Fruit flies and gnats seem to love summer as much as the rest of us do.
In particular, fruit flies are attracted to fruits and vegetables, but they also attack potted plants and settle in moist soil.
Not only is it annoying and kind of gross to have fruit flies at home, but they can also destroy your food and plants.
And given how fast these annoying pests reproduce, it makes sense to do something about them as soon as possible.
Fortunately, you don’t have to rush to the store and buy any expensive chemicals to fix the problem. The solution is actually much closer than you think!
Most of the supplies you’ll need are already in your pantry or refrigerator. What you want to do is make a homemade fruit fly trap like the one in the picture below.
First, you’ll need a cup. Fill it with one of the ingredients listed below and cover it with plastic wrap. Then, just prick several holes in the plastic wrap with a toothpick and put it wherever you see fruit flies go.
Red wine
Just like many humans, fruit flies love red wine—or at least the smell of it. Combine 1/2 cup of red wine with 1 1/2 cups of water and pour it into the trap as described above.
Place the cup where fruit flies gather and then watch as the flies enter the trap and drown in the liquid.
Apple cider vinegar
This is perhaps one of best ingredients, since it’s cheap and easy to find. Heat up 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar and add a few drops of liquid detergent to it. Mix well and pour the solution into the trap.
The sweet smell of vinegar will attract flies and mosquitoes, while the detergent will trap the curious flies.
Fruit and vegetable scraps
Another easy way to bait the trap is to use what attracted these annoying pests in the first place.
Fill the cup with fruit or vegetables scraps and you’ll get similar results to using various liquids.
Milk, pepper, and sugar
If you have any expired dairy products, you can also use them in your jar trap. Heat 2 cups of milk and then stir in 8 tablespoons of sugar and 4 tablespoons of pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes and then pour the solution into a shallow bowl.
The flies will be attracted to the sweet smell and then drown when they get into the solution.
Lemon oil
The smell of citrus can ward off insects and fruit flies.
Mix 2 cups of hot water and pour 10-15 drops of lemon/lemongrass oil into a clean spray bottle and spray your kitchen wherever you see fruit flies.
Paper funnel
Alternatively, you can make a paper fruit fly trap by rolling a sheet of paper into a cone shape. Put the small end of the paper in a glass or glass jar and make sure there’s a small opening in the bottom of the funnel.
Place any “bait” in the glass and watch fruit flies walk in, but not get out…
Please share this clever home remedy with everyone you know on Facebook.
Hopefully, some of these tips will help your friends 🙂
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