The Key To Trapping Pesky Fruit Flies Is Already In Your Pantry

Fruit flies are one of those pesky annoyances that we have all had to navigate at least once in our lives. But there's no reason to have to deal with these little pests, especially if you already have some apple cider vinegar in the pantry. Great for a multitude of uses, from giving baked goods extra oomph to making supremely tender pork chops, apple cider vinegar is a versatile product that you can also use to make an effective fruit fly trap for your kitchen.

Attracted to aging fruit and vegetables, fruit flies tend to hang around where the food is. Because apple cider vinegar is made by a process of fermenting the juice of apples, you can see why they are drawn to the scent. These little flies reproduce quickly and are capable of laying hundreds of eggs in their relatively short lifespan, so you want to nip this problem in the bud immediately.

Setting up an apple cider trap to lure fruit flies in is simple enough, and you don't have to use harsh chemicals or store-bought gadgets to accomplish the same goal. It seems like another use for apple cider vinegar pops up every day, and this hack will save you from having to buy anything new. 

From the moment that you notice these little buggers hanging around, you can set up one of these simple traps in only a couple of minutes. All you need is apple cider vinegar, dish soap, a jar, and plastic wrap. After pouring some apple cider vinegar into the jar, mix in just a few drops of dish soap. Then cover the jar with plastic wrap, and keep it secure with a rubber band. A few holes poked into the plastic wrap with a wooden skewer or fork should do the trick; at that size, fruit flies can get in but find it difficult to escape. While the apple cider vinegar attracts the tiny insects, the dish soap causes them to sink and drown. 

Though these flies don't bite or sting, they can still potentially transmit harmful bacteria as they travel between your food items. Plus, they're downright annoying, but you can keep these bugs out of your kitchen with this dependable pantry hack.