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July 1, 2016

Get Rid Of Fruit Flies For Good

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DIY Fruit Fly Trap -v2

Fruit flies and produce go together like peanut butter and jelly, except I LIKE peanut butter and jelly and I HATE fruit flies. It’s not a problem, though, because when I start to notice them hanging around my fruit or in my pantry, I know how to get rid of them easily, quickly, and with stuff I keep around the house.

***This post was originally written July 25, 2012, but I’veΒ updated with new pictures and content. If you got here via Pinterest from an outdated picture that is no longer in the post (that had terrible spelling), you are in the right place and this is the info you want!***

DIY Fruit Fly Trap 1

Materials You Need

  • Canning Jar with Ring Lid
  • *Apple Cider Vinegar -or- Ripe Fruit -or- Both
  • Plastic Wrap
  • Dish Soap
  • Toothpick or something sharp to poke small holes

*I’ve done these traps with fruit or vinegar, but I think the quickest way to get the fruit flies in the jar is to do both. Of course, the easiest thing is usually just the vinegar though the flies come in more slowly, especially if there is fruit around they are more interested in. I’ll list these steps for both things to go in, but just know that you can totally play with what you put in the jar. As long as it attracts fruit flies, it’s all good!

How To Create a DIY Fruit Fly Trap

Step 1 –

Add ripe fruit to your jar. Pictured is part of a banana.

DIY Fruit Fly Trap 2

Step 2 –

Add some Apple Cider Vinegar to the bottom of the jar.

You don’t need a ton, just enough for the flies to drownΒ in. You don’t want to cover the fruit.

DIY Fruit Fly Trap 3

Step 3 –

Add a few squirts of Dish Soap to insure that the Apple Cider Vinegar kills the fruit flies.

This helps make sure that they aren’t annoyingly flying around your jar trying to figure out how to get out. They can’t get out, but I worry it alerts other fruit flies. I am probably paranoid here, but let’s play it safe.

DIY Fruit Fly Trap 4

Step 4 –

Wrap the top of the jar in plastic wrap – any kind will do.

DIY Fruit Fly Trap 5

Step 5 –

Put the ring lid on the jar and cut off the excess plastic wrap.

DIY Fruit Fly Trap 6

Step 6 –

Poke holes with a toothpick (or something sharp) into the plastic.

Don’t make the holes too big or the fruit flies will easily come back out. For some reason if you make them small, they will squeeze themselves in, but never figure out how to get out.

DIY Fruit Fly Trap 7

That’s it – you’ve made a DIY Fruit Fly Trap!

DIY Fruit Fly Trap -v

The banana I used as an example was so effective that it cleared the air of fruit flies within an hour!!

Recently we went on vacation for a week. Before we left I noticed some fruit flies in my pantry (maybe the raisins??). I stuck a jar of just vinegar and dish soap in there before we left and this is what I came back to. All of the fruit flies were in the jar.

DIY Fruit Fly Trap 9

Disposal

I dispose of the fruit flies by pouring the mixture down the kitchen sink, rinsing out the jar, and starting again. The longest I’ll keep one going is almost a week. It gets pretty disgusting, so usuallyΒ I’ll change it out every few days during the summer when there are a lot of fruit flies.

There you go –

Now you know one of the best ways to get rid of fruit flies and you don’t need to spend $5 at a time per store bought fruit fly trap!!!

My kids still love catching fruit flies, though my girls also think it is a little bit gross! (My boy does NOT find it gross) They all can’t help their curiosity, though. They feel like it is a science experiment and go count them up orΒ shake the jar a little. I’m just glad they’re not flying around, landing on my food and clean counters.

Go on, rid your house of fruit flies forever!

From my home to yours,
Mary

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Filed Under: Clean, Garden Mary 32 Comments

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Comments

  1. Jaime says

    July 25, 2012 at 11:36 am

    Now that’s a cool idea!! I had some in my kitchen not too long ago, and I did my dad’s trick: set some beer out for the gnats. Next morning, the glass of beer has gnats floating like crazy in it, haha. But your way is much nicer to them.

    Visiting from Wicked Awesome Wednesday.

    – Jaime
    mrsmamapanda.blogspot.com

    Reply
  2. ter@waaoms says

    July 25, 2012 at 12:44 pm

    Hey! I like this tip. I tried making fruit fly traps last year with a paper made into a cone, it worked but it was a real pain trying to get the paper into a cone shape and yet not have any space in the jar. I’m going to try this. (kind of regret that I tossed out (recycled) a few jars last week. πŸ™‚ Luckily they haven’t been too bad this year so far.

    My question though, is doesn’t washing your fruit when you get home make them go bad sooner?? That’s the main reason I don’t! And never would have thought about washing bananas.

    You do know that this post is going to be pinned… ? πŸ™‚

    Reply
    • orgmatters says

      July 25, 2012 at 5:31 pm

      I’ve not noticed washing my fruit causing it to ripen sooner, but I’ll watch for that. Maybe because I dry it really well? I know the jar really works. After a day of the jar, the only fruit flys in my kitchen were in that jar!

      And thanks for pinning!

      Reply
  3. Kaui @ Thrifty Military Mommy says

    July 26, 2012 at 9:18 am

    No way! I’m getting pretty sick of the fruit flies coming ’round here so this is very timely. I can’t wait to try this! And that basic H is awesome, isn’t it??? LOVE!

    Reply
  4. Malory says

    July 29, 2012 at 11:15 am

    This is so clever! Thanks for sharing. I would love for you to share it at Snips & Spice Sunday Slice.

    Malory
    http://snips-and-spice.blogspot.com/2012/07/sunday-slice-its-party-5.html

    Reply
  5. Kathie says

    July 31, 2012 at 11:33 am

    What a great idea! I hate the pesky varmints. Thanks for sharing at Gettin’ Krafty With it!

    Reply
  6. kristen says

    July 31, 2012 at 2:53 pm

    wow great tip on washing the bananas! i will be doing that from now on because otherwise i will think of fruit flie eggs. gross! πŸ™‚ thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  7. Julie Bagamary says

    August 1, 2012 at 6:41 am

    Great tip

    Reply
  8. Garden Tenders says

    August 1, 2012 at 10:36 am

    This year has been really bad around or house, THANK YOU!

    Reply
  9. laurie says

    August 1, 2012 at 7:52 pm

    lol! It’s so funny that you would post on these little pests, Mary! We just had a hatch of fruit flies appear out of nowhere. They were all over the place and driving me caaaraaazzzy! I Googled it and used your method, only I put a bit of wine with a squirt of dishsoap in the bottom of the mason jar. The flies drowned themselves….and my house is free of swatting hands now! lol!

    xoxo laurie

    Reply
  10. Lisa says

    August 1, 2012 at 9:04 pm

    Sometimes it is the simplest little tip that makes the most difference! Thanks!

    Reply
  11. Thyme says

    August 1, 2012 at 10:40 pm

    Love this! Super excited to do it now! Thank you!

    Reply
  12. Patchworkcactus says

    August 1, 2012 at 10:51 pm

    What killer tricks. Fruit Flys drive me mental and with a toddler tossing half eaten fruit from her high chair we have an abundance, thanks so much

    Reply
  13. Art Mama says

    August 1, 2012 at 11:25 pm

    This is great! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
  14. Rose :: Fine Craft Guild says

    August 2, 2012 at 4:40 pm

    Great idea! Come share it at our linky party at http://www.finecraftguild.com/party ! Looking forward to seeing you there.

    Reply
  15. Jennifer Hutchinson says

    August 7, 2012 at 10:12 am

    Wow this is awesome! So pinning this to complete in my home asap!
    Hugs, Jen @ frazzled5

    Reply
  16. Kelly E says

    September 27, 2012 at 5:56 pm

    Once they are trapped in the jar then what do you do?

    Reply
    • chuck says

      May 18, 2013 at 5:10 pm

      eat them, of course!

      Reply
  17. MAB says

    May 17, 2013 at 7:47 am

    Does this catch fruit flies or gnants or both… because those are two completely different insects…

    Reply
    • Mary says

      May 17, 2013 at 1:39 pm

      It catches both fruit flies and gnats!! It is awesome!

      Reply
  18. Larisa says

    July 22, 2013 at 11:14 am

    wonderful idea, just one question, how long does the fruit flies usually last in the flask alive if I do not set them free?

    Reply
    • Mary says

      July 24, 2013 at 10:15 pm

      This does not kill the fruit flies. πŸ™‚

      Reply
  19. Zadi Ankit says

    August 17, 2013 at 2:31 pm

    I have a Sundew plant that works wonders for me, sometimes even better than my Venus Fly Trap. I just put it wherever I see the flies, and soon the sundew is sprinkled with the little devils!

    Reply
    • Mary says

      August 19, 2013 at 10:53 pm

      Sounds cool!

      Reply
  20. Angela Hawes-Cunnane (@acunnane) says

    October 25, 2013 at 4:31 am

    After I wash my fruit I put it in the fridge…no fruit flies. Bananas brown in the fridge very quickly but the fruit is still white and good underneath. We also prefer our fruit cold.

    Reply
    • Mary says

      October 25, 2013 at 8:25 am

      Sounds great. πŸ™‚ Thanks for sharing.

      Reply
  21. Sandy says

    August 17, 2014 at 2:41 pm

    Thank you Mary I’m going to try it I have cleaned and sprayed even put bleach down the drain no fruit but still fruit flies

    Reply
    • Mary says

      August 18, 2014 at 1:29 am

      Good luck!

      Reply
  22. Melissa says

    August 26, 2014 at 6:40 am

    I have a few here and there in our kitchen I. Our bathroom and daughters room ? Should I place jars in all thosr rooms I absolutely hate those gross bugs

    Reply
    • Mary says

      August 26, 2014 at 1:57 pm

      I’d put them wherever the bugs are collecting.

      Reply
  23. Melanie says

    October 7, 2018 at 7:46 pm

    I hope the toothpick does the trick. I’ve had the same trap set but I used a sharp knife to poke the top….probably too big of holes because they are still flying around. Some of them went in and died, about half…. Its really getting obnoxious. I have toothpicks! Just didn’t think to use them. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Mary says

      October 28, 2018 at 10:01 pm

      Did it work??

      Reply

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