How to Get Rid of Gnats and Fruit Flies

I can probably speak for all of us when I say that bugs are CRAZY this year! They are everywhere and taking over the world! Ok so maybe not taking over the world, but they are really bad this year. We had such a mild winter (at least around here) that the bugs never really got a chance to get hibernated so they came back out with a bang.

I’m a door watcher these days. If you come to my house, be prepared to always shut the door behind you. If it doesn’t get closed I will not be a happy camper because Bobby bug and his momma probably just brought their cousins with them to secure a new place in our house. My husband is worse than me. He goes on bug killing rampages with his fly swatter and won’t stop til he gets them all. Sometimes, depending on his determination that day, it will only take a few minutes and other times it takes an hour.

We got those window clings that actually do a great job of getting a lot of fruit flies. But for some reason this year they are fixated on our ceiling fan cords and the middle of the room. I found this idea on Pinterest last weekend at Passionate Homemaking and thought I’d try it out. It looked as though it would work, but seemed too easy. I thought I’d give it a try anyways.

This is the miracle contraption.

Don’t underestimate the power of the miracle this jar will perform.

1 Jar (or something like it that you have on hand)
1 Piece of Paper
Scotch Tape
Banana Slices (or something else nasty that bugs like)
1/2 inch – 1 inch Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Drops Dishwashing Liquid

The idea is that the flies will go into the paper funnel attracted to the vinegar and bananas and then not be able to get back out and eventually fall to their deaths in the slimy detergent-y liquid below. It only took a few moments for these little guys to fall into my evil trap. There are more on the other side. They kept moving every time I’d move the jar around!

It took a while for them to give up. But then by the next morning…

Ew! Yeah, not the most appealing view but satisfying all the same. Mission accomplished.

Let me know if you try this and have the same success!


Like this post? SHARE it!

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

Comments

  1. Ew, ew, EW! Fortunately, I don’t get that many little buggers in my house (unless someone forgets the bananas and they get so ripe they fall off the hanger – nasty!). Glad you found an easy solution that actually works!

  2. You are SO lucky Ronda! I have no idea why bugs are so bad around here this year. I don’t remember them ever being this bad. We woke up this morning to a slew of red ants coming in through the window somehow. And if the door is left open for any amount of time, there are loads of those little bugs around.

    I was so glad that this worked as you can imagine. 🙂

  3. Lisa Purple says

    It also works just putting some apple cider vinegar, dish soap & a small bit of water in a bowl to mix then put in shallow dishes & leave around…I used old jelly jar lids; I think they try to drink the sweet smelling liquid & end up sick because they land not too far from the lid. BAHAHAHAHA!!!!!

  4. Thank you! our office was full of them, hopefully now they will be gone! much appreacited:)

  5. Lisa L. says

    This is amazing!! We are always fighting those pesky fruit flies in our kitchen ! I had tried the bowl of apple cider vinegar, but this method w/ the funnel works 100 x’s better!! Thank you so much!!

  6. We are too Lisa! It gets so bad in the summer time. I’ve already had a few showing up. I think the funnel just traps them better somehow. Apparently they aren’t smart enough to go up the same place they came down! lol

  7. We used to use the same mixture in a shallow bowl, but I think they’ve learned our tricks because it’s not working anymore. I just made a trap like yours and am hoping I have the same outcome that you did! I’m so over these little pests!!!

  8. I have jars of apple vinegar dish liquid an water all over the place an the only place they seem to go is the walls an every where but the jars .plus fly strips an we got a few of them. I just wont to find something that works.thanks

  9. I have to admit… I was skeptical about this at first, but I am at my wits end with these little pests so I decided to try it. We’ve been having problems with these little flies since our garbage disposal broke. They like to infest our garbage can to eat up scraps. We’ve started tightly bagging up fruits and veggies and such, but that only seems to stall them… rather than eliminate them. I’ve gotten raid fly sticks, but those only do so much. I actually had to lay it on top of the garbage can to actually catch any of them. So, I am going through the steps you listed. I assembled my trap and literally not even a minute after I clean up the area after assembling… I turn to see one of the pests walking along the top edge of the paper funnel. I stood there and watched, dumbfounded, as it crawled down the funnel and into the jar. I couldn’t believe it was working so quickly. I turned my back to put an item back in the freezer and turned to look back at the jar to see a second fly hovering around the mouth of the funnel. I think it is safe to say that, even though my trap hasn’t been in place for 15 minutes yet, it is working as intended.

    Thank you for this tip!

  10. I know exactly how you feel Dave! It is such a nightmare when those things get into the house. It’s like you can never just have a couple. It was the same way with us. I didn’t have much confidence it would work either and was SO happy when a few got in there and then a few more. And then there were tons!

    So glad it worked for you too! And thanks for the comment!

    Amy

  11. They make wanna scratch real hard when scabbies went rampid in our school GRoooosssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  12. woops!!! I ment ME wanna scratch real hard!!! oh ..cant believe the thought …I am scratching my eyebrow for real!!!NOW!!! urrrauugh!The ITCHY AND SCRATCHY Shhhhhhhhhooooooooooowwww!!

  13. Would white or malt vinegar work? I don’t apple cider vinegar in the house.

  14. Hi Sara! I have heard that you’re really supposed to use the apple cider vinegar, but you are welcome to try the other! I’ve never tried, but I’d love to know your results if you do!

  15. we have been bombarded with gnats. we moved stuff even more and it was like a haven they made. i was barely getting the bottle ready and they swarmed over to it. well i have set it up midafternoon and i hope they are gone by tomorrow. just outside our sliding door my husband found a ton more. he sprayed raid bug spray. if that does not work i hope this works. thanks for the tip,

  16. Hi everyone….We tried the fruit fly traps but for whatever reason we could not get rid of the fruit flies. They were breeding like crazy and seemed to laugh at our traps. Some would go in the traps and crawl around on the glass but the little boogers would not die. My husband and I stumbled upon something. We needed to get a dehumidifier because we had a lot of moisture in the Rv. A day after plugging in the dehumidifier, the fruit flies we’re gone. I looked it up on the Internet. People that breed fruit flies and play with cultures say that they need to maintain humidity. The fruit fly cultures will dies out below 65% humidity. We have not seen a fruit flies in over a week now. Good luck.

  17. Good weeb siute youu have got here.. It’s difficult too find excellent writing like yours nowadays.
    I truly appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!

  18. Really the info is very awesome. To get rid of gnats must be the follwoed. TERRO Fruit Fly Trap is the best fruit fly trap that you will need when you are in a hurry to get rid of annoying gnats.It is specially designed in apple shaped to lure fruit flies using a special food based liquid to lure. Gnats and Flies that enter the trap can’t escape continuing to breed. It can be used indoor or outdoor.

  19. Hmm it appear lioke your website ate my first comment (it was
    extremely long) sso I guess I’ll just sum it up what I submitted and say,
    I’m thoroughly enjoying your blog. I as well am an aspiring blog writer but I’m still new to the whole
    thing. Do you have any helpful hints for newbie
    blog writers? I’d really appreciate it.

  20. When they are consuming YOUR food, they still don’t care
    about the total poop and pee on prime of your foods factor.
    The fleas ingest these crystallized fossils and die as a result.
    They will try to eat it up as though it is a
    Thanksgiving dinner, and inside a day or two you need to see
    the wonderful results of this method.

  21. These small insects can get into your house with food products, laundry, crates, clothes, etc.
    They damage food and spread germs all over that
    mmay bring severe health diseases. Merely blend this in a bowl and serve to yiur cockroach close friends.

  22. t aware of property boundaries, so it is up to
    us to ensure that our houses can keep them at bay. Just sprinkle it around the
    base of affected plants to create a rough barrier the slugs will avoid.

    Wash and clean such places on the daily basis using insecticides or germicides available in the market.

  23. Maany good sprays are already available in the markets that have helped people get rid of those persistent pests.
    Throw the vacuum ags away in a sealed container (often there are cockroach eggs that are tiny and cannot be
    seen eaaily by the human eye). Anything that yoou can swat the cockroaaches with can do.

  24. A lot of people turn out to be disappointed whenever they discover bugs within their dwellings.
    If you are unsure who to call, look for listings for pest or termite control companies.

    Basically these insectts lpve homes because they have the 3 things cockroaches need.

  25. If ylur pest is the German roach (figure C), theen you are probaby seeing tem in the kitchen. If you have ants or
    roaches, sprinkle DE around the foundation of your home but not where ladybugs or other beneficial
    bugs live. To help control these cockroaches in your home a good Pest
    Management company will spray treat inside your home, spray treat outside your home, dust your roof void,dust weep
    holes and apply a cockroach gel bait to your kitchen cupboards.

  26. The appearance of pests scares away potential buyers and this
    may significantly reduce the actual price of the house.
    No pest strikes more fear in the minds of homeowners than cockroaches.
    Their excretion all around brings in the viral infections.

  27. The inevitable indicator that brings about most residence owners to cringe may be the tell-tale roppings that will show
    around enty and nestiing places, and meals resources.
    If your pest is the German roach (figure C), then you are probably seeing them iin the kitchen. However, a rrecently published paper
    in Science magazine made me really uneasy.

  28. They have developed resistance to commercial insecticides, developing skills
    such as crawling on the walls of your houses and
    apartments. Cockroaches originated about 280 million years back.
    Should you hit the apptopriate spot, roaches will scramble
    or pass away out instantly becausee thhe extreme heat will dehydrate and suffocate them.

  29. It is comforting too know the warts are not harmful to your health.

    But remember, do not be too rash to deal with
    your warts with approaches that may end up scarring you for life.
    An average of three too four treatments are required for
    warts of thin skin.

  30. Excellent web site you’ve got here.. It’s difficult to find quality writing like yours nowadays.
    I truly appreciate people like you! Take care!!

  31. Apple cider white vinegar functions magics on the undesirable skin layer sores like skin moles,
    moles, as well as tags. Youu may have an uncertainty concerning the oujtcomes off
    utilization this usual home prodduct as an organic treatment
    for skin tag elimination.

    Apple cider white vinegar iss a common foodstuff made use of as sauces, preservatives, and also dress up, but
    this is actually additionaally helpful for its own wellness
    benefits as wepl as its qualities to heal numerous health problems.
    Fortunately is you can acquire this inexpensively at a food store.

    A traditional natural remedy for skin tags, apple cider vinegar which may function magics on the ugly skin lesions like skin moles, moles, and
    tags. This method is actually eye-catching as well as
    pretty direct due to tthe fact that this eliminates the tag
    safely without inducing much discomfort as compared with other
    procedures. Exactly how it operates is that the acid in the vinegar damages
    the cells tthat creates the blemish, without causing any kind of damage to the surrounding
    skin layer.

  32. I have actually located tea tree oil tto be among the most effective wart remedy ever.
    You can use it by itself, or you could utilize it in combination with several various other things.
    Below is just how you can use tea tree oill on its own.
    Clean as well as completely dry the influenced areas
    with soap as well as warm water. Use a drop of undiluted tea tree
    oil on the damaged location and cover with a bandage.

    Or apply tea oil to a bandage and use on the warts. Leave for
    a minimum of 8 hours or overnight. Eliminate the plaster and also wash the location with water.

    Alternatively, you could also make a few changes and also
    do this rather. Mix a few decreases oof tea tree oil in 1 tbsp of water.
    Saturate a cotton ball and squeeze it to wring
    out excess. Apply this mix on the warts and cover with a plaster.
    Leave it on over night and also rinse it off the next early morning.
    Repeat frequently. The suggestion behind both of these variants is the very
    same. The only difference is just how much tea tree oiil you can expose the wart to at a solitary given application. Withh the cotton ball, the tea tree oil des not dry as quickly, so it could
    attack the wart for a much longer duration.

  33. My gnats are too smart all of my attempts, so will try this one! Will let you know! Thank you

  34. I understand that you are facing a high bug population in your area this year. The mild winter could have contributed to this situation, as bugs were not able to hibernate properly. It is understandable that you are being cautious and keeping your doors closed to prevent them from entering your house. Your husband’s response to the situation is also quite common, as many people tend to go on bug-killing rampages during such times.

    You mentioned that you have tried using window clings to catch fruit flies, but they seem to be fixated on your ceiling fan cords and the middle of the room. You also mentioned trying out an idea you found on Pinterest, which seemed too easy but worth trying.

    As an AI language model, I cannot see the image or link you referred to, but I can suggest some tips that might be helpful in controlling the bug population in your house. Here are a few suggestions:

    Keep your house clean and tidy: Bugs tend to thrive in dirty and cluttered environments, so keeping your house clean and tidy can help reduce their population. Regularly vacuuming, dusting, and wiping surfaces can help keep bugs away.

    Use natural remedies: Some natural remedies like essential oils, vinegar, and garlic can repel bugs. You can use these remedies in your cleaning routine or create a bug spray by mixing them with water.

    Use screens and seal cracks: Installing screens on your doors and windows can prevent bugs from entering your house. Also, sealing cracks and gaps in your walls, doors, and windows can prevent bugs from finding a way in.

    Use bug traps: You can use bug traps like sticky traps or pheromone traps to catch bugs. These traps can be effective in catching bugs like fruit flies, mosquitoes, and other flying insects.

    I hope these tips are helpful in controlling the bug population in your house. If the problem persists, you may consider consulting a pest control professional.

Trackbacks

  1. […] How to get rid of gnats and fruit flies | pennywise cook […]

  2. apodos en frances para amigas

    How to Get Rid of Gnats and Fruit Flies | Pennywise Cook

  3. especialidades medicas wiki

    How to Get Rid of Gnats and Fruit Flies | Pennywise Cook

  4. feliz cumpleaños amiga infancia

    How to Get Rid of Gnats and Fruit Flies | Pennywise Cook

Speak Your Mind