How to Kill Drosophila

Drosophila is a genus of flies commonly referred to as fruit flies or vinegar flies. Drosophila are small, slow flies that are attracted to fermenting organic matter in kitchens. The flies often arrive with fruits and vegetables and can reproduce rapidly, making it difficult to control the pests once they are in your home. However, even when Drosophila populations are high and seemingly uncontrollable in your home, they are simple to capture and kill with a homemade trap.

Glass jar
Yeast
Sugar
Spoon
Clear sandwich bag
Rubber band

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a medium-sized glass jar half-full with warm tap water.
- 2
  Add 1 tablespoon of sugar and a packet of bakers yeast to the water and stir thoroughly with a spoon to dilute the sugar. The yeast will start the fermentation process -- causing the liquid to rise and bubble -- which will attract Drosophila to the water.
- 3
  Cover the top of the glass jar with a clear plastic sandwich bag. Arrange the bag so that one corner points toward the liquid in the jar to create a funnel-shaped lid.
- 4
  Secure the plastic to the jar by placing a rubber band over the plastic bag and the rim of the glass jar. Ensure that there is a tight seal around the edge of the glass jar.
- 5
  Poke a small hole in the corner of the sandwich bag using a pen. The small opening will allow Drosophila flies to crawl into the container but is too small to allow the flies to escape.
- 6
  Place the trap in an accessible area in your home where Drosophila are most active.
- 7
  Swirl the liquid in the trap to kill the flies trapped in the glass jar after one week. Dump the contents down the drain and run hot water down the drain for a few minutes to ensure that no larvae remain in the drain.
- 8
  Remake the trap as needed until you kill all the Drosophila in your home.

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