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I am not a big fan of the winter months.
After enduring brutal snowstorm after snowstorm in Ohio I made my way south, serendipitously finding my own slice of paradise courtesy of Ebay.
Although the winter months are much milder than up north, it still is quite cold and I can’t wait for the first signs of spring.
Unfortunately, along with the flowers blooming and greenery slowly beginning to replace the once barren landscape, there comes an unwanted visitor: the pesky fruit fly.
There is nothing more annoying than being dive-bombed by these pests as you try to eat (or pretty much do anything at all) in the sanctuary of your own home.
Well I have come across several solutions that really tilt the playing field in your favor when waging all out war against these winged instruments of ultimate annoyance.
I think an appropriate way is to list each method by assigning a FIRE-type personality and you can pick which remedy fits best:
Tier 1: The Frugalist.
The frugalist does not need fancy accoutrements.
He or she will deconstruct an item down to its major necessary components and toss away the more frivolous parts.
This method is tried and true and essentially was the one I initially implemented in my home.
The materials are inexpensive and readily available in most homes.
Essentially it consists of taking a small bowl, filling it with the attractant (apple cider vinegar), adding a drop or two of dish detergent (to help break surface tension), and then covering tightly with plastic film.
Using a pin, carefully poke tiny holes across the film covering (avoid the tendency to make the holes too large or they can escape).
Place in areas around the house where the fruit flies bother you most and voila, you’re done.
Pros:
- Inexpensive.
- Highly effective if done right (mainly the size of the holes on the film).
Cons:
- Unsightly (a bowl full of sunken dead fruit flies is not the most appetizing stimulus especially in the kitchen).
- If you have kids (or clumsy adults) your fruit fly trap can be easily knocked over and the combination of apple cider vinegar and multiple fruit fly carcasses can quickly create a “fun” spill to clean up.
- Has the highest evaporation rate of the methods requiring more frequent apple cider vinegar refills.
Tier 2: The Repurposer.
The Repurposer is not afraid to buy items that bring pleasure to his or her life.
However rather than just tossing out that item after its intended use is over, the Repurposer will MacGyver it into another completely useful product getting more bang for the buck.
This fruit fly method essentially uses the same ingredients (apple cider vinegar and a couple drops of dish detergent) but “glams it up some” by placing said ingredients in a used wine bottle.
With a little arts and crafts prowess, a small paper funnel is created that is then placed in the bottle opening.
Pros:
- Less evaporation and better aesthetics than the first method.
- Inexpensive.
Cons:
- In a night of revelry may be accidentally mistaken as an opened bottle of wine which could subsequently lead to the quickest method of sobering up known to man.
Tier 3: Having the Joneses Over.
To up your fruit fly game to the next level requires actually buying a product specifically designed for trapping fruit flies.
The extra money buys something that can be placed in front of company without notifying them that you either a) have no idea what potpourri is supposed to look like (method I) or b) have a drinking problem (method II).
Product 1:
I bought this several years ago and did not find this to be as effective as the cheaper methods above.
Although visually it looked nice, the design was quite awkward and had a lot of inherent flaws:
- The opening for the fruit flies was at the bottom and thus there was a fine line between filling this container appropriately and making a mess.
- This design also required the product to be hung to be effective.
- Cleanup was much more difficult as well and the overall capacity for fruit flies was quite low.
I no longer use this product.
Product 2:
This is by far my favorite of the ready made contraptions I have bought throughout the years.
There is a top half and a bottom half that twist on and off so it is easy to fill and clean.
This securing mechanism also gives this product the best spill prevention capabilities.
It comes in various colors and can be placed unobtrusively anywhere.
The entrance for the fruit flies is a funnel shaped opening from the top which allows this to be placed on shelves and not require being hung like the BioCare product.
And best of all this product really works:
Hopefully with these tips and products, any fruit fly problem you may have had will be a thing of the past.
Curious to see what other items are in my doctor’s bag?
Just open the bag and peer inside, you may find something of use.
-Xrayvsn
NOTE: The website XRAYVSN contains affiliate links and thus receives compensation whenever a purchase through these links is made (at no further cost to you). As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Although these proceeds help keep this site going they do not have any bearing on the reviews of any products I endorse which are from my own honest experiences. Thank you- XRAYVSN
We occasionally draw fruit flies in large numbers thanks to a guava tree and they are annoying critters, so I like your wine bottle solution! In AP biology we had to cross breed drosophila melanogaster for a genetics experiment that lived in my parents’ fridge for several weeks, the upshot being that now after I swat them I am able to distinguish males from females. Not as popular a party trick as you might think…
Very cool about the guava tree. Yeah the wine bottle trick does work wonders and not too out of place. Hope it solves your problem like it has mine.
“…now after I swat them I am able to distinguish males from females”
This is hilarious.
— TDD
The paper funnel in the wine bottle is definitely something that I’m going to try.
We’ve had success also with the simple vinegar and dish soap in a cup (without the plastic wrap cover). The fruit flies just drown in the liquid, no escape possible!
But you’re right — the liquid evaporates and scents your kitchen with a tangy vinegar scent (not my favorite).
— TDD
Glad to see that you might benefit from the stuff I have picked up during my quest to get rid of these annoying dive bombers 🙂 The wine bottle trick definitely works and the liquid stays in there quite some time so not always having to refill. Just remember not to accidentally pick it up and drink it. LOL
You could probably add some scent to the vinegar and turn the process floral or pine scented. Entertaining piece Xray
Good idea 🙂
Glad you enjoyed it Gasem. Every now and then I figure some non financial tips I have learned in my life may be of use to someone else 🙂
We’ve been using your first method when we have tons of fruit flies. It works pretty well but yea, it’s not aesthetically appealing. So now we just remember to not leave anything out that might attract fruit flies. 🙂
I unfortunately know first hand what an accidental spill of the bowl method results in 🙂
Unfortunately we do have fruit in the kitchen left out (bananas, apples, etc) that is pretty much a major source of our issues without a great alternative if we still want to eat healthy.
Appreciate you stopping by and commenting. Have a great one.
THE WORST!!!! #1 has been our go-to. I’ve tried the wine thing too, but without the paper lid (which is why I didn’t catch many, probably).
I will say the most satisfying (and nauseating) solution was finding the egg/larvae hub at the inner rim of our kitchen trashcan and bleaching it to oblivion. 10/10 would recommend.
Interesting about the bleaching solution. Have to look for the source then 🙂
Yeah without the paper funnel the flies can sort of climb their way out. That’s why a prefer putting saran wrap over the bowl method as well. I sometimes see flies going along the side and not falling in but if you have film over the top they eventually can’t escape their new forever home underneath the apple cider lake 🙂
Believe it or not, part of the reason we left the south (after 8 years) was because we actually started to miss old man winter! Fruit flies are not as bad here, but we are dealing with really bad black flies and mosquitoes this year. I was using method one when we were down south but without the plastic film. Not sure how I missed that step!
Max.
Appreciate you dropping by Max. I am definitely not a winter person so 13 yrs and counting and no desire to go north.
I think the plastic wrap helps reduce evaporation and also capture more. I was surprised how small a hole they could go through but once in its over