Take control of your kitchen with a homemade fruit fly trap. I’m sick of fruit flies all summer long and am sharing my tried and true hack.
Say goodbye to fruit flies forever with this three-ingredient home remedy. It’s easy to make, and you could turn it into craft time with the kids! This homemade fruit fly trap effectively gets rid of the flies around your fresh fruit. Read on to learn how to make a fruit fly trap and the best place to keep it.
Table of Contents
What is a Fruit Fly Trap?
Have you ever noticed the teeny tiny bugs that seem to gather every time you have fresh produce in your home for more than a day or two? They seem to come out even faster in the summer months. These are fruit flies. They are so small and so annoying!
I learned how to easily get rid of them with a homemade fruit fly trap. And now I’m going to teach you how to make one too! Restore sanity and cleanliness to your home with this easy trick.
How to Make a Fruit Fly Trap
This homemade trap uses some craft skills, yet it is fairly easy to do!
First, decide what kind of container you want to use (pick one with lids you are okay poking with holes). Using a hammer and small nail, poke a few holes through the lid so that the flies can get into your jar.
Second, place the honey, apple cider vinegar and dish soap (portions in the recipe below) in the container and mix together until the honey is completely dissolved.
Finally, secure the lid and place the trap near your fresh fruit. The flies are attracted to the sweet scent and get stuck in the mixture.
You don’t need to replace the mixture often, but if you have a lot of flies then making a new batch helps to continue to trap more flies. If you keep a lot of fresh fruit around or have a lot of flies then make a few traps and place them around the kitchen. I usually make two and put them on opposite sides of the kitchen (we get a lot of flies in Florida!).
Storage Options
To store this simple recipe you need a container with a tight-fitting lid that you’re okay piercing. The flies need a way to get into the jar but leaving it completely open allows some of them to escape.
I use pint-sized glass mason jars with metal lids for my traps. This lets me put the hole-y lid on any jar I can find when making a new batch. Feel free to use whatever you want to!
Homemade Fruit Fly Trap FAQs
My trap is only three ingredients: vinegar, dish soap and honey, and it works like a charm! You probably already have these ingredients on hand so grab a jar with a metal lid and get rid of those pesky flies!
Instead of chasing down every one you see, make this three-ingredient fruit fly trap and never worry about fruit flies again. My trap is easy to make and can be left for weeks to catch flies.
No! I use that in my recipe, yet you can use any vinegar you have on hand. No need to make this complicated, just three ingredients to start getting rid of fruit flies.
More DIY Recipes
I love natural remedies, yet I need them to work effectively and be easy to make. Here are some go-to recipes I use on a regular basis:
Don’t forget to rate + review this remedy and let me know how it worked for you!
Homemade Fruit Fly Trap
Equipment
- 1 canning jar
- 1 metal skewer or small nail
Ingredients
- 1 canning jar pint sized, with tight fitting lid
- 1 metal skewer or small nail
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp honey
- 3 drops dish soap
Instructions
- Prepare the jar. Secure the metal lid on the jar. Using a metal skewer (or small nail and hammer), carefully poke holes in the lid. The holes should be large enough for fruit flies to fit through.
- Place ingredients into the prepared jar and stir until the honey is dissolved. Top with the lid and set on the countertop near fruit. The flies are attracted to the scent of the sweetened vinegar.
- Change the ingredients in the trap weekly if you have flies, or leave on the counter for several weeks, as needed.
Notes
- Any vinegar can be swapped for apple cider vinegar.
- Cane sugar can be used in place of honey.
- No need to replace the contents of the jar if you aren’t actively getting flies. This can sit out for several weeks before needing to be replaced.
This came out at the PERFECT time. Just whipped one up and set it on my counter for the crazy fruit flies. Thanks!