5 Tried-and-True Ways to Get Rid of Fruit Flies
The bane of all wine drinkers, bread bakers, and fruit lovers: fruit flies. Like a slow leak, they surface one at a time around your fruit bowls and kitchen sink, deceptively increasing in number until you realize you're up against an infestation. You swat at one, and don't think twice. A week later, you pop the cork on your favorite red, pour yourself a glass, and return for the next glass 15 minutes later only to realize that the airspace around your bottle opening has turned that distinctively dark amber color, it's so thick with the pests. You could swear you left your aerator there somewhere...
...So what do you do? Well, friends, if there's anyone who understands the struggle of fruit flies, it's us. We're all wine lovers to the core, and have waged our own wars against the swarms and came out victorious. Lucky for you, we're the sharing types. With no further ado, our tried-and-true methods for fruit fly annihilation:
1. Apple Cider Vinegar + Soap
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is fermented, and fruit flies clearly love that. Don't be deceived though: the flies are so lightweight, they can actually land on top of the vinegar and float there, eating a feast with no repercussions; they're not heavy enough to break the surface tension of the ACV themselves. Add a little dish soap, however, and you're in business. Pour about 1" of ACV into a glass, put a drop of soap on your finger, and gently swirl the top of the ACV with it until it's somewhat mixed. Leave the glass next to your fruit bowl, sink, indoor plants, or next to your favorite ferment, and watch the buggers die.
2. Fruit + Bread
Why not attract them, with what attracts them? Fruit flies love sugars and yeast, so trapping them in their vice works. Take a slice of overripe fruit and place it at the bottom of a deep glass, like a mason jar. Squeeze a little fruit juice and place it on top, and then put 4-5 small chunks of bread in. Make a paper cone with a nice, wide opening and a tip about 1/2" in diameter. Put this on top of the glass and secure it in place with a little tape. The fruit flies will not be able to figure out how to get back out, so long as your cone isn't touching the glass's contents. When it's time to change the bread and fruit out, walk the contents out to your 'big' garbage can and dump them out.
3. Yeast + Sugar
Our fly non-friends dig sugar and yeast, as proven in their attraction to breads, fruit, ACV, and other fermented goods (like kombucha, kefir, or sauerkraut). So let's cut the chase and get to the catch on this one! Mix 1/2 tsp. of yeast, a pinch of sugar, and 1/2 C. of warm water in a jar. Make a cone as described above, and prepare to celebrate a fly-free kitchen!
4. ACV + Soapy Suds
If you're not into touching ACV with your finger, use a fork and whip it good. For every 1/2 C. of ACV that you pour into a jar, add about 1/2 tsp. of dish soap and whisk it with a fork until there's a nice, foamy layer of suds on the top of the jar. The fruit flies may be lighter than liquid, but they can't beat a bubble! They'll sink right through to their death.
5. Oils + Herbs
If you have a diffuser and essential oils, you'll like this option. Put a few drops of lemongrass, cloves, and lavender in, put the diffuser in the kitchen, and diffuse to your heart's content. This method won't kill them, but rather drive them away, so if your infestation is really bad you may want to combine this method with one of the aforementioned. If you don't have a diffuser, you can use the actual herbs as well. Grow some lavender or lemongrass in your kitchen window, or put some whole cloves into slices of citrus fruit and put them around your kitchen.
And there you have it — you're ready to wage war and win your kitchen back! We wish you a relaxing, pest-free evening with your favorite glass of wine.
