowl and really ensure no flies escape.
How To Get Rid of Fruit Flies Fast
There are just a few simple steps to making this DIY fly trap!
- Combine the vinegar and dish soap. Cover the bottom of your bowl with apple cider vinegar, then add in a few pumps of dish soap.
- Cover with plastic. Tightly cover with plastic wrap. Use a toothpick or skewers to poke holes in the top.
- Place it on the counter. Place the bowl in the area where you are seeing the most gnats. Let it sit overnight.
- Dump & replace. Then next day you’ll be shocked to see how many fruit flies are in there! Dump it out and make another. (No one wants to look at a dead bug graveyard all day.)
To be honest, I’ve done this so many times that I often skip over the plastic wrap part and the trap still works great. You may, however, not get them all because they have an escape if you don’t wrap it.
How Long Will This Take To Work?
You should see a difference within hours, and definitely overnight, if you place your fly trap in the area where the flies are. Remember, however, that fruit flies breed quickly so you need to make sure you’re getting rid of the problem, whether that’s tossing the too-ripe bananas or taking the trash out. Otherwise, you’ll need to keep setting these traps regularly as new flies will continue hatching.
More DIY Home Solutions:
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
Ingredients
- apple cider vinegar
- dish soap
- small bowl
- plastic wrap
Instructions
- Grab a small, shallow bowl and pour in a few tablespoons of ACV. Then add put a couple pumps of dish soap. Make sure you at least cover the entire bottom of the bowl, so the bigger the bowl the more ACV you’ll need.
- Place some plastic wrap tightly over the bowl and poke holes in it with a toothpick or a skewer.
- Put the bowl in the area of the hotspot where you are seeing the most bugs and let it sit overnight. The smell will draw them in and they can’t get out.
Equipment
- 1 bowl
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28 comments on “How To Get Rid of Fruit Flies”
Excellent solution!!
Where were you 2 weeks ago? So bad I bought fly trap tape!
Washed counter tops, no old bananas… cleaned out refrig… NOB… potato bin… gagillion fruit flies in the back corner…mushed potatoes !
No more fruit flies. This really worked! TY
Oh no! Glad this worked for you. Thanks BJ!