Make a fruit fly trap with sugar water

If fruit flies have nested, they can quickly develop into a plague. One way to decimate the tiny flies is to use a sugar water fruit fly trap.

fruit flies

Fruit flies (Drosophilidae) are only a few millimeters in size and are distributed worldwide. About 50 of the more than 3,000 known people live in Germany species. Some are descendants of humans and fly on stored fruit or fermenting fruit juices, which is why they are often called fruit flies. Since the females can lay up to 400 eggs, fruit flies quickly become a nuisance.

Fruit fly trap with sugar water

A fruit fly trap with sugar water is one of the most effective measures to get rid of the annoying flies, along with traps with vinegar. This solution also has the advantage that you avoid the acrid smell of vinegar.

How a fruit fly trap with sugar water works is quickly explained: the sugar dissolved in the water serves as an attractant. Attracted by its scent, the pests fly at the sugar water. Adding a few drops of detergent reduces the surface tension of the liquid, causing the flies to drown in it.

Fast Sugar Waterfall

Sugar water is the classic for fruit fly traps without vinegar. To craft the trap you will need:

• a medium glass of water (clean jam jar or similar)
• sugar
• lukewarm water
• detergent

Instructions for crafting:

• Fill the water glass halfway up with water
• add five to six teaspoons of sugar
• stir
• Mixture should be slightly thick
• add a drop or two of dish soap
• mix with the sugar water
• Set up a fruit flytrap

Tip: Use powdered sugar instead of granulated sugar. This dissolves better in lukewarm water.

Variant: Heat sugar water

With this variant, you do not prepare the sugar water cold, but hot. The advantage is that sugar dissolves more easily in boiling water. In addition to the ingredients mentioned above, you will also need a saucepan and a heat-resistant glass to fill the sugar water. Proceed as follows:

• Mix 200 grams of sugar with 250 milliliters of water in a saucepan
• Boil
• simmer for about three minutes over medium heat
• stir every now and then
• Take the pot off the stove
• bottle
• set up trap after cooling

Tip: If you don't have a heat-resistant glass, let the sugar water cool down in the saucepan and then decant it.

Variant with yeast

This fruit fly trap is touched cold. For bottling, you should use a bottle with a thin, long neck. To make the attractant, follow the instructions below:

• mix a teaspoon of sugar with lukewarm water
• Dissolve a fresh piece of yeast in it
• Fill the lure liquid into the bottle with a funnel
• Set up a fruit flytrap

A notice: In this variant, the fermenting yeast is an additional lure.

Place fruit fly trap

When setting up the fruit fly trap, it is crucial that the trap is unrivaled. Therefore you should

• clear away all the fruit
• For example, put it in a lockable box and store it in the fridge
• Dispose of organic waste

Once all (other) food sources have been eliminated, place the fruit fly trap in the old location of the fruit bowl. Alternatively, place them where most flies hang out. In larger rooms and with a large number of pests, you should use several fruit fly traps set up.

Tip: The effect of the fruit fly trap should show itself after about ten hours. If there are only a few fruit flies in it, you should increase the intensity of the attractant by adding sugar.

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