How to get rid of fruit flies (tip)

**khaski** · 08-13-2015, 10:40 PM

We have a few from time to time, especially now that it's summer and we're eating a lot of fruit. I was horrified today when the kids didn't finish their cantaloupe and the bowls, left out for maybe 1/2 an hour, attracted a little mini swarm of the disgusting buggers. I hadn't realized they were headed from 'a few' to 'bad'! So I looked online and tried a trick that really did the job, and quickly:

Use a mason jar or similar, and put in a bit of apple cider vinegar. It doesn't have to be a lot, but maybe 1/2 an inch or so. Add a drop or two of dish detergent to the vinegar to break the surface tension so the flies can't just fly away. Leave the cap off the jar and make a funnel out of a piece of paper, and place it in the jar (the paper needn't touch the liquid). Leave it out on the counter for a while. The flies will climb down, attracted by the vinegar, and drown.

Two things to help expedite their demise- heat the vinegar slightly to make it more fragrant, and/or add a chunk of over-ripe fruit to the mix to make it even more enticing.

The jar has been out 6 or 7 hours and we have 15-20 of the little buggers dead in there. I will leave it overnight to really do the job. I am very impressed this works so well, but very grossed out there were so many in here! I might have guessed we had 6 or 8, but my eyes tell me otherwise.

I will do this from now on, any time I notice any of them around.

**frugalwarrior2** · 08-14-2015, 12:21 AM

I have been battling our for a week or 2. I have 2 sticky tapes up over the sink,a dish of cider vinegar w/ the dish soap and was losing the battle. I finally found some
potatoes that had met their maker. Hopefully,this will calm down the volume. Start w/ 1 farm stand peach.

**mndtrp** · 08-16-2015, 12:14 PM

My mother did this, and at night put a little lamp over the bowl with the vinegar/dish soap to help attract the flies.

Of course, finding the source of the flies is paramount to any full scale eradication.

**frugalwarrior2** · 08-16-2015, 04:30 PM

Thanks mndtrp- I am way down and kinda grossly. They have gone into the fridge freezer and died of the cold. Luckily not inside the food. Dang things.
I was about to go cartoon and make a big cardboard paddle w/ contact paper on it soon. Looney-tunes!

**khaski** · 08-16-2015, 08:09 PM

FW2, I do not know if the 'funnel' is a key part in the vinegar bit (does it help keep them in long enough to tire and drowned?). Might be worth a try changing it up in a pinch, or trying a chunk of over-ripe fruit in it to really draw them in.

**frugalwarrior2** · 08-16-2015, 10:51 PM

Khaski-I did that w/ orange juice. The dish soap is supposed to drown them. I think I am losing it.I like opening the freezer and seeing them all dead. If it werent for the kittens I would get tougher. They don't really get on the counters except on a rare oops but I dont want them hurt. I actually skipped our town farmers market last Sat.

**ladytoysdream** · 08-17-2015, 06:58 AM

We accidently did similar to this recently.
I left a juice bottle 32 oz size out on the deck with a little juice in it.
Maybe half a inch. The mouth is just over a quarter size opening.
So the flies go in and drown. After a bit, add water, rinse and dispose
of the liquid. Use same bottle, add a bit of juice or root beer soda works
also. The bottle stays out on the deck. So good results and very frugal

No soap needed.

**frugalwarrior2** · 08-17-2015, 08:53 AM

looks like most are gone. Thank goodness they have a short life cycle.
I have 2 full sticky tapes to toss and fingers crossed. Definately must have been the taters! But thanks all.

**mndtrp** · 08-17-2015, 12:55 PM

Originally Posted by khaski

FW2, I do not know if the 'funnel' is a key part in the vinegar bit (does it help keep them in long enough to tire and drowned?). Might be worth a try changing it up in a pinch, or trying a chunk of over-ripe fruit in it to really draw them in.

I forgot to mention that my mother did not use any funnel. She just had a tupperware container with the liquids.

**bookwormpeg** · 08-22-2015, 09:52 PM

I have been fighting sugar ants.....those itty bitty tiny ants....my husband got some special ant bail which they are suppose to come and eat and take back to the nest....it seems to be working but it takes all I can do NOT to get the spray out and spray the heck out of them.....but, then if I did that, they wouldn't take it back to the queen and they would find another place to come in and attack...God, I hate them......fruit flies are bad too....we get those every now and again when my bananas sit and go black....

**frugalwarrior2** · 08-23-2015, 04:28 PM

Stupidly,they have flown in the freezer. I have swept dozens out. They cant get into the food and just freeze. Like,like a giant tupperware tub! (insert maniacal laugh). What?

**Saule** · 12-13-2015, 11:25 AM

I had forgotten to recork a bottle of wine. The next evening when I poured my glass, I thought there was sediment or bits of cork in my glass When I looked more closely, I realized it was fruit flies! A layer of them! At least they died happy!

I use the sticky tapes (fly paper tape) year round, it generally keeps them under control, just need to replace it regularly.