This time of year my kitchen is always full of bowls of veggies from the garden -- tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers -- waiting for me to process them in some way or other. Bowls of veggies result in pesky fruit flies, but I've discovered that putting out a couple of small containers (I use juice glasses) with about an inch of cider vinegar in them, with a drop or two of dish soap added (to reduce the surface tension) will attract and drown the flies.

This is a great tip, Sandy. We usually get them around our big veggie/fruit bowl on the countertop, and the compost pile, but so far, not too many. I'll give your tip a whirl soon enough.

I have tried this and it DOES work Within hours the little buggers were doing the back stroke

Great post for anyone that doesnt know..

Cheap and easy -- two of my favorite words!

I do this too! We use shallow lids. It works like a charm everytime!

Welcome, Stephanie -- I actually bought a "fruit fly trap" and associated bait, then ran out of the bait, checked on the internet, and discovered that vinegar works... so simple, almost too good to be true!

Another tip... If a ripening tomato gets a crack, I know it will just spoil if I leave it outside. And if I put it on the counter, fruit flies will find it, and it will spoil. So I pick it and bring it inside, but before I put it on the counter I put masking tape over any cracks in the skin... fruit flies can't get to it, and it ripens just fine!

Hey Jill, good tip on those tomatoes. How is little Miss Sunshine doing and of course how are you getting along?

We're having a great summer! Sunshine Girl is thriving, chatting up a storm and learning something new every time I turn around. She'll be 2 in mid-August! Every day with her just feels like a celebration. I guess it's 5 years before anybody uses the word remission, but all my test/scan results are good, and I'm definitely getting my zip back, so we're "all systems go go go!"

Jill, what a great tip about the tomatoes -- using tape is something I've never thought to try! Also very happy to hear that you are doing well - thanks for posting here.

Wow, I sure wish I had seen this last month.... *sigh* .... slap!!

LOL, Sheryl -- keep it in mind for *next* year!

Yeah, 'cause you know I'll have them again...

I did some research about carnivorous plants and these plants enjoy fruit flies.

Dogpack -- that's an interesting idea! What carnivorous plants in particular are you referring to? I'm afraid any of them that I would try to keep for the purpose of eating fruit flies would become so large and aggressive it would be like a remake of "Little Shop of Horrors"...