How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies (THE BEST Homemade Fruit Fly Trap)

Getting rid of fruit flies is easier than it seems with this DIY homemade fruit fly trap. The best part is it uses only 2 ingredients and common household items, getting rid of pesky fruit flies naturally and easily.

For more tips on getting rid of pests naturally, check out this hack for how to keep flies away, how to get rid of ants naturally, and our favorite critter repelling detangling spray for hair!

We LOVE fresh fruit, which means we often have melon, cantaloupe, and peaches sitting out on our counter. Unfortunately, these delicious fruit varieties often bring unwanted guests home from the store or farmer’s market– pesky fruit flies, YUCK!

Fruit flies are a nuisance and gather on fruit, near sinks and around trash cans. They’re unsightly and unsanitary– they don’t just fly around, they lay eggs in your food (herk.) They also reproduce like CRAZY, so if you don’t nip the problem in the bud you’re likely to have an explosion of fruit flies within a few weeks. GROSSNESS OVERLOAD.

Don’t despair, though! We’ve had lots of luck with this simple recipe and trap that uses ingredients you probably already have on hand. The best part is that IT WORKS. There’s tons of fruit fly trap variations but we’ve found this one works the best out of all the varieties we’ve tried.

With this trick in hand, you won’t have to worry about having ripe fruit on your counters or that bugs will and on your freshly cut fruit. Plus, it’s so easy to make even the kids can do it– hey, consider it a fun summer activity/ science lesson. I aim to serve. 😉

How does the fruit fly trap work?

The flies are attracted to the smell of the apple cider vinegar because they love fermenting fruit. They enter the holes in the plastic wrap, go to check out the vinegar, then get stuck in the soap. It’s a clean and quick way to get rid of fruit flies in just a few days. If you have a large amount, you may need more than one trap.

How to Make the BEST Fruit Fly Trap (VIDEO)

To make it easy, we’ve created a step-by-step video on how to make this fruit fly trap. Written instructions are below the video if you prefer.

How to Make the Best Fruit Fly Trap Tutorial

Step One: Add 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar (or more) and a few drops of dish liquid to the bottom of a mason jar (or a mug or bowl.) I prefer to use clear containers so I can make sure the trap is working, but if you prefer to hide the carnage go for another material.

apple cider vinegar being poured into jar

Step Two: Tightly cover the jar with plastic wrap. Secure with a rubber band around the lip of the mason jar so it stays put. Then gently poke TINY holes into the plastic wrap using the end of a toothpick. Don’t make them too large or the fruit flies may fly out.

Step Three: Leave the trap out for a few days in areas where fruit flies gather. Check to make sure it’s working (if not, your holes might be too small or too large. After a few days, you should notice lots fruit flies in the apple cider vinegar solution. Toss every few days and refresh with new solution if needed.

This fruit fly solution has saved our fruit time and time again! In fact, we’ve had to use it several times on vacation when we found issues in rental homes. Everything you need is found in most homes, so it’s so easy to make!