Testing a Homemade Gnat Trap

At least they went out in style!

OK, perhaps I divulge too much, but what can I be if not honest? In a perfect convergence of circumstances, my recent love-fest with seasonal fresh peaches provided—in addition to sweet peachy bliss—a perfect laboratory for trying out a homemade gnat trap.

I prefer not to refrigerate my fruits and vegetables, which means that from time to time I encounter gnats and fruit flies. It happens. This particular evening, the culprit was the last lonely peach in the bowl, and the invasion was bad enough that simply throwing away the peach wasn’t enough to get rid of the flies.

I don’t know about you, but that just wouldn’t do. Fruit flies might unlock the secrets of genetics, but I don’t want them in my kitchen. So, I put out a homemade trap of white vinegar, with a few drops of dish soap stirred in. The vinegar attracts the flies, and the soap alters the surface tension and keeps them from flying back out.

As you can see, the trap worked like a charm! The flies were all over the glass within seconds. Within an hour, there were ten or so dead ones, and by morning there was not a fruit fly left standing.

This is a great indoor/outdoor solution for getting rid of fruit flies, fungus gnats, and other tiny insects that buzz around decaying plant matter. As an added bonus, vinegar is a natural deodorizer, so you cleanse the air of both the bugs and the smell of whatever attracted them in the first place.

Further Information

• How to Control Gnats Outdoors (article)
• Organic Mosquito Control (video)
• Eco-Friendly Mosquito Repellent (video)
• How to Deal with Wasps in Your Lawn (article)