Comments on: DIY: How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies with a Homemade Trap http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/ Where personal finance & frugal living are sexy, delicious, and fun. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:20:34 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Laura http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-279793 Laura Tue, 18 Oct 2011 18:32:55 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-279793 I had a friendship cake (sourdough that you keep feeding and pass on to friends) and kept the batter in tubs with cling film (saran wrap i think? sorry I'm British! lol) and poked little holes in the top. Alas, the fruit flies invaded and ruined the batter that I was going to pass on to friends, but it does work. Think I'm going to try putting several tubs out with different substances inside and see what works best. Thanks for all the tips guys! xx I had a friendship cake (sourdough that you keep feeding and pass on to friends) and kept the batter in tubs with cling film (saran wrap i think? sorry I’m British! lol) and poked little holes in the top. Alas, the fruit flies invaded and ruined the batter that I was going to pass on to friends, but it does work. Think I’m going to try putting several tubs out with different substances inside and see what works best.
Thanks for all the tips guys! xx

]]> By: Kerry http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-20408 Kerry Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:35:48 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-20408 @Stephanie @Penelope I just tried your fruit fly trap trick -- pure awesomeness. A little red vino in the cup works wonders too. ;) @Stephanie @Penelope I just tried your fruit fly trap trick — pure awesomeness. A little red vino in the cup works wonders too. ;)

]]> By: Stephanie http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-20395 Stephanie Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:50:44 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-20395 I use the same trick as Penelope above. Ripe fruit in a cup, cover with plastic wrap, poke a few small holes, and voila! It works like a charm! I use the same trick as Penelope above. Ripe fruit in a cup, cover with plastic wrap, poke a few small holes, and voila! It works like a charm!

]]> By: Mary http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-18346 Mary Tue, 04 Aug 2009 15:54:59 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-18346 I looked up some ideas on the web, and last night I cut 2 water bottles just where the top curve goes straight, to form a funnel shape. Leave the cap on and poke a few holes (from the inside so the holes are smooth in the direction you want them to go) and set it upside down in the bottle to form a funnel going down into the bottle. Bait the trap - I used a piece of overripe banana, a little kombucha (because it smells like cider vinegar and the fruit flies hover around the cloth over the jar) and a drop of dish soap for the surfactant properties - they drown more easily. So far I have caught many many fruit flies, and the population is noticeably diminished. I hope much more so by the time I get home tonight! I have read they can come in as eggs attached to fruit, so from now on I plan to watch (or wash) new produce fo any sign of problems. I looked up some ideas on the web, and last night I cut 2 water bottles just where the top curve goes straight, to form a funnel shape. Leave the cap on and poke a few holes (from the inside so the holes are smooth in the direction you want them to go) and set it upside down in the bottle to form a funnel going down into the bottle. Bait the trap – I used a piece of overripe banana, a little kombucha (because it smells like cider vinegar and the fruit flies hover around the cloth over the jar) and a drop of dish soap for the surfactant properties – they drown more easily. So far I have caught many many fruit flies, and the population is noticeably diminished. I hope much more so by the time I get home tonight!
I have read they can come in as eggs attached to fruit, so from now on I plan to watch (or wash) new produce fo any sign of problems.

]]> By: Susanne http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-15000 Susanne Wed, 03 Jun 2009 07:13:18 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-15000 a little white wine in the bottom of a cup, a layer of saran wrap on the top of the container with a few holes poked in it. Works great. I will try the cider vinegar as I seem to have more of that than wine. a little white wine in the bottom of a cup, a layer of saran wrap on the top of the container with a few holes poked in it. Works great. I will try the cider vinegar as I seem to have more of that than wine.

]]> By: Shell http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-8244 Shell Wed, 21 Jan 2009 02:29:49 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-8244 Vinegar took forever and didn't really work, they were procreating faster than dying. Use a vacuum cleaner! The hose just sucks them up. Vinegar took forever and didn’t really work, they were procreating faster than dying. Use a vacuum cleaner! The hose just sucks them up.

]]> By: tendo http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-7935 tendo Thu, 08 Jan 2009 23:47:58 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-7935 Red wine in the bottom of the jar works really well, that way I can also enjoy the thought of them dying drunk and happy. Then again , cleaning out the cupboards once in awhile would have prevented the problem all together. Red wine in the bottom of the jar works really well, that way I can also enjoy the thought of them dying drunk and happy. Then again , cleaning out the cupboards once in awhile would have prevented the problem all together.

]]> By: Cami http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-7456 Cami Sun, 21 Dec 2008 07:28:48 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-7456 We found sake works best. Of course, we discovered this by accident, we were trying to drink the sake and we could not keep the flies out of our glasses! Now we keep sake on hand just in case we need to lay traps, but not the good stuff! The cheapest stuff (perhaps not worth drinking) works just as well. Vinegar huh... perhaps we'll try this next summer. It might be cheaper than bad sake (though perhaps not by much) and useful for other things. We found sake works best. Of course, we discovered this by accident, we were trying to drink the sake and we could not keep the flies out of our glasses!

Now we keep sake on hand just in case we need to lay traps, but not the good stuff! The cheapest stuff (perhaps not worth drinking) works just as well.

Vinegar huh… perhaps we’ll try this next summer. It might be cheaper than bad sake (though perhaps not by much) and useful for other things.

]]> By: Kaylynn http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-6964 Kaylynn Fri, 05 Dec 2008 08:14:18 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-6964 We've always had a problem with fruit flies, especially in summer and fall. One thing my mother always did, ( and always worked) was to take a little cup or a deep saucer, and put some dish soap (we used Sunlight) and vinegar. Those little suckers go straight for it and it isn't long until you see a few floating. We keep a dish out all year long to keep the house pest free.. works great. Portion doesnt matter too much, just 1 part soap three parts vinegar does the trick! We’ve always had a problem with fruit flies, especially in summer and fall. One thing my mother always did, ( and always worked) was to take a little cup or a deep saucer, and put some dish soap (we used Sunlight) and vinegar.
Those little suckers go straight for it and it isn’t long until you see a few floating.

We keep a dish out all year long to keep the house pest free.. works great. Portion doesnt matter too much, just 1 part soap three parts vinegar does the trick!

]]> By: Kathleen http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/comment-page-1/#comment-5869 Kathleen Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:56:07 +0000 http://www.squawkfox.com/2008/10/02/diy-how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-homemade-trap/#comment-5869 We have just today been infested around all the windows of the home. YIKES. I am only assuming they are fruit flies as I have no idea what they look like close up. I am always careful with fruit but now remembering we just had pumpkins out on the stoop (after we carved- dumb) for a few days. Could that be it? I will go home and try the wax paper over cup with rubber band and use the apple cider vinegar (after work) My hubby is home furiously cleaning right now. He is very freaked out as are the children. Hoping this works. Side note on the apple cider vinegar....my daughter age 9 had a couple planters warts on her heel. I dipped a cottonball in apple cider vinegar and placed it on the wart overnite for serveral days (exactly the size of the wart-no bigger), then taped it up with duct tape. The warts completely died after a few days and fell right off. :) Kathleen We have just today been infested around all the windows of the home. YIKES. I am only assuming they are fruit flies as I have no idea what they look like close up. I am always careful with fruit but now remembering we just had pumpkins out on the stoop (after we carved- dumb) for a few days. Could that be it?
I will go home and try the wax paper over cup with rubber band and use the apple cider vinegar (after work)
My hubby is home furiously cleaning right now. He is very freaked out as are the children.

Hoping this works.

Side note on the apple cider vinegar….my daughter age 9 had a couple planters warts on her heel. I dipped a cottonball in apple cider vinegar and placed it on the wart overnite for serveral days (exactly the size of the wart-no bigger), then taped it up with duct tape. The warts completely died after a few days and fell right off. :)

Kathleen

]]>