Are fruit flies driving you crazy (or dare I say, buggy)?
I’ve been there. Today I am sharing three great methods for saving your sanity and ridding your home of those pesky pests.
All three of these options are healthy and do not use any chemicals. You can pick one or use them all three.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. When you click on these links (and pictures), I may receive a small commission – as an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It will not cost you anything. I only share products and services that I truly believe in and think are great.
Option 1 – Homemade Trap
Apple Cider Vinegar & Soap Trap
For this fruit fly trap, you simply need the following ingredients:
–Apple Cider Vinegar (1/4 – 1/3 cup)
–Dish Soap
–Cling Wrap
-an ice pick or needle
-a small bowl or cup
-a rubber band
Instructions:
- Pour some apple cider vinegar (ACV) into your small container – you do not need to fully fill the container, simply make sure there is about ½ inch of the vinegar on the bottom of the container.
- Next, add two to three drops of the dis soap to the ACV and stir to combine.
- After the mixture is combined, place a piece of cling wrap on top of the container. Make sure to pull it taught across the top like a drum.
- Secure the cling wrap with the rubber band.
- Lastly, using an ice pick or needle, poke a few holes (7-12) into the cling wrap.
The science behind how this method is effective:
The fruit flies are attracted to the smell of the apple cider vinegar…they travel through the small holes into the container. The soap creates a barrier on the vinegar (like an oil slick) and when the flies dip down into the liquid they get stuck – and die. If they do not get stuck in the liquid (as in decide, “Hmmm, this looks like a trap, I’m getting outta here…”), they have great difficulty finding their way back out of the small holes in the cling wrap and eventually they die in the bowl.
I think this is a great method for if you had a piece of fruit or a potato go bad and have thrown out the offending item and only have a few fruit flies left.
Maybe I’m twisted, but after you’ve been plagued by these annoying creatures there is a certain amount of satisfaction that comes from seeing a collection of dead ones at the bottom of your homemade trap.
Option 2 – High Tech
Bug Zapper
I originally got this gadget to help repel mosquitoes (in case I have not mentioned it, I am a delicacy in the mosquito world).
This particular zapper is small – it is charged with a micro-USB – and it has multiple functions. It has four different flashlight functions (including a strobe option), as well as the bug zapping light. It also has an alleged solar panel top to charge it while camping, ect. I have not had much luck with those on other gadgets before – let’s just say the solar panel was not a particular selling point for me.
I have taken this with me out on walks and when laying in my hammock and it does its job of catching mosquitos.
One day I thought, what if I just leave the bug zapping light on and set this on the counter while I sleep…
I woke up to find a whole host of dead buggies caught in the lines. There were a few mosquitos that had snuck into the house, and there were fruit flies. They weren’t too small to get caught!
This gadget is so easy to clean too! It is waterproof so you simply run it under the faucet to clear off the zapped bugs.
The science behind this method:
The bug light that you click on has an attractive quality to flying insects. They approach the light and are basically electrocuted on the little wires that run across the light. This kind of technology has been around for a long time. It is a great option because there are no harmful chemicals or tangy ACV smell.
Option 3 – Create a Barrier
Play Sand in Your House Plants
This one is super easy… Simply top off each of your house plants with some plain old play sand – like for a sand box. You only need a couple of cups (generally) to cover the soil in an average household plant pot.
I currently have several (more than I’d care to admit) baby avocado trees in my house to protect them from the cold/crazy Texas weather as well as those vicious pests known as squirrels.
I topped off each pot with sand and have noticed the fruit flies are become less and less each day. I believe my avocado plants are the source of the whole annoying issue.
Before you add the sand, make sure to check and see if there are any little webs (similar to spider webs). Wipe them off the stem of the plant and/or sides of the pot before you add the sand.
When you add the sand make sure to tap the edges and sides of the pot to get the sand to fill in any possible entry ways to the soil for the bugs. This keeps the sand from getting easily washed aside when you water.
When using this method, make sure to water your plants with a long spout watering can or pitcher (like this one:
as close to the stem as possible. (This will keep the sand from getting washed away and making the soil and its organic goodness available again to fruit flies.)
The science behind this method:
The sand creates a barrier between the fruit flies and the organic matter in the soil. If they can’t feed, they cannot reproduce. The sand does not harm your plants. It allows water to make it to the soil and the roots just like normal.
My latest YouTube video walks you through each of the three methods in under seven minutes:
I hope one of these (or all of these) methods help you.