Fruit Fly Trap

*does first instructable dance*

Ahem. Ok. Hello! So I got this "recipe" from an old lady friend of mine who has since passed away.

Thanks Beverly! (she also gave me this old school pointer about cleaning glass with a white vinegar/water mixture and, get this, plain old Newspaper!! It really works I swear and better than Windex because it's chemical free!)

Anyways, I hope you find it as useful as I have like that one time when I forgot all about those bananas I bought at the store and my kitchen and apartment became infested with fruit flies!

Step 1: Ingredients

-cup (I used a clear plastic cup that I kept re-using, but you can use a glass cup or jar too, just remember not to use as a drinking cup later on because ewwww)

-apple cider vinegar (cheaper the better)

-honey (again cheaper the better) and if you look closely mine is not real honey just "honey flavored" I got it a the local dollar store "Dollar Tree"

-liquid dish soap (I used Dawn)

-plastic wrap (small-ish piece to cover cup)

-rubber band, old hair tie, whatever you have on hand that will stretch around the lid of your container

-toothpick to poke holes

-stirring utensil (I used a disposable coffee stirrer)

Step 2: Add Ingredients to Cup

-add the apple cider vinegar, honey, and a splash of dish soap to the cup

-Stir ingredients together gently

Step 3: Wrap It Up Good!

-place plastic wrap over cup and arrange so it is even over the whole surface

-wrap the rubber band around the cup

Step 4: Poke! Poke!

-use the toothpick to poke holes in "the lid" of your cup. make sure you make the holes big enough for the whole toothpick to fit through with a little wiggle room. some of those fruit flies are fat little buggers!

Step 5: Wait and See!

-This is where having a clear container comes in handy. You get to see the results! It may take a few days or sooner depending on how many fruit flies you have in your kitchen/house. The fruit flies are attracted to the honey and apple cider vinegar and crawl in through the holes. They then can't get back out again and drown in the icky mixture. I tried that little apple-shaped thingy that say they're especially made for catching fruit flies, and then tried my method... it was a no brainer as to which one was better. Comment your questions, experience or thoughts below. I'd love to hear them!

Comments

[Brynleyj]

I have had problems with them last year, if I have anymore I will give it a try . There was something similar on a beach in Greece where they had plastic bottles with a hole in the side ,big enough for a wasp ,filled with fruit juice.they were full of dead wasps so they must work

[Swansong]

That's a neat simple solution! :)

[jameth15]

Thanks! :3