Saturday 27 August 2016

World's Best Fruit Fly Catcher

If you are anything like me, at this time of year you have a basket of peaches on your counter, some tomatoes from the garden, or a compost container filled with peelings and pits from all the wonderful fruits and vegetables currently available.

Last night it was just the two of us for supper. My husband has been working diligently on the upstairs bathroom project, doing floor tiling for the first time "like a boss" as they say. So I decided to treat us to a nice steak dinner with a Greek salad and corn on the cob.


Lovely steaks were on a bit of a sale at the grocery store. The corn and peppers for the salad came from a local Mennonite farm that sells a lot of fruits and vegetables on their property. The cucumbers and red onion in the salad were from my garden.


While the steaks were doing their thing, the pot of water was simmering, and the salad was tossed and waiting in the fridge, I poured myself a nice glass of red and caught up on some blogs. My glass of wine seems to be the perfect magnet for all things tiny and in flight. I've scooped them out with my finger countless times. I can't be the only one!


Tomatoes, cucumber and zucchini were picked fresh this morning. However, it doesn't take long for one little spot or bruise to begin attracting the fruit flies. Lord how I hate fruit flies. I do have a secret weapon, though!!


If you also would like to create this weapon of mass destruction, you will need four things: a jar, liquid dish soap, some kind of vinegar (choose one with colour, they seem to be a bit more "fermenty" e.g. red wine vinegar, cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar), plastic wrap, and an elastic band. 

Pour a little vinegar into the jar. You don't need very much, perhaps to the height of half of an inch. Then add one or two drops of liquid dish soap. This is used to break the surface tension of the vinegar. It is what makes the little buggers drown, vs. alighting on the vinegar and then flying off again. Put plastic wrap over the top of the jar and secure with an elastic band.


Take a sharp knife and make some slits in the plastic wrap. You can twist the knife slightly to open up the holes a little. Trust me, they don't need big holes to get in!


I park my fruit fly catcher close to my compost, but it could also go beside your fruit bowl, basket of peaches, line up of tomatoes on your window sill... You will be amazed and delighted (!) with how many you catch. You don't need to empty it every day. Even with dead comrades sunk to the bottom, more fruit flies will be lured to join them. World's Best Fruit Fly Catcher!

10 comments:

  1. I'll have to try this!
    Fruit flies are so annoying.

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  2. You made me smile . . .
    Aren't fruit flies annoying . . .
    Thanks for the recipe!
    Enjoy that steak, and "all things fresh!"

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  3. Jenn, I am going to try this...I have used the saucer thing before but it doesn't seem to work so well. Thank you. Glad to see you showed your hubby some appreciation with a hearty meal. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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  4. ||We have been very lucky not to see any fruit flies yet! I had some peaches "on the cusp" on the counter for awhile too!
    My friend has been going to the Mennonite shop lately. I've yet to make it, but I hear they have a lovely selection of nice produce. As soon as the apples ripen I'll try to get a run out there.

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  5. We have also tried this method before with moderate success. Those pesky fruit flies are terribly annoying. We've managed to get them out of the kitchen only to find they've migrated to the bathroom to hang around the toothpaste and mouthwash! I hope your next glass of vino is fly-free. :)

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  6. What a perfect meal on any night!! And THANKS for the tip on the fruit flies, I am going to have to try it!

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  7. Fruits flies are truly annoying! I love having fruit in bowls on the counter...except that these little stinkers show up in no time.

    Sounds like a simple and delicious supper!

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  8. Same thing happened to me yesterday. I was having a glass of wine on the porch. Five little fruit flies immediately dove into the glass. Hope the bathroom project is going smoothly.

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  9. I use this fruit fly recipe with cider vinegar but no dish soap. It really does work!

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  10. I'm nicking this idea. Where do the fruit flies come from???!!!! The minute I put bananas in the fruit bowl they appear. And I check the bananas. I never see any eggs or anything!

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