Sick of gnats and fruit flies taking over your kitchen? I’ve got you covered! Learn how to make a super simple homemade gnat trap with apple cider vinegar or check out my tested store-bought options for quick fixes. Bye-bye, pesky bugs!
Gnats and fruit flies—they’re the kitchen crashers we all hate. You know, the ones hovering around your fruit bowl like they own the place? Well, not anymore! I’ve got a ridiculously easy homemade gnat trap that uses just apple cider vinegar, and a bit of plastic wrap. It’s cheap, natural, and, best of all, it works like a charm. You probably already have everything you need, so let’s handle this little bug problem together.
I get it, though—some days you’re just too busy to DIY anything. That’s why I’ve also rounded up some store-bought traps that I’ve personally tested and swear by. These quick fixes are perfect for when you’re short on time but still want your kitchen back. Whether you make your own or grab a pre-made option, I promise, I’ve done the legwork so you don’t have to. Let’s reclaim your kitchen from those pesky invaders!
I enjoy giving precise details in my recipe posts to lead my readers through any questions. If you’re just here for the printable recipe, use the Jump to Recipe to head straight there!
Why you need to make a DIY Gnat Trap
- Shallow glass ramekin – any shallow bowl will work
- Apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- Plastic wrap – Use cling wrap or press n’ seal
- toothpick – these work great, but an ice pick also works.
How to make a Gnat Trap with Apple Cider Vinegar
This fruit fly trap is so simple, I am sure you have the ingredients at home. So how do you make a fruit fly trap with vinegar?
- Simply pour apple cider vinegar or white vinegar* into a ramekin, leaving about ½ inch at the top. If using white vinegar, stir in a teaspoon of sugar before covering.
2. Cover snugly with plastic wrap, pull taught, and seal tightly around the ramekin.
3. Using a toothpick or an ice pick, puncture holes in the top of the plastic wrap, swirling slightly to enlarge the hole a bit larger than the toothpick makes by itself.
4. Set out as many gnat traps as you need, concentrating them especially near your fruit or where you have kept your fruit.
Homemade Gnat Trap Tips
- If the fruit flies (or gnats) are attracted to the trap but are not going in (walking all over the top of the plastic wrap), it means your holes aren’t big enough.
- Without making the holes too big, use a toothpick to slighly swirl and enlarge your holes, remember you don’t want them flying back out, warning their fly friends. Make it easy for them to get in and never get out. 🙂
- After a few days the vinegar loses it’s drawing power, toss out, wash the bowl and start over again. You’ll be surprised at how many you catch!
Our infestor’s visitors are not too prolific at the moment, but typically I’ve got 2-3 traps going, and they each catch 15-20 flies a day! EW!
Other Homemade Fruit Fly Trap Ideas
There are so many theories and ideas out there, knowing that I’ve been successfully using the above method for decades to catch fruit flies, I stick with this. But here are a few other ideas:
1. Adding dish soap to the apple cider vinegar
The idea behind adding a few drops of dish soap is that it will coat their wings once they hit the vinegar, however; the same thing happens once they dive the vinegar itself. I leave off this step.
2. Use a parchment-made paper cone
Place a cone of paper or parchment paper into a mason jar with ¼ cup ACV. The idea is that they fly down through the tunnel of parchment into the jar of apple cider vinegar and cannot figure out how to get back out.
3. Setting out a wine bottle with a little leftover wine
While this might seem the easiest way, I suppose it is, I have had much better success using a small ramekin. But if you want to try, simply leave a little wine (the sweeter the better) in the bottle and place it near your gnat problem.
4. Mason Jar with Holes in Lid to catch fruit flies
Place the top of a mason jar (without the screw top) on top of a cutting board or scrap piece of wood; using a hammer, pound tiny holes into the top of a mason jar lid. Then screw on the holey lid on a mason jar filled with ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar and set near your fruit fly infestation.
I feel all of the above are a bit more unsightly than my tiny bowls of death that sit around my kitchen catching and killing fruit flies.
Fruit Fly Traps that Work from Amazon
Amazon Fruit Fly Traps
Sometimes it’s easier to purchase something than put things out on your counter. I get that!
I purchased this Safer Home UV LED Fly trap from Amazon, and it has worked really well. I keep herbs and live plants on my windowsill near my kitchen sink and they attract loads of flying insects and aphids. Plugged it in near that area and successfully caught all sorts of flying insects.
Pros for Safer Home UV Led Light
- Non-toxic,
- No Batteries needed, it plugs in to attract the bugs
- Attracts moths, flies, fruit flies and gnats
- Covers a large room
- Clean look, the bugs are hidden on the backside of the trap
Cons for Safer Home UV LED light
- Requires purchase of replacement sticky sheets
- The light is pretty bright, if using in a sleeping area it might be too bright.
I have also used these yellow sticky gnat traps. They trap fruit flies, moths, gnats, and aphids from Amazon. They work great; but I don’t love the look of them in my pots with oodles of insects stuck to them!
You can also try these inexpensive gnat traps with a lure, they look a bit better on your counter perhaps.
Bottom line, use what works best for you, this is certainly the most natural and economical way to catch fruit flies. Check out all of my DIY projects here!
More from The Fresh Cooky
DIY Gnat Trap (that really works!)
Equipment
- Apple Cider Vinegar
Materials
- 1 small ramekin or shallow bowl
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar or other vinegar, if using white vinegar, stir in 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- 1 piece plastic wrap
- 1 piece toothpick
Instructions
- Pour vinegar into small shallow bowl or ramekin, leaving about ½ inch space at top.
- Stretch a piece of plastic wrap tightly across the top, making sure there are no gaps.
- Insert toothpick (or icepick) through plastic wrap and swirl slightly to enlarge the hole abit.
- Set on counter and watch the fruit flies gather for a pool party.
Michelle
Great tutorial! Worked like a charm!
Yay!
rebecca
oh this is so so easy! great that all the components are pantry staples. bye by fruit flies!!!
Yes!! Adios!!
Dana
This is so handy! Bookmarking. I hate these little pests!
Right?!? Thank you!
Suja md
Will definitely make again, very good recipe and it works!
Thanks!
Ned
What a great idea! I gave it a try and it works really well! Thank you!
Yay!! Thanks!
Miz Helen
Your Homemade Fruit Fly Trap is a great idea. The last part of July every year here at the lake we have to put out the little traps. I like the way you set your traps up, mine are not as pretty as yours. I also love your gift ideas! Thanks so much for sharing with us at Full Plate Thursday,448 and hope you will come back soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you Miz Helen! Appreciate your kind words.