TIPsy Tuesday: Shoo Fly.

It’s the time of year for fabulously fresh produce and the little buggers that come along with it. In my opinion, fruit flies are not as irritating as the house fly or whatever they are called—but their annoying factor ranks up there for sure.

I’ve experimented and seen a few versions of this fruit fly  (death) trap, and find this version easiest to assemble and quite successful. This one doesn’t include  the plastic wrap over the top or the rotting fruit in the vinegar. Just this simple rig is collecting victims daily for us. Sorry little buddies.

1. Take a large glass jar, pour a few inches of vinegar in the bottom. I used what I had– this apple cider vinegar, which seemed to work better than my white vinegar. Perhaps this is because it is a more potent smelling potion! Or maybe the fruit flies are organic snobs :)

2. Roll a piece of paper funnel style and tape to secure it. Place the funnel in the jar so that the top of the paper funnel fits the circumference of the jar’s mouth and the bottom of the spout is about an inch above the vinegar.

Few things that are key here: the bottom of the funnel/spout should only be about the circumference of a writing pen. You want the flies to be able to fly in, but not easily fly out. If you roll it too tight/too small, you can always clip the bottom with scissors to customize it afterwards.

A friend (Thanks OC!) recommends heating the contraption in the microwave from time to time. Maybe they like the warmth or perhaps it helps permeate the smell?

I change out the vinegar every 4-5 days as it’s kinda off-putting, if you will, to see all the little bods. If you’re experiencing the uninvited FF party crashers like we tend to, I hope this helps knock ‘em silly (to say it gently).