Overview
- Multiple UK lifestyle outlets reported Tuesday that a homemade trap using apple cider vinegar, a drop of washing-up liquid and pierced clingfilm attracted and killed fruit flies within hours and cleared some kitchens in about 24 hours.
- The trap is made by pouring a small amount of apple cider vinegar with a splash of water into a bowl, adding one drop of dish detergent, sealing it with clingfilm and piercing small holes to let flies in but not out.
- Experts explain the detergent lowers the liquid’s surface tension so flies sink and drown and the vinegar’s fermenting smell serves as the bait; alternatives suggested include wine, orange juice, banana peels or honey.
- Writers stress that trapping should be paired with removing attractants such as ripe fruit, open food, dirty bins and drains because fruit flies can lay hundreds of eggs and have a multi-week lifecycle that drives reinfestation.
- The method is cheap, non-toxic and accessible for households but the evidence is anecdotal rather than from controlled trials, so results may vary and users should expect best results when traps are combined with good kitchen hygiene.