Natural homemade way to get rid of fruit flies

Regardless of the cleanliness of your house, fruit flies are bound to make their way inside from time to time. A little fresh fruit ripening in a bowl looks nice one day, then the next, fruit flies are found near the fruit or flying around the kitchen. While they may seem impossible to prevent, fruit flies are easy to get rid of with items you have around the house. The ingredients are safe to use and inexpensive as well.

Step 1

Fill a small clear jar or disposable plastic cup halfway with apple cider vinegar. You may add a little water to the vinegar, if desired, to prevent wasting vinegar.

Step 2

Squirt three or four drops of liquid dish soap into the vinegar. Do not stir or mix the soap and vinegar.

Step 3

Place the jar or cup in the area where you've seen fruit flies. If they've been spotted all over the kitchen, place the jar on a counter or table near areas where you've kept fruit. The jar can also be placed near the sink if you've seen fruit flies near the drain. Remove any ripening fruit from the kitchen and put it in the refrigerator.

Step 4

Check the jar frequently. You should see fruit flies that have drowned in the vinegar and soap solution. At the end of the day or the next morning, dump the old vinegar solution down the drain and refill the jar with more vinegar and soap.

Step 5

Repeat Step 4 until no more fruit flies are found. It may take two or three days to capture all the fruit flies. When no more flies are caught, dump the liquid down the drain and wash or dispose of your jar or cup.

Special Notes:

Apple cider vinegar works far better than regular vinegar for this technique.

Some variations include covering the jar with a funnel or with plastic wrap with holes poked in it, but this technique works best without any covering.

Warnings

Do not leave rotting or partially eaten fruit in your indoor trash cans, especially during summer months. Fruit flies and other pests will be attracted to the scent. Either throw old produce in the outdoor trash or freeze it until your trash goes out for removal.