Mashed banana....mixed with water and a drop of dish soap....cider vinegar in water...with a drop of dish soap.

I've used sweet Vermouth successfully, but I did not notice a diminished number of fruit flies. While the ones who did land in the Vermouth got drunk and died (or drowned), the Vermouth seemed to attract even more flies. I think they come from outside. So if you have fruit flies coming in from outside, any trap that attracts the ones inside your house can also attract more from outside. The best thing to do is to remove whatever it is that attracts them in the first place or store it in the fridge. Fruit flies will leave on their own if there is nothing in your house that they want.

Lars

Laceyvail:

This was on the CF a little while ago.

There were a few responses.

I use a soda or water bottle, with a small neck.
Put 2 tablespoons of Orange Juice and a small piece of banana.

Don't know why but they can not find there way out.

The Vermouth sounds good, think I'll give it a try,
When I see any flies.

I will have to test the Vermouth, to be sure it is good.

Would not want to kill the flies with bad Vermouth.
Salute,
LOU

Seem to recall... from somewhere... that fruit flies do NOT come into your house after the fruit. They come in WITH the fruit... only not flying yet?!?

Lacyvail:

I forgot, there was another trap I tried that worked well.

In a small jar, put in some Cider Vinegar and a little dish detergent on top.
Smash a small piece of banana and add that to the mix.

Place a piece of plastic over the top of the jar and wrap a rubber bad to hold it.

Now push a pencil thru the plastic in a few spots, just large enough to let the Flies to enter.

When the flies land on the liquid, they can't get out and will drown.

Wash it out every week or so.

Lou

It helps a lot to wash every piece of fruit as soon as it comes into the house. I do this for everything that will sit out, not for things going into the fridge. It washes off the fruit fly eggs (ugh).
For a trap, the essential things are 1) something they like and 2) a place they can get into but not out of, as Lou points out. A small piece of banana peel, in a jar that's topped with a funnel made out of paper, works very well. Tape the sides. There must be only a very tiny hole in the funnel. I think I learned that method here, but it might have been on the kitchen forum.

I've seen fruit flies get into the house through holes or gaps in the window screens, and so I know they come in after the fruit. We have fruit flies outside because there is so much fruit in the yards here. We have fruit outside all year, but fruit flies are seasonal.

The trap methods that Lou described work, but then you have to clean them out. It is good also to keep your trash/garbage sanitized, as they will breed in there otherwise. I use Windex or ammonia for that.

Lars

cider vinegar with a drop of dishwashing liquid.
you don't even need to cover the jar necessarily....the dishwashing liquid prevents them from getting out and they drown.

I use the same method as jasdip with success. I cover the glass with the plastic wrap just in case one of my kids accidentally spills it since it sits on the kitchen island when I have an infestation.

I've used just the banana and poked toothpick holes in the plastic wrap...no vinegar, no soap.

pfmastin:
The Liquid Dish Soap , over the Vinegar reduces the Surface Tension. They can not get out, and drown.

Here is a sketch of a Fly Catcher. I think it was in Kitchen Tips.

This was for flies that invade a Barbecue.

I have sketches for some other Fly traps.
*****************************************

You can use just a water bottle , with the top cut off and turned over, into the bottle.

When it is ready to be cleaned, just fill with water and wash it out.
LOU