Picture it. Your countertops are full of tomatoes fresh from your garden or local farmer’s market. You’re dreaming of your favorite tomato recipes. Then you notice fruit flies. Don’t worry! This easy DIY Fruit trap will get rid of those pesky fruit flies.

“It was the best of times. It was the worst of times.” This Charles Dickens quote rings through our heads in summer when our countertops have fresh tomatoes and peppers from our garden. We wait for the “best of times” in the late summer months when we’re enjoying all the fruits of our labor in the garden. This also creates the “worst of times” as all the fresh veg on the countertops means it’s game on for the fruit flies.

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Easy DIY Fruit Fly Trap Recipe That Gets Results

5 Minutes (or less) is all it takes for this homemade easy DIY fruit fly trap recipe that gets quick results.

Gather your supplies for the easy DIY fruit fly trap:

Once you gather a few household supplies, you only need 2 ingredients for this easy homemade DIY fruit fly trap. It takes under 5 minutes to make.

• Small Container (remember this will have dead bugs in it)
• Clear plastic wrap
• Fork
• Rubber Band
• Apple Cider Vinegar (regular vinegar will not work)
• Real sugar- any kind will do. We use coconut palm sugar which works great.

Instructions for Easy DIY Fruit Fly Trap Recipe

• Add 2 heaping teaspoons of sugar to the container.
• Add the apple cider vinegar into the container- filling it about 2/3 full.
• Stir that mixture well.
• Take a small piece of clear plastic wrap and cover the container. You want enough to hang down the sides.
• Pull the clear plastic wrap tightly over top and use a rubber band to secure the sides.
• Using a fork or sharp kitchen knife, poke a few holes into the plastic wrap. You want the bugs to get in but not out.
• For best results place your DIY fruit fly trap next to the fruits and vegetables that are attracting the fruit flies.

Now, we wait! Typically it takes a few hours for this DIY fruit fly trap to attract its prey. Usually, by the next morning, you will find that it is already working. It’s almost as exciting as Christmas morning.

Easy Homemade DIY Fruit Fly Trap in Pictures

Gather your DIY Fruit Fly Trap Supplies

Add a heaping spoon full of sugar to the bottom of the container.

Pour in the apple cider vinegar, filling about 3/4 of the container.  Then mix up the sugar & vinegar with a spoon.

Cover the container with cling wrap making sure it’s tightly attached so the flies can get in but they can’t get out.

Important: poke a few holes with a sharp steak knife and then readjust the clear wrap to ensure it’s tight to the container. You will notice that the fruit flies will do what they can to fly out of the sides. Magically, they do not find their way out of the holes.

We had to see this with our very own eyes to believe that something so simple would work.
Change this mixture out every 3-5 days, the apple cider vinegar will start to darken, and that’s usually when we change it out. Simply pour it right down the drain and start over until it quits trapping fruit flies.

Why a DIY fruit fly trap, can’t I buy something?

We have not found anything on the market that is as effective as this recipe. With only 2 common kitchen ingredients it’s so easy to make and can be done in under 5 minutes.

Why does this simple DIY fruit fly trap work?

This simple DIY Fruit fly trap works because vinegar attracts fruit flies. They find the vinegar irresistible and that’s why it’s the perfect ingredient.

Where Should I Place My DIY Fruit Fly Trap?

For best results, place it next to the vegetables that are attracting the fruit flies into your kitchen.

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Easy DIY Fruit Fly Trap That Gets Results

With a few simple household ingredients, make this Easy DIY Fruit Fly Trap Recipe in under 5 minutes.

Course DIY

Keyword easy DIY Fruit Fly Trap

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Equipment

• 1 small container Anything you have will do. Chose an old container that is suitable for dead bugs- not your favorite or best.
• 1 plastic wrap tear off a small piece large enough to cover container
• 1 fork or sharp knife
• 1 rubber band

Ingredients

• 1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar This is amount approximate and depends on the size of your container. It must be apple cider vinegar. Regular vinegar will not work
• 2 heaping teaspoons sugar any granulated sugar you have in your kitchen will do.

Instructions

• Gather your supplies.
• Add 2 heaping tsp. of sugar to your container.
• Add apple cider vinegar so your container is about 2/3 full . Stir to combine.
• Tear off a small piece of clear wrap. enough to cover the container.
• Pull clear wrap tight and fasten with a rubberband so fruit flies cannot escape.
• Using a fork, poke a couple of holes so that the flies can get in but not out. You may need to readjust the clear wrap so that it is tight.

Notes

Monitor the progress of your DIY fruit fly trap. It can take a few hours to attract the fruit flies into your trap.

Change out every few days when the mixture collects a lot of fruit flies and you feel like you have caught them all. 

Take a peek at our raised gardens

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We promise you’ll need to use it!