Try This DIY Fruit Fly Trap to Get Rid of Those Pesky Insects Once and for All – PureWow

We encounter all sorts of pests in our homes from time to time, but the ones that like to go belly up in a glass of wine are particularly insufferable. Thats right, were talking about fruit fliesthe itty-bitty insects that love to swarm around fruit bowls and unfinished drinks. Good news: Theres a DIY fruit fly trap that will catch these buggers faster than you can say overripe banana.

Could it have been the uncorked bottle of wine you left on the counter instead of the fridge? No, it mustve been the mushy avocados. But really, what has caused this plague on your house? Well, friends, both those hypotheticals are potential answers to the question at hand. As you might expect, given their name, fruit flies are attracted to produceparticularly the kind thats past its prime. Unfortunately, no matter how close an eye you keep on your countertop fruit display, you still might not be able to prevent these pests. Per the University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, fruit flies will breed in drains, garbage disposals, empty bottles and cans, trash containers, mops and cleaning rags...All that is needed for development is a moist film of fermenting material. Yuck.

Once fruit flies appear in your home, theres a good chance the conditions are ripe enough for them to thrive. The takeaway? The fridge is your best friend. Any type of produce that can handle cold temperatures should be stored in the refrigerator at the first sign of a fruit fly problem. Unfortunately, this sound advice will absolutely destroy your tomatoes, so please dont refrigerate those guys. Instead, read on for a strategy that can rid your home of fruit flies, while leaving room for some prized pieces of produce on the countertop.

Though theyre far less cute, fruit flies breed like rabbits. For this reason, the first line of defenseaside from following the preventative measures mentioned aboveis a clever trap. Fortunately, fruit flies are fairly predictable: Fermented fruit is their...jam? So reach for fruit fly kryptonite, innocuously labeled as apple cider vinegar, and a few other necessary materials (see below) and follow these steps.

Sofia Kraushaar for PureWow

About to cup should do the trick unless youre working with an extra-large jar.

Sofia Kraushaar for PureWow

Just one or two drops of the stuff should suffice. The dish soap breaks up surface tensionessentially ensuring the fruit flies dont have a little taste of the cider and then fly back out.

Sofia Kraushaar for PureWow

Sofia Kraushaar for PureWow

This is so that the fruit flies can make it to the promised land.

Sofia Kraushaar for PureWow

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Try This DIY Fruit Fly Trap to Get Rid of Those Pesky Insects Once and for All - PureWow