Another reader of this site was kind enough to leave a tip for getting rid of fruit flies in the house.
Karen had this to say:
For those dealing with the annoyance of fruit flies in the home, because we DO like keeping a number of fresh fruits and vegetables around the house, my younger brother has stumbled upon this remedy:
Pour a little wine into a cup.
Dip the tip of your finger into bubbly dish detergent and drip a drop or two into the cup of wine and swish it around.
Change the cup of fly-wine every few days until your problem is gone.Works like a charm!!
After a little email exchange, Karen explained the reason this seems to work:
… I know it works. My brother and father have had problems with the fruit flies and this worked for them both.
The amount of detergent is very little [we are not talking about drops of soap, but drops of soapy liquid as when you wash your dishes and the bubbles fall off].
The reason it works is because the surface tension of the liquid is broken. The fruitflies would typically be able to stand on wine and drink it, but the soap changes the tension and the fruit flies fall in when they expect to stand on the surface.
Thanks Karen.
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