Fruit fly traps

A fruit fly trap catches the adult fruit flies with a lure that smells of fermenting fruit. Put it next to the fruit bowl or the bin and clear the source at the same time. In lab testing commissioned by Super Ninja, the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap caught 84.9% of fruit flies within 24 hours, and one trap works for up to 3 weeks.

Choose the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap, 2 pack for an ordinary kitchen, the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap in 4, 6 or 12 traps for more rooms, or the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap & Fungus Gnat Killer Combo if you are not sure which fly you have.

How does the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap work?

The Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap works by smell. Each trap holds 18 ml of lure made of 37.5% vinegar and 5% apple juice concentrate. It smells of fermenting fruit, and that is what fruit flies go for. Once inside the bottle, they cannot get back out. The 4, 6 and 12 packs stick discreetly out of sight with the stick and go strip. Up close you will smell vinegar; that is exactly what draws the flies in.

Does the Fruit Ninja fly trap work?

Yes: the Fruit Ninja is the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap, and in lab testing commissioned by Super Ninja it caught 84.9% of fruit flies within 24 hours (SAGEA, report 4540.SAG, 2021). Many people still know it by that name because the first version was called Fruit Fly Ninja, like the company behind Super Ninja: Fruit Fly Ninja B.V.

Should you make a homemade fruit fly trap or buy one?

A homemade trap with apple cider vinegar catches some of the flies, but you have to refresh it every two to three days. A ready-made trap works for up to 3 weeks without upkeep, and it has been tested: the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap caught 84.9% of fruit flies within 24 hours, with other food in the room. If you would like to try it yourself first, read how to make a homemade fruit fly trap.

How quickly does a fruit fly trap work?

The first flies are usually in it within a day. In a test by the SAGEA laboratory, commissioned by Super Ninja (report 4540.SAG, September 2021) our trap caught 84.9% of fruit flies within 24 hours. Fruit fly food was deliberately placed in the same room, a metre away, so the flies had a real choice. The traps filled with water alone caught no flies at all. With a large infestation it takes longer, because eggs are still hatching: allow about two weeks, or three in a cool kitchen.

How many fruit fly traps do you need?

Allow one trap per 30 cubic metres, which is a kitchen of about 12 square metres. In an ordinary kitchen you put out two: one by the fruit bowl and one by the bin. If you have a larger kitchen or flies in more places, choose 4, 6 or 12 traps.

Where should you put a fruit fly trap?

Put a fruit fly trap within a metre of the source and on a flat surface: next to the fruit bowl, by the bin or the food waste caddy, or by the sink. Not on the windowsill and not in the middle of the dining table. Fruit flies find their food by smell, so a trap far from the fruit catches little.

Do you need to shake a fruit fly trap?

Yes, you need to shake a fruit fly trap. Give the bottle a quick shake and unscrew the cap, then follow the steps on the pack: with the 4, 6 and 12 packs you peel off the sticker and fix the trap in place, with the 2 pack you wipe the yellow funnel dry. Do not top it up and do not rinse it.

How long does a fruit fly trap last?

Up to 3 weeks per trap. How long you leave it out depends on the temperature. Eggs that are already in the house keep producing flies for a while: at 22 °C up to about 11 days later, at 18 °C up to 19 days later. If the bottle is full, or you still see flies after 3 weeks, replace the trap with a new one. Read more about how fast fruit flies multiply.

What should you look for when choosing a fruit fly trap?

• Has it been tested? Ask for a percentage and a report, tested in a room where other food was present too.
• Does it lure with smell? Fruit flies find their food by smell.
• How long does it work without upkeep? A homemade trap needs refreshing every few days.
• Can you place it close to the source? A trap you can put right next to the fruit bowl catches more than one on the windowsill.
• Does it have an authorisation number? The lure in the Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap is an authorised biocide, number GB-2026-1354-002.

Want to try it yourself first? Read how to make a homemade fruit fly trap.

Does an electric insect lamp work on fruit flies?

Barely. Fruit flies do see light, but they find food and a place for their eggs by smell: by fermenting sugars. So place a trap at the source, not by the window or under a lamp.

Are they fruit flies or fungus gnats?

Look at where they are. Around the fruit or the bin they are fruit flies, and that is what this trap is for. If they come out of the compost of your houseplants, they are fungus gnats; you catch those with yellow sticky traps for fungus gnats. A drain can hold fruit flies as well as drain flies; the tape test shows which (see small black flies in the house). Read more about the difference in fruit flies or fungus gnats?

Want to know more? Where fruit flies come from, how fast they multiply and how to tackle the source is in our guide how to get rid of fruit flies.

Source. SAGEA Centro di Saggio s.r.l., Castagnito, Italy. Report 4540.SAG of 3 September 2021, efficacy against Drosophila melanogaster. Carried out under EU Regulation 528/2012 and the ECHA Guidance on the Biocidal Products Regulation, Volume II, Parts B and C, with five replicates and controls containing water only.

Authorisation number Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap: GB-2026-1354-002 (Northern Ireland: NI-2026-1354-002). Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use.