We managed to make it through the summer entirely fruit fly free…until now.
I forgot to empty our Bio Bags Max Air Composting Bucket, and before I knew it these pesky little flies found their way into the bucket, and were hovering around every other piece of fruit in the kitchen- yuck!
So what’s an eco-crazy mom to do with a kitchen full of fruit flies?
Well, call me crazy, but a bunch of fly paper strips hanging around the kitchen just didn’t sound very attractive, or sanitary. I knew there had to be a more natural, earth friendly way to get rid of these little pests, and I was determined to find it!
Thankfully the solution was as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1. Fill a glass mason jar (or any jar) with about an inch of apple cider vinegar.
2. Create a paper funnel, snipping a small opening at the end, and place it inside the jar just above the A.C.V.
3. Place jar near fruit (or compost bucket in my case), and the fruit flies will fly in, get trapped, and drown.
Problem solved. And yes, it really works!
Best of all you aren’t using any toxic chemicals or a plastic mass-produced contraption designed to catch the flies. Once again, mother nature prevails!
I also asked some other eco-crazy moms to share their tips on our Facebook Page, here are their tips…
Amber: I have placed a jar of vinegar mixed with a little sugar in the kitchen with saran wrap as a lid. I poked tiny holes in it and caught most of the fruit flies. Worked like a charm.
Katherine: Get rid of what’s attracting them.
Julie: Pour vinegar in a bowl , cover it with saranwrap, poke holes in the top and within a few minutes, they start gathering and trap themselves in the bowl and DIE ! hahaha
Tina: I use a small cup, add 1/8 cup of apple cider vinegar and tsp of dr. bronner’s liquid soap. I cover the cup with plastic wrap and poke holes in the top. I have one in the kitchen, one by indoor plants, and one in the bathroom. I change the solution once a week.
Ruth: Same idea as Amber – I use apple cider vinegar in a small jar. Roll a piece of paper into a cone and place it so there is just a small hole leading into the jar, making sure not to touch the vinegar. It takes a couple of days for them to find their way in, but it works!
RyanEmily: Wash your fruit as soon as you get home. My mother in law was told that the fly larva is already on the fruit and once they get to a warmer environment (your home) they come out. Haven’t researched it but it works. 
Sharon: I have done the vinegar thing too and it does work. I have also done fruit that has rotten and I would put it in a bowl with saranwrap over it and poke the holes. You will be surprised how many you will catch.
Kathleen D.: Vinegar and dish soap
Kristy: Since it’s my kombucha attracting them, I use a little of that with some dish soap in it. The dish soap breaks the surface tension so they get pulled in rather than standing on the surface.
Kristi: We had a problem with them one fall. My mom took a pumpkin (was an old rotting jack-o-lantern)…she left it in a roasting pan for a day (collecting all the flies) then put it in the over and roasted it! Then threw away the pumpkin filled with the dead flies.
Melissa: Apple cider vinegar in a small jar, mix in a little honey. Poke some small holes in the lid and set it near where the fruit flies are. They’ll get trapped in the jar and die.
Rachel: I always suck them up with the vacuum
How do you get rid of fruit flies in your home without the use of toxins or nasty fly paper? Please leave a comment and share!
Related Posts:
TerriFor more eco-crazy tips follow Eco-Crazy Mom on Twitter and Facebook. You can also follow my blog and join my mailing list to be the first to know about new posts, giveaways and the latest eco-crazy news!
Did you find this information interesting or helpful? Please help spread the word! Give this post a +1 or share it on your favorite social media site using the buttons below.
Subscribe to EcoCrazy Mom
I’m so glad that you posted this. I’m currently having problems with fruit flies for few weeks. I’m going to try the vinegar in a jar covered with plastic wrap. =)
Great ideas Terri! I need to Pin this to remember next time we have this problem! I must say I love all your Eco Advice! Thank you.
This is brilliant. We always seem to get these whenever we have bananas out on the counter, no matter how fast we eat them. I’ve been avoiding buying them lately. But I will have to give some of these ideas a try! If the answer is as easy as something I have in the pantry anyway, then problem is solved!! Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you! I really need to try this. We love bananas but they always seem to bring in fruit flies, grrrr…. Never thought about washing them. I wash all other fruit when I bring it home but since we peel the banana and don’t eat the peel I don’t bother, maybe I’ll give that a try first.
Thank you Terri! We are having awful fruit flies right now and I actually searched for this. I knew someone in the group had posted something. Within seconds they started circling the jar and soon will penetrate and drown, mwah ha ha ha.
vicki recently posted..FREE Thank You Cards from Tiny Prints!
Hey Terri
Very helpful tips to get rid of the fruit flies naturally. Thanks for such a great post.
Cheers
Monica
Monica recently posted..Eco-friendly Mahakaaya, Suryakoti Samaprabha!
Thank you for this! Your tips were really helpful. I’m going to try some today. We desperately need help!
That’s a fantastic tip, thank you! It’s only the beginning of Spring here now (in Australia), but we always end up with them hovering around our compost bowl at some point during the summer. I will be trying the vinegar (which seems like the most popular option!) this year
Kirsten McCulloch recently posted..Nine Awesome Blog Posts (And How to Make a Simple Citrus Cleaner)
I have some interesting new neighbors and now we have flies. This was right on time!
Kimberly S recently posted..Oh Yeah ~ Yummy Earth Organic Fruit Lollipops
I love using vinegar. I clean my countertops and kitchen sinks with it. Had no idea it could be used for fruit flies. We’ve been having a problem with regular flies this summer, and I’m wondering if it would work for that too. Thanks for sharing.
Tracey @ Dont Mess with Mama recently posted..Earth’s Best Baby Food Giveaway
This is such a cool tip….will try it.
maria recently posted..Learn How To Make Reusable Shopping Bags
I had issues with fruit flies this past summer…drove me insane, and one day of fly strips was too much….my step daughter found this same tip on pinterest and we used it…..as you said, worked….I was beyond happy. We made two jars, one as you described and one with sugar water as described by someone else…they both worked but the first caught more….thanks for this post, enjoyed reading it.