How to Banish Fruit Flies With 2 Ingredients You Already Have in Your Kitchen

Buzz buzz buzz. One lone fruit fly zooming around your head as you do the dishes is an all too common occurrence.

Tempting as it might be to swat it away and forget about it, you should really deal with the problem then and there. Since females can lay up to 500 eggs at a time, one fly can turn into a full-blown infestation before you know it.

Here’s an easy trap you can make in a few minutes to stop fruit flies in their tracks. When they smell the sweet apple cider vinegar, the flies will speed through the paper funnel, only to be trapped in the liquid inside. Check the trap after a few days—those black specks in the solution are proof that it works!

DIY Fruit Fly Trap

What You Need

Small jar or cup
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 drop dish soap
1 piece of paper
Tape

Instructions

Add apple cider vinegar and dish soap to jar and stir to combine. Cut the piece of paper into a rough circle, then fold it into a cone with a very small hole at the center. Tape the edges of the paper to secure the cone, then set it on top of the jar to create your trap.

Set the trap out on the kitchen counter, or wherever you see fruit flies. After several days, discard contents and wash the jar thoroughly.

Bonus tip: Starting at 0:22 in the video, find out how to make a simple fruit fly repellent spry with two ingredients—plain old H2O and lemongrass essential oil.

Photo credit: Paul Delmont