So, there has been a battle raging in my home over the course of the last month or so. Me vs. the fruit flies. I'm not exactly sure where they came from, but we've noticed a few of the annoying little flies here and there in the kitchen. Annoying and impossible to smash (for something so small they are shockingly agile and anticipatory.), we've just been dealing with them. However, yesterday, when I went to move the pineapple that was sitting on my counter ripening up a bit and a giant cloud of about 20 fruit flies went flying, I'd had it. Apparently, these recent pineapple purchases have been the source of this nuisance (I know. It's what I get for buying non-local, out of season, fruit - a message from the universe, I guess.)
Various retailers sell fruit fly traps and that's fabulous, but until Amazon.com can get something to my house in under an hour with one of their proposed drone delivery contraptions, it wasn't going to help the battle. I needed immediate action. A little research uncovered a completely easy and super safe and natural fix: apple cider vinegar and household dish soap. Yup, that's it.
To create a trap, place a half inch or so of apple cider vinegar in a shallow container. This is the attractant for the fruit flies and will act as the agent of their ultimate demise. However, this liquid alone is not enough as the flies are light enough to sit on the surface of the vinegar without succumbing and ultimately drowning in the vinegar. To break that surface tension and make this vinegar a deadly trap, add one squirt/ pump of dish soap. Then, set this out and wait. Within 30 minutes of setting it on the counter, I'd captured 10 flies. Overnight, there were about 5 more caught. As of this morning, there were 3 of the best and brightest flies who were not enchanted by the tantalizing scent of apple cider vinegar. After a bit of work with the swatter, those 3 have also met their demise. I'm happy to say that we are fruit fly free!
File under good to know!
Happy Hunting!
sld
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