I've used this method many times, and it always works like a charm!

I always use the beer-in-a-jar-with-holes-in-the-lid method. Works like a charm.

We've got a mason jar next to the fruit bowl with exactly this concoction in it. We used to have a piece of plastic over the top with holes poked in it, but you catch so many more when you just leave it open.
Come to think of it... I should clean that when I get home. There's quite a few in there...

I always find you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

This is perfect timing! I was just thinking yesterday about how annoying those little things are. Sounds like a great solution!

Without fail I always get little fruit flies in my wine whenever I am enjoying a glass, so I've just taken to leaving a glass of cooking wine, vermouth or madeira out on the kitchen counter and it seems to keep them away from me

I do this too, and it works like a charm, BUT: it is crucial that you close any windows for a while in the room you want to rid of flies!! Otherwise, you will just be drawing in more flies from outside through your screens! Rid the room(s) of flies, then dump the vinegar (rinsing out the sink too) before opening the windows again.

Haha, I do this too and drew up a little illustration of it. Fun stuff.

Didn't I read a tip on here recently to cover fruit left out of the fridge with a clean dishtowel? After having tried ALL the other methods around, I tried the dishtowel idea and it works!

I can testify that the dish soap works fantastically well --- much better (at least in our kitchen) than the holey plastic wrap, and less trouble, too.

I usually use cider vinegar, but it's not necessary. I've had success with leftover wine and beer, too: if someone doesn't finish a glass at dinner, I pour the dregs and a few drops of soap into a jar and plunk it on the counter.

I tried this, but I only caught one measly little fruit fly. I'm not sure what I did wrong. I used a little bowl instead of a cup, but I didn't think that would matter. Maybe I'll try it again.

@Misplacedtexan I had trouble at first too, I found I had too much soap and I had to experiment putting out several bowls.

Thanks for the reminder - we used this to catch gnats but for the fruit flies although it took longer we just sealed everything up and emptied all the cat water bowls (replaced them in the living room where the cats hang out) and dried every surface. If there are any scraps and any water at all, the buggers can still reproduce. We dried every surface, even the sink.

misplacedtexan, I have to be careful mixing in the soap: you're using it to break the surface tension of the cider (or wine or beer) so the fruit flies sink in. Be sure to just swirl it in, not frothing it up at all.

I sometimes warm the liquid a bit before adding the soap so it's good and fragrant. I don't know if there's any science behind that, but it seems reasonable: fruit flies probably find spoiled fruit (and, by extension, fruity-smelling liquid) by its smell.

Also, a good tip is to put lemon wedges in your garbage disposal to help keep the flies away! I normally slice a lemon, squeeze some slices around the sink then put them through the disposal.

makes sense! I do the cider vinegar with pierced plastic wrap (and it works well) but this would be even easier.

I've used a shot glass and filled it up halfway with red wine. Then I put plastic wrap on top of it, poked a few small holes (but large enough for the fruit flies to get in), and let the flies come and get drunk. It has worked well for me! I just had to make sure at first that the holes were big enough because otherwise the flies sat on the glass wondering how to get in.

LOVE this idea. I was just noticing them the other day so its perfect timing. Thank you.

Cider vinegar + soap is the method I use--with a funnel. I've found with a funnel works way better than without. (It's like a lobster trap--they can get in but not out.) I've also found that, in general, the darker the vinegar, the better. Light cider vinegars take much longer to attract the flies.

you need a funnel to really make it work so that the flies can't find a way back out. a couple of years ago, my roommate and I were suffering fruit flies in the kitchen (but perhaps they were sink flies) and I used the vinegar plus soap set up. most of the flies died but a few were able to crawl back out and multiply.

Yeah I do this with a little amount of beer in a cup with a funnel. We get so many fruit flies and this always works really well!

Yes, this is my go-to method to get rid of those annoying little buggers.

@kittystockings...it's the windows, of course!

My roommate and I had an argument about whether or not this method works after the last time I tried it. Me: "clearly it works, look at all the dead flies" Him: "but look at all the live flies, there's more of them than ever before!" Neither one of us had the common sense to close the kitchen window; because we never close the window.

Now if I could only find a way to get rid fo the army of tiny black sugar ants that have invaded my kitchen for the first time ever. Any ideas, or is my only choice pesticides?

We do this in the lab I work in (which is next to a lab that works on fruit flies) with leftover 2 buck chuck.

There are a lot of methods that work. I have an empty bottle of rum with diluted white vinegar in it, and a regular funnel. It has been working fine except I've been too lazy to clean so now they are back in full force. I also try to keep the plug in the drain, helps.

I've been using Melissa Clark's method (with the dish towel)...it's kept my fruit fresh & bugless, yet because I can't see the tomatoes/fruit I forget they're there!

I've tried this method but with honey or juice. Tried the old cling wrap method and everything but we just have SO MANY that I'm completely at a loss. It makes me want to cry on a daily basis!

Nothing. Vinegar/soap sat out all night, and the fruit flies avoided it.

I cover the fruit bowl with an attractive cloth napkin.

@robinsue we're in the same boat. Maybe they'll do an ant remedy post too. This one was helpful!

In our house they are known as wine flies. Leave a bit of wine in a glass and they will fly in and die. Works even better with a bottle.

Sugar ants: cinnamon - they won't cross it.

How about regular flies?

What about for houseflies? They are driving us crazy here.

I use cider vinegar and put plastic wrap over the top of the bowl I'm using and secure it with a rubber band. Then I poke tiny holes in the plastic wrap with a toothpick and the little buggers can get in but can't figure out how to get back out

@Emmi- Yes let's hope!

@njw thanks, I'll give the cinnamon a try, and hey it smells great too!

I don't know what these little flies are that I have. I am pretty sure they are not fruit flies or drain flies.... I accidentally left a cup of black coffee out yesterday and caught a bunch. But I am trying this beer technique to see if it's more efficient. If not, it's back to the coffee.

I did this last summer with wine+soap drop. ALSO they hate the smell of peppermint, so you can splash a little peppermint oil here and there in the kitchen. It smells great and the flies leave!

We had about a million fruit flies in my kitchen about a month ago, and nothing was getting rid of them. We tried every kind of trap, and no matter how many we killed, there were always more flying around. We put away any food that might have been out, kept the counters clean, but they were still everywhere.

Finally, we decided to wage war on the little nuisances. We ditched our old garbage can and recycling box (plastic tends to absorb smells) and bought a new all-in-one can with a lid. Then we cleaned every surface in the kitchen, washed every pot and pan hanging in the pot rack (they would gather there) and every tool or item that stays out on the counter. We put away a lot of the things we had out on the counters, too. I even got up on the counter and cleaned the top of the cabinets, which were kind of gross. It took three days, caused a fight between my husband and me, and inspired many creative curses for the builders who "designed" a kitchen that had so many hard-to-clean nooks and crannies.

Then we laid out the traps again, and lo and behold, the flies were gone in a matter of days. We still have one or two that just refuse to die, but we must have found the place they were breeding, because we aren't getting more of them. For bugs that only live for a few days, they sure do have staying power.

The upshot of all this is that my kitchen is so clean right now. I hope it lasts.

I wash all my fruits and vegetables in Dr.Bronner's peppermint soap. NO MORE FLIES. And "clean" food (or cleaner---I'm not claiming that it's perfect).

We just had issue with fruit flies-someone gave my husband a bag of potatoes that he 'forgot' about-hmmmmm. Pair that with a weekend spent out of the house and by sunday evening it was a mess. Tried traps for a few days, poured bleach in the drains, cleaned every surface, removed any food out and STILL had the flies. Found the potato bag and decided to declare war. Got our shop vac out and every hour or so vacuumed up as many as possible. After a day of the shop vac assault, things are under control. Still have 1 on the run, but his hours are numbered.

The apple cider vinegar works like a charm for me. If it's not working for you it's possible you may be adding too much dish soap. Really, only 1 or 2 drops will do the trick. That's just enough to change the surface tension of the vinegar. If I have a really heavy infestation (the dear husband sometimes forgets where he left that banana skin... grrrr!) I'll add a few drops of honey to the vinegar to really attract them. Within a day or two at the most, even with the garden door being opened often, no more fruit flies.