A homemade fruit fly trap works, but only up to a point. A glass of apple cider vinegar with a splash of juice and a drop of washing up liquid will catch the first flies. With a real infestation it often falls short: you have to refresh it every few days, and it has to compete with the smell of your fruit bowl and food waste caddy. Below you will find the recipe, the weak spots and when a tested trap does a better job.
How do you make a homemade fruit fly trap?
- Pour a little apple cider vinegar into a glass or small bowl, about two to three centimetres deep.
- Add a splash of fruit juice, or a small piece of overripe fruit.
- Add a single drop of washing up liquid. It breaks the surface tension, so the flies cannot land on the liquid and sink into it instead.
- Cover the glass with cling film and poke a few holes in it with a toothpick. Or put a paper funnel on top. The flies get in easily and struggle to get out.
- Place the trap right where the flies are, next to the fruit bowl or the food waste caddy.
Does apple cider vinegar work better than white vinegar?
Usually, yes. Apple cider vinegar smells more strongly of fermenting fruit, which is exactly what fruit flies are looking for. White vinegar is sharper and tends to catch fewer. If you only have white vinegar, add some juice or a piece of fruit.
Can you catch fruit flies without vinegar?
Yes. A jar with a little red wine or beer at the bottom, or a piece of overripe banana under cling film, also works: both ferment on their own and attract fruit flies. A drop of washing up liquid in the wine or beer works the same way as with vinegar.
Why does a DIY fruit fly trap often disappoint?
- It has to compete with the rest of your kitchen. Ripe fruit, the food waste caddy and a dirty drain often smell stronger than a glass of vinegar. If you do not remove the source, many flies simply choose the fruit. See also what attracts fruit flies the most.
- It wears out quickly. After two to three days the smell fades, or so many flies are in it that the mixture starts to smell. Then it needs refreshing.
- It can become a breeding site itself. A bowl of fruit left out for a week is exactly where fruit flies lay their eggs.
- An open glass tips over or spills, and usually sits in plain sight on the worktop.
What works better than a homemade trap?
A trap with a lure designed for fruit flies, tested in a room where other food is present too. The Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap uses a lure of 37.5% vinegar and 5% apple juice concentrate, without insecticide. In independent testing under the European Biocidal Products Regulation, the trap caught 84.9% of fruit flies within 24 hours, with competing food in the same room (SAGEA, report 4540.SAG, 2021). One trap works for up to 3 weeks, and the stick and go strip lets you fix it discreetly out of sight. Allow one trap per 30 cubic metres of space.
View the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap or all traps under get rid of fruit flies.
How do you stop fruit flies coming back?
Keep ripe fruit in the fridge, close the food waste caddy properly, rinse empty bottles and flush the drain regularly with hot water. Without a source there is little left for any trap to catch, and that is exactly the point.
Want to know more? Our guide explains how fast fruit flies multiply and where they lay their eggs.
Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.
