How to Trap Fruit Flies and Gnats
Discovery expert tips on How to Trap Fruit Flies and Gnats
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Sitting down to a relaxing meal is one of the best parts of the day. However one little zipping fruit fly or gnat can instantly take your dinner from relaxing to infuriating. Keeping a few small traps around your house is one way to make sure your meals stay relaxing and bug free. However a search on how to trap fruit flies and gnats brings up dozens of DIY vinegar fruit fly traps, paper cone fruit fly traps, wine or beer fruit fly traps, and even a few store bought fruit fly traps. With so many traps to choose from whats the best fruit fly and gnat trap? Sit back and relax as we review the options so you can start trapping fruit flies and gnats ASAP.
Use the Best Tools
Trapping fruit flies and gnats is much easier if you have the right tools. The following are some of my favoriates. Please use the links below to check them out on amazon.
| Name | How it Works | Setup Time |
|---|---|---|
| Plastic Wrapped Jar | Apple cider vinegar in the jar attracts fruit flies, once the crawl through holes in the plastic wrap they are trapped | 5 minutes |
| Paper Cone in Jar | Fruit Flies and gnats crawl down the cone to rotting fruit in the jar. The small opening in the cone traps them in the jar | 5 minutes |
| Soapy Vinegar in Bowl | Fruit flies and gnats are attracted to the apple cider vinegar in the bowl. Once the land in the liquid or at the edge they soap sticks to them and they drown | 5 minutes |
| Fan Traps | UV light attracts the bug then the fan sucks it in and the sticky glue boards trap it | 10 minutes |
How to Trap Fruit Flies and Gnats Research
The DIY traps above, or variations of them are some of the most popular ones online. Some people swear by the DIY apple cider vinegar traps and others (including myself) just catch dust balls in them. Surprisingly scientific research on fruit fly and gnat traps supports both the DIY apple cider vinegar supporters and detractors. According to an article in the Journal of Economic Entomology the effectiveness of fruit fly traps depends on:
- The type trap design
- Type of bait used
- Type of fruit fly or gnat you want to catch (yes there are various types)
Since most of us don’t know what type of fruit fly is buzzing around our kitchen you likely need to try various combinations of traps and bait. However once you discover the right combination you will know exactly how to trap fruit flies and gnats with a quick DIY trap.
How to Trap Fruit Flies and Gnats with a Fan
If trial and error with DIY apple cider vinegar concoctions sounds like too much work you could opt for the latest in fruit fly and gnat trapping technology. One of the top contenders in this category is Katchy. Katchy uses lights to attract the bugs, a fan to suck them in when they get close and finally an internal glue trap to hold them once they are sucked inside. The three pronged strategy (lights, fan, and glue trap) give Katchy an edge over traditional traps based on just scents.
What really gives Katchy an edge is running the device at night. Since most insects are attracted to lights its a great way to trap fruit flies and gnats. Since Katchy is small, compact, and even a bit stylish it can easily be placed throughout the house on dry level surfaces.
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