You Only Need A Few Items Already In Your House For An Effective Fruit Fly Trap

Having fresh fruit and other produce in the house is lovely, but the flying pests that come with it? Not so much. If you've been noticing fruit flies buzzing around your kitchen, you'll want to act fast to prevent their little colony from growing. Don't fret, though, because everything you need to make an effective fruit fly trap is probably already in your kitchen.

There are lots of swear-by tricks and old wives' tales about how to get rid of fruit flies. The funnel trap is one of the simplest and most effective. You'll need a container with a small or medium-sized opening, like a glass or Mason jar, a piece of paper, and something to use as bait, like apple cider vinegar, wine, beer, or even a piece of fruit like a peeled banana (toss the peel in there, too), and some water. Roll the piece of paper into a cone shape with a narrow opening at the tip and secure it with a piece of tape, if needed. Then, fill your jar or glass with a little bit of the bait liquid. Place the homemade paper funnel in the container, making sure it doesn't touch the liquid, and that's it. The fruit flies will be attracted to the sweet, fermenting concoction and make their way down the funnel and into the glass. Meanwhile, the funnel's narrow opening makes it difficult for them to get back out. 

The funnel trap quickly lures in fruit flies thanks to the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar and old beer and wine. Acetic acid is a byproduct of fermentation, and its aroma mimics that of ripening fruit, which, naturally, fruit flies are big fans of. There are tons of other common pantry staples that keep kitchen pests away, but apple cider vinegar is strong and sweet, making it a potent favorite. If the funnel trap doesn't seem to be working as quickly or as well as you'd like, you can add a few drops of dish soap to the vinegar and whisk it up a bit to create a bubbly top layer on the liquid. The soapy residue acts as a glue to weigh down any flies that attempt to rest on the nectar's surface.

Once your fruit fly infestation is remedied, it's time to focus on prevention. Rinsing your new bananas as soon as you get them home can wash away any fruit fly eggs that may be hitching a ride. You can also ward off future flies with fresh basil, which repels bugs thanks to its pungent, herbal smell. Other hacks for keeping bugs out of your kitchen include keeping cinnamon sticks in your fresh fruit bowl, wiping counters with diluted tea tree oil, and keeping a spray bottle of white vinegar mixed with water on deck at all times. A quick spritz around your home and concentrated on bug entry points repels critters and even prevents household odors.