Fruit flies (also known as Vinegar Flies) are common in households. Generally harmless, a fruit fly infestation is pretty disgusting, and for great reason. They use ripening and softening food (mostly fruit) to lay their eggs in, where the young larvae (they look like little white worms) crawl through the food and eat it as they grow. Of course, they poop in the food as they grow too. They can be brought home in many ways, but are usually brought in the home from the grocery store on produce or other food. You can’t get sick from fruit flies and their eggs and larvae, but again, the whole idea of them living in the food you eat is repulsive for many.
Homemade fruit fly traps have been made and improved upon for years as an alternative to chemicals for getting rid of flies. Homemade fly catchers are very effective. You don’t need to spend a lot of money or time ridding yourself of your swarm of fruit flies. Here are 10 of the best, quick, easy, and cheap DIY fruit fly catcher ideas that you can make at home. Also if you have some garden area you can grow these plants that repel flies.
1- Suck them up with this diy fly trap!
A homemade motorized fruit fly trap by instructables like this one attracts the flies with a smelly bait that they like (like vinegar), and literally sucks them into the trap with a motor and fan. Never again will a smart fly or two get away!
2- Fruit fly catcher made from common household stuff
This homemade fruit fly trap by insects.about employs stuff that every single house has. A piece of plastic, a rubber band, and a container of any kind makes up this homemade fly killer. If you’re that much of in a pinch, you could probably find all of the makings of this trap discarded out on the street in many places.
3- Super simple yet very effective homemade fly catcher
This simple idea combines the same sort of bait that fruit flies can’t resist (vinegar) with a cone that’s easy to fly into but not fly back out of. Fruit flies fly into the hole of the bottom of the paper funnel cone and can’t fly back out- where you can drown them in the vinegar. Passive, yet extremely effective. This natural fly killer by getridoffliesguide is also non-toxic and safe to use in a home with a family.
4- Takes 30 seconds to make this homemade fly killer!
This is another incredibly simple DIY fruit fly trap by instructables that uses more very common household things that hide in junk drawers. There’s some really great bait suggestions in this DIY instruct-able too. Simply use what you see the flies attracted to like over ripe fruit on the kitchen counter. You may also like to see homemade tick repellents.
5- Use yeast to combat fruit fly infestation!
There are several species of fruit flies, and sometimes some fruit flies may be attracted to different baits than other flies. This yeast fruit flies trap by lancaster.unl.edu will attract All species of fruit flies, by offering a substance in a trap that the flies really enjoy laying their eggs into. Again, the ingredients for this homemade fruit fly trap are all very simple and easy to make.
6- Fruit fly traps to catch the vermin in style!
This blog idea is chock full of methods of capturing flies that might appeal to the more cultured. Try using wine, alcohol, or incense. There’s even a homemade fly catcher idea by stylemepretty that’s quite appealing to the murder-minded. Simply try completely destroying fruit flies right out of the air with a hair dryer! Might be fun on a rainy day…
7- Built to last
This is tough and attractive homemade fruit fly trap by curbly that will last a lifetime. Made from a simple mason jar and lid, you can find all of the makings of this trap from the same place you probably brought them home from- the grocery store.
8- A double whammy to get rid of the fruit flies fast!
This method of ridding your house of the fruit loving pests requires a very active and aggressive first step of manually capturing flies. The second step cleans up all the buggers you missed with a trap that lures them in. You could potentially rid your home of all of your flies with this one by husbandhood in a day with these two combined methods.
9- Super simple, easy to make and fast trap!
Another passive method of trapping and drowning flies, this trap employs a pop bottle and some form of liquid attractant that also drowns the hapless flies that make it into the trap. And yet another great idea in this article for bait, there are many kinds of baits that work great for killing fruit flies like this one by briellesavalon!
10- Several natural ideas to kill your fruit flies
Here are some more ideas for trapping and killing fruit flies by everydayroots using rotting fruit and other similar ingredients, but check out the recipe for a spray that works as a direct attack. Lemongrass and hot water kill the bugs on contact- so if you have a few fruit flies that are too stubborn for traps, this spray will pick them off in a flash. Oh, and it smells nice too! You may also like to see homemade pesticides.
11- Have paper, a cup, and a piece of apple? Now you have a trap!
Here’s a final example of how effective homemade fruit fly traps like this one by apartmenttherapy can be made with the simplest of ingredients. Try using some ripe and juicy apple with vinegar to lure in and drown those buggers once and for all. A simple homemade cone with paper and tape finish off the deadly assembly. You may also like to see mosquito and fly repellent plants.
Conclusion
Fruit flies are pretty unsightly, but they’re easy to get rid of. Try some of these fantastic ideas for traps and your flies will be gone in no time!
