How to Make a Homemade Fruit Fly Trap

Attract fruit flies with their favorite -- rotting banana peel.

If you find that you've got a fruit fly infestation, ignoring it won't make it go away. They love over-ripe and rotting fruit, but can come from other sources as well. Any moist area where organic matter is rotting will be a good place for the larvae to grow -- a seldom-used drain, standing garbage or the bottom of the recycling bin. Find and dispose of the source of fruit flies in your home. To get rid of fruit flies in your house, use a homemade fruit fly trap.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Apple cider vinegar
• Dishwashing liquie
• Scraps of rotting fruit (optional)

1. Pour 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar in a small bowl or jar. The flies are attracted to the vinegar.

2. Add 2 or 3 drops dishwashing liquid. The brand isn't important, but the thicker detergents tend to work better. The dishwashing liquid weighs them down, preventing their escape.

3. Dilute the solution with 1/4 cup water and gently stir.

4. Add scraps of rotting fruit, especially banana peels, to further attract the fruit flies.

5. Place a trap in every room you've seen fruit flies in.

6. Put out fresh traps in 24 hours if you still see fruit flies flying around.

Tips & Warnings

• Close the door to each room that contains a fruit fly trap.

• Bananas and peels tend to work the absolute best for attracting them into the traps.

• After 12 to 24 hours you should change the solution.

• Keep the traps out of reach of children; fermenting vinegar can be harmful to children.

References

• Pest Supply: Fruit Fly