Three easy homemade traps to get rid of fruit flies for good, including a cheap 10p trick

WITH summer just around the corner, there’s another, less welcome guest to look forward to – fruit flies.

Ruining your mornings as you swarm around bananas and watermelons, the fruit fly is that pesky tenant that nothing seems to get rid of – but luckily there are simple traps to tackle this problem.

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Fruit flies reproduce at an alarming rate, which is why getting rid of them always seems like a mission, wrote The Express.

According to WebMD, a female fruit fly can lay up to 2,000 eggs on the surface of damp or rotting things — and within just 24 hours, the eggs hatch into larvae, or maggots.

Then, after about two days, these larvae are ready to mate and the cycle begins again.

While the transition seems like a quick turnaround, these little flies only live a little over a week to 15 days — but with a constant stream of them, it’s easy to see why it feels like an eternity.

Luckily, there are a few simple and effective ways to get rid of fruit flies — and no expensive treatments and supplies are required.

APPLE VINEGAR TRAP

One of the most effective traps you can make for fruit flies is apple cider vinegar, as its sweet aroma is a smell these pests can’t resist.

To make your own DIY trap, simply pour some apple cider vinegar into a jar or bowl.

Then cover the opening with cling film and secure with a rubber band to keep it in place.

Next, poke a few holes in the plastic for the fruit flies to get in – and there’s no going back for them from there.

PAPER CONES AND FRUIT TRAP

To avoid unnecessary waste, use products that are already rotting for this project.

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Grab a bottle of vinegar and pour the sour liquid and a piece of overripe fruit into a glass – apple is great.

When you’re done, roll some paper into a cone and place it in the jar with the narrower opening in it – this should form a funnel.

VINEGAR AND SOAP

If the first two didn’t give you the fruitful results you were hoping for, you can try the vinegar and soap trick.

For best results, it is recommended to warm up the vinegar with a few drops of dish soap.

Then just let the heat sink in – the mix will become more flavorful and inviting to hungry fruit flies.

The soap will break the surface tension, which will cause the flies that land in the bowl to sink and drown.

OTHER SCENTS

For those who find those faucets inhumane, there are other scents to deter those pesky kitchen renters.

Fruit flies can’t stand the aroma of basil, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and lavender.

Place fragrant herbs in muslin bags or tea bags and hang them around problem areas — or just buy some essential oil diffusers.

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