With the arrival of sunny days, fruit flies invade our kitchens, attracted by sugary foods and organic waste. To keep them away without using chemicals, here are the three best do-it-yourself traps with natural and easy-to-find ingredients.
Pitfall #1: Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a solution ecological And economic to eliminate fruit flies. Insects are irresistibly attracted to its sweet smell and drown in the liquid. Here’s how to make this trap:
- Pour about 2 cm of cider vinegar in a shallow container.
- Add a few drops of Dishwashing liquid to break the surface tension of the liquid and facilitate the drowning of flies.
- Cover the container with plastic wrap, making sure to stretch the wrap well over the entire surface.
- Poke small holes in the film using a toothpick or needle so that flies can enter.
- Place the trap in a place where flies congregate, such as near fruit or the garbage can.
Fruit flies will be attracted to the smell of vinegar and will enter the trap, but will not be able to exit. They will eventually drown in the liquid.
Trap n°2: The plastic bottle
This clever trap consists of recycle a plastic bottle to trap fruit flies. Here’s how:
- Cut the neck of a plastic bottle so as to obtain a cone.
- Turn the cone upside down and place it in the base of the bottle. Fix the two parts with adhesive tape if necessary.
- Pour a mixture of apple cider vinegar and washing-up liquid into the base of the bottle, making sure not to exceed the top of the cone.
- Place the trap where the flies are most present.
Fruit flies will be attracted to the smell of vinegar and will enter through the cone, but will have difficulty exiting. They will end up drowning in the liquid.
Variation: The paper cone
It is also possible to replace the plastic neck with a paper cone. To do this, all you have to do is:
- Cut a piece of thick paper in the shape of an isosceles triangle.
- Roll the triangle into a cone and secure it with masking tape.
- Place the paper cone in the base of the bottle, as previously described.
Trap n°3: The homemade fly trap
This last trap consists of making a natural solution that attracts fruit flies and eliminates them effectively. Here’s how:
- Mix 100 ml of hot water, 50 ml of cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar and a few drops of washing up liquid.
- Pour the mixture into a shallow container or dish.
- Place the trap where the flies are most present.
Fruit flies will be attracted to the sweet smell of the solution and will drown quickly after coming into contact with the liquid.
The advantage of these three fruit fly traps is that they are very simple to make with ingredients that are usually found at home. They also make it possible to avoid the use of chemicals that are potentially harmful to health and the environment. So why not try these tricks and get rid of these pests the natural way?
