Fruit Flies In My Kitchen

This post is disgusting but I didn't realize how disgusting until today.  For the past few days, I noticed a few fruit flies in my kitchen.  I couldn't imagine where they had come from, and then I found some over ripe tomatoes I had from my daughter's garden.  I tossed the tomatoes and thought that would be the end of it, but I still saw a couple flying around.  I heard that vinegar attracted them, so I set out a dish of vinegar.  In a few hours, I hadn't attracted any.  I had used white vinegar so I thought perhaps I needed cider vinegar instead.  Apple cider is made from fruit and fruit flies like fruit (and vegetables).  Without realizing it, I grabbed rice vinegar instead.  I sprinkled about 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in the vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing soap.  I set the dish on the kitchen counter.  In a few seconds the fruit flies started to appear.  They would perch on the side of the dish and then fall into the pool of vinegar.  Obviously there were more than a couple fruit flies in my kitchen,  and I couldn't imagine where they all came from.

A lot of fruit flies in a short amount of time.

After a while we had some errands to run, so we left for a few hours.  When we returned, I checked the dish and it had many more drowned fruit flies.  I told you it was digusting.

Do we all have fruit flies in our homes, and we don't realize it?  I hope not.  I will use this combination in the future because it obviously works.  I hate to see how many will be collected by morning.  Hopefully there aren't many more.

1/2 cup rice vinegar (apple cider or red wine vinegar)
1/2 t. sugar
a few drops of dishwashing soap

*Note: After I posted this blog,  I got several comments about using a dish with the vinegar solution but covered with plastic wrap.  I decided to do a test.  Over 8 hours ago I set out a dish with vinegar, soap and a little sugar.  I covered it with plastic wrap and secured it with a rubber band.  I poked holes in the plastic wrap.  Next to it I put out an open dish of vinegar, soap and sugar.  I caught several fruit flies in the open dish and not one in the covered dish.  They crawled on the plastic but wouldn't go through. It seems that the open method is more effective.