How to Make a Homemade Fruit Fly Trap With Vinegar

Fruit flies can be easily trapped with vinegar.

Fruit flies are tiny flies that can infest areas where food is stored or prepared. They are particularly attracted to the scents given off by spoiling fruit. To eliminate infestations, it is important to practice proper sanitation--keeping fruits, vegetables and other food items away from fruit flies. Trapping the flies will also help. Because vinegar gives off a similar scent, it is frequently used to bait fruit fly traps. There's no need to purchase a trap; a simple fruit fly trap can easily be constructed from a few household items.

Things You'll Need

• Sheet notebook paper
• Roll of 1 inch transparent tape
• Quart mason jar
• Apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Place a small plate on a piece of paper and trace the outside of the plate with the pencil. Cut out the paper circle. Locate the center of the paper circle. Make a cut straight from the side of the circle to its center. Roll the paper circle into a cone. Tape the cone together. Cut about 1/2 inch from the tip of the cone.

2. Place about 1/2 inch of apple cider vinegar in the bottom of a quart mason jar. Place the cone point down into the mouth of the jar. Tape the outside of the jar and cone to seal the space between them.

3. Locate the trap in the immediate area where fruit flies have been found. For heavy infestations, build multiple traps and place them 3 to 4 feet apart. Check the trap to see if it is working well. If not, relocate the trap. Change the vinegar once a month to keep the trap properly baited.

References

• University of Kentucky Entomology: Fruit Flies
• University of Rhode Island Fact sheet: Vinegar & Fruitflies