If Fruit Flies Keep Appearing In Your Kitchen, Grab A Little Duct Tape

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By winter's end, all you want to do is enjoy spring and summer — the warmth, the sunshine, the flavors. You want to fill your kitchen with fruit and crack the window for the lovely breeze. But one nuisance can put a real damper on all of that: fruit flies. Fruit flies start appearing as as temperatures rise, and they can multiply fast. They're the last thing you want buzzing around your home. So, how can you get a fruit fly problem under control? It may be as simple as duct tape — almost. 

This solution is straightforward. Fruit flies hover around, and duct tape catches them, its stickiness keeping them from escaping. If you count the duct tape and maybe a little incentive you spread on that tape to really lure these bugs in, you only need a few household items to create an effective fly trap. 

You can use regular or double-sided duct tape. It helps to give the tape some structure, which you can easily do by cutting strips of cardboard from boxes. Cut both the tape and cardboard in pieces around 6-7 inches — shorter if you need to fit this trap in a snug space, longer if you need more of a barrier in a certain area. If not using double-sided tape, make a simple syrup by heating sugar and water, which acts like a glue. You can also spread this syrup on the tape's adhesive side to attract flies. 

If you're using double-sided duct tape and don't need to make a simple syrup-like glue, you can simply spritz a mixture of sugar water onto the tape. A light mist is enough to attract flies without compromising the tape's stickiness. You can add some extra incentives for flies into this mixture, too, like apple cider vinegar or fruit juice. 

Once you've created your traps, hang them with string or something sturdy but temporary, like Command strips that won't damage walls. You can also just lay the duct tape and cardboard strips on any surfaces that need some fly-battling help. Concentrate placement around key fruit-fly breeding areas: Anywhere you keep produce out, like a fruit bowl, garbage can, or window. 

This hack is effective and affordable, but it works best if you're also taking other measures. Think of it like an added line of defense. You want to ideally keep fruit flies off your produce altogether. Rinse fruits and vegetables as soon as you get them home, and once ripe, keep them in your refrigerator. Ensure your garbage is completely contained and keep kitchen surfaces clean. To double up on methods, create another trap by putting apple cider vinegar and dish soap into a jar that's covered but has holes for flies to get in. Place a duct tape trap near that jar — between the two, you're sure to catch plenty of flies.