Fruit flies and their close relatives, midges, are fly species that seem to appear mainly during the warmer months. Fruit flies, attracted to fruits and vegetables, and midges, attracted to houseplants and damp soil, are not only a nuisance in the home, but also significantly shorten the shelf life of the food and plants they feed on.
Given how quickly they multiply and the general annoyance of seeing them invade the house, people often rush to the store to buy the first toxic insecticide they see.
Fortunately, there are faster and equally effective home remedies that are also much safer than store-bought products!
Most of these solutions use pantry items and follow a simple method to create a trap from which flies and gnats cannot escape. The quick steps to create such a trap involve taking a cup or jar, filling it with one of the solutions listed below, covering it tightly with plastic wrap, and poking several holes in it.
Alternatively, you can also create a paper funnel trap by folding a piece of paper into a cone shape and fitting it snugly into the opening of a glass jar. The bottom of the funnel should have an opening about an inch wide, and the tip should be about two inches from the bottom of the jar. Place your bait of choice in the jar and watch as the insects enter the funnel but are unable to escape.
Red wine
Just like humans, fruit flies and gnats love red wine, or at least its smell. Mix 1/2 cup of red wine with 1 1/2 cups of water and pour it into the trap described above. Place the jar where you see most of these insects.
Fish them out, then just watch them fly into the trap and drown in the liquid. Change the solution once it’s full of too many dead bugs.
