Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Countertop Fruit Fly Trap

Two weeks ago our home was invaded...by fruit flies. I think they came home on a bunch of bananas. They really like my kitchen. It's comfy here with kombucha, a compost bin, and wheat flour soaking.

Though these bugs are small, they pose a HUGE annoyance factor. We've found them in every room of the house. Argh!

Some would advise getting rid of the fruit, kombucha, compost bin and other countertop fermenting experiments. I'm not yet ready for that drastic step.

Enter the fruit fly trap.

Pour 1/2 inch apple cider vinegar in the bottom of a jar. Add a slice of banana. Roll up a piece of paper into a funnel then tap it to the jar, making a nice seal.

The flies go in - and can't figure out how to leave!

You can wait for them to drown or stash the jar in the freezer for a bit. Either way flies die.

6 comments:

Mom2fur said...

We get those little pests, too. I'm definitely trying this idea!

Anonymous said...

I'll take fruit flies over the maggots/flies I had last summer when something died in the wall of the house!

Julie said...

that is awesome!

I have a question for you. We don't really get coconut oil here, but i have found coconut cream and coconut milk... do you suggest either of these for the health benefit (in all your research?) Just curious...and how do you think you would use them/as substitutes?

Julie said...

Julie - re: coconut oil - coconut cream and coconut milk are still very good for you. I've not tried experimenting with them in place of the oil - because I have access to oil. You could experiment with the cream for oil...maybe starting with 1/2 butter and 1/2 coconut cream then increasing the amt of coconut cream...

Andy and Kiara said...

I just learned about these fruit fly traps from Aisha, and they are great! Our house was invaded also. Seemed like hundreds of them. Okay....I think it WAS hundreds of them! Came in on strawberries, we think. Anyway, we just use some overripe fruit in the bottom of the jar, and that works also if you don't have ACV on hand. Currently we have an overripe strawberry in the jar with 40+ fruit flies. And very few around the house anymore. :)

Anonymous said...

I've done the same thing with plastic wrap over the container. I've posted it for Works for Me Wednesday; here's my post:

http://sandwiched.wordpress.com/2009/10/07/wfmw-getting-rid-of-fruit-flies/

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