Things You'll Need
2 oz. apple cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. liquid dish soap
Jar
Plastic wrap
Toothpick
Leaving fermenting baked goods, open beverages and overripe produce exposed in kitchens attracts fruit flies. Also known as vinegar gnats, fruit flies are tiny red-eyed insects that prevalently enter homes through window and door screens, infesting garbage disposals, drains, trash containers, moist mops and rotting foods. While these microscopic flies do not bite people, their larvae contaminate food products with bacteria. Individual female fruit flies lay around 500 eggs on a single piece of fruit. Since fruit flies spread so quickly, promptly get ride of these annoying pests using simple techniques.
Step 1
Inspect the kitchen for open food or beverage containers, ripe produce and fermenting food. Look behind and underneath appliances, cabinets, trash containers and any hidden crevice where open containers and food can become lodged. Discard open containers, ripe produce and fermenting food debris immediately.
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Step 2
Construct a homemade bait solution to trap the fruit flies in. Pour 2 oz. of apple cider vinegar and 1/4 tsp. of liquid dish soap into a jar. Apple cider vinegar attracts fruit flies, and dish soap makes them sink into the solution.
Step 3
Cover the open jar of bait with plastic wrap. Using a toothpick, pierce three holes through the plastic to let the fruit flies access the bait.
Step 4
Sit the jar of bait on the kitchen countertop during the day, when fruit flies are active. Leave the jar for 12 hours to let flies access and drown in the bait.
Step 5
Pour the bait and dead fruit flies down the kitchen sink's drain. Thoroughly flush the bait and flies with water.
Tip
Always discard or refrigerate ripe produce to prevent fruit flies.
Frequently discard garbage and wash trash containers to prevent fruit flies.
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