The World's Best Fruit Fly Trap

Babels love vegetables. So if you're living with a Babel, you probably have a fruit fly problem. This is especially true if you live with Zack Babel, who also likes to ferment. Fermenting involves a lot of fruit and veggies sitting around at room temperature with a cheese cloth (or, one of my favorite tricks, nylon) covering the container's opening. The fruit flies, which are surprisingly more food-driven and much smaller than a Babel, can find their way through these barriers, spoiling a month's-long fermentation experiment or Kombucha. Follow these instructions for an excellent line of defense from these little tricksters. - Holly

Ingredients

(pictured right)
Dawn (brand) dish soap
Apple Cider vinegar
Water

Directions

1. In a small dish, with steep sides (I use a small Pyrex container like these), add apple cider vinegar until dish is 1/4 full. 
2. Add water (tap water is fine) until dish is 1/2 full. 
3. Add 5-10 drops of Dawn dish soap. 
4. Gently mix ingredients together to combine, but not produce bubbles. 
5. Set dish near the source of fruit fly activity. 

You should see results within the hour. Pictured below are the results I had with my trap in less than two hours near my compost bin. Replace the mixture daily until fruit flies have vanished.