Fruit flies, those summer nuisances that can’t stand the cold, might still swarm into homes in search of warmth during winter, especially with ripe or fermenting produce lying around. Drains and waste bins, too, lure these unwanted invaders where they breed, potentially leading to an explosion in population.
Keeping a spotless kitchen is vital for keeping them at bay, but if they do sneak in, fear not; solutions exist to show them out.
On TikTok, Shan (@s.h.a.n.22) demonstrated a homemade contraption that’s surprisingly effective against fruit flies: “Got bad fruit flies? This is the only thing we’ve tried that actually works.”
She shared in the video how using an empty Mason jar, banana, and a crafted paper funnel can create a trap. Her method involved placing a “Large slice of banana. Part of a banana peel and a paper funnel taped to a mason jar,” ensuring pesky flies could check-in but not out.
Once captured, she detailed two outcomes for these pests in her comments: “You can put liquid in the bottom or dump.”
Alongside this revelation, Shan took the time to guide her audience through constructing their traps: “make a tunnel with paper and tape it, [making] sure the hole is small”.
Shan also posted a video demonstrating exactly how to create the fruit fly trap. She began by instructing viewers to “make a tunnel with paper and tape it, [making] sure the hole is small”.
After placing some banana and banana peel at the bottom of the jar, she advised to “secure with tape” and “make sure there are no holes so the bugs can’t fly up”. Then, the cone can be trimmed and placed in an area where fruit flies are common.
Shan mentioned that some people recommend adding water, wine, apple cider vinegar, or beer to the bottom to lure them in. In the comments section, many shared their excitement about the hack, confirming its effectiveness. “Made one earlier. Caught all of them within a couple hours!!!,” exclaimed one user.
“I was sipping a glass of wine, left the glass for 5min and came back to 3 dead fruit flies in it! HATE THEM!!” another user commented. Another person reported: “Just tried this after seeing it last night. We caught SO many overnight. Love this trap.”
Other users chimed in with their own methods for trapping fruit flies. “A bowl of whole cloves also works,” one suggested. “A drop of soap and a little water in the bottom will also prevent them from escaping,” another added.
A third shared: “Try to put coffee leftovers on there ….they go crazy with that smell.”