Impossible to swat a fruit fly? Now with scientific results and poll!

There is a fruit fly in my house. I have been trying to swat it since I got home. I am 0-90.

What’s worked for you to kill these hapless but annoying little insects?


Poll and results here:

Lure them with a banana?

A glass with a little red wine or apple cider vinegar in it with some plastic wrap covering the glass with some holes poked in the wrap lures them in and they drown.

I also have an electronic flyswatter that looks like a small tennis racket that makes a very satisfying zapping noise when it fries critters. Got it at the hardware store.

I looked at one of those tennis rackets for roaches, but the consensus seemed to be that much like a salt gun they just weren’t up to the task. Those things are little monsters. I read an article about a guy who used his to stun them and then put them outside. Motherfucker the only good roach is a dead roach.

The vinegar / plastic wrap method has worked for me before.

I got a little plastic apple with holes in the top, but it’s the same general idea: Fill it with apple cider vinegar, put it with your other fruit, and the flies work their way in but can’t get out. It’s safe and reusable.

I use the apple cider vinegar, but we put a little soap in the dish, instead of plastic wrap. The soap coats the top and surface tension traps them.

What a timely thread. We have a bunch in our house. I’m gonna try this.

Awesome, gonna setup this up when I get home from my kidney ultrasound.

So how big are those holes supposed to be?

I like @Andy_Bates idea of using soap instead. Hell, mix soap and gas, and you could napalm them.

Just punch some holes with a toothpick, that’s what works for us.

Perfect thanks!

Try chopsticks!

Do another one with soap and see which has more success. Never tried the soap method but that makes sense and seems like it would be more effective to me. Also SCIENCE! :D

OK experiment going up. Watch this guy die of natural causes before being trapped LOL.

I have used this to great effect for flies. It doesnt kill them immediately but over time they die since their exoskeleton is compromised

But be careful at where you fire the gun. If you shoot the salt on a nice piece of furniture it will take off the finish.

A-salt rifle?!?

No such thing. LIBERAL.

My wife wanted to assault me after I hurt said piece of furniture