Cleaning fan's odd hack 'traps' fruit flies without using chemicals

A savvy cleaning buff has shared their unusual hack for 'trapping' fruit flies, without any need for chemical sprays, and it may well be a trick you've never considered before

Although fruit flies can cause a nuisance all year round, you'll most likely find them buzzing around your home in the late summer and autumn months, especially if there's food lying around to tempt them. Luckily, there are ways to keep these flies at bay without spritzing chemical sprays all around your kitchen.

One particularly inventive cleaning buff has come up with an easy, yet quite unusual, way to trap and kill fruit flies, although it may cause more squeamish individuals to suddenly lose their appetite.

Revealing their go-to hack via Facebook, the houseproud individual shared photos of a garlic butter dip pot, much like the ones you might use to dip pizza crusts in. This one however didn't look at all appetising, given that dozens of dead flies were stuck fast in the pot and against the tinfoil lid.

Explaining the logic behind their hack, the resourceful group member wrote: "Just a heads up for anyone that are [sic] dealing with pesky gnats or fruit flies, whatever they're called. Open up a cup of garlic butter and they go straight to it. This picture is after about five minutes of opening it. It's gross but it's better than having them flying around everywhere lol."

Photos showed the pot getting fuller and fuller with flies over a very short space of time, with the pests apparently not put off by the bodies already stuck fast. Although many fellow members were shocked that they'd "wasted good garlic butter", a number of those contending with fly infestations have vowed to give it a go for themselves.

One person commented: "Thanks for the tip!" Another approved: "10/10 recommend the garlic butter dip hack for gnats!! I've tried everything and this has been the most effective!"

Sharing a different method, a third person suggested: "Pour a glass of apple cider vinegar. This method is excellent and will last for weeks on end, the flies just can't help themselves."

Flies are attracted to all types of food, and fruit flies are known to be particularly attracted to sweet, fermenting smells, such as the scent of apple cider vinegar. You can pick up a 180 ml tub of garlic butter from Iceland for £1.85, while a 350ml bottle of apple cider vinegar will set you back £1.30 at Tesco.

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