Fruit Fly Trap Using Kombucha
So you’ve learned how to brew Kombucha, in fact you have a supply readily on hand. If you have more Kombucha than you can drink, there are a number of ways to put the extra to good use, but the best is probably a Fruit Fly Trap.
Fruit flies (aka Drosophila melanogaster) can be pesky the warmer it gets, making a trap particularly useful in the summertime. A little Kombucha in a shallow dish can solve your kitchen’s fruit fly infestation in a snap. Check out the Advanced Tip, especially if you have a garden to grow.
Get Rid Of Fruit Flies With Your Leftover Kombucha!
Here’s What You Need:
- A dish – this can be made from any material as you won’t be drinking from it.
- Some already fermented KT (Kombucha tea)
- A drop of soap
Here’s What You Do:
- Pour the KT (Kombucha Tea) into the dish
- Add a drop of soap.
Voila! That’s it!
The drop of soap reduces the surface tension which causes the bugs to fall in but prevents them from flying out. If you don’t have any extra Kombucha, you can strain out the dead flies and reuse the liquid as needed.
Kombucha Kamp Advanced Tip: Fruit Fly Trap
When the jar is full, I like to pour it into my composter or in the garden (acid loving plants only please!). The soil loves the pH of the KT and it helps the plants thrive.
Check out this post for more Kombucha Vinegar uses. What other ways do YOU use extra Kombucha around the house?
Stacey Smith
February 11, 2021 at 6:43 amGoing to do this in the late spring and summer, going to put close to my kombuchua jar. Love this website!
Lexie
February 23, 2020 at 5:18 pmI use extra scoby in my compost barrel, think compost tea in a large scale. I put animal poop, kitchen scraps and garden clippings in it and cover with water then scoop out the liquid to pour around whatever plants needs feeding. Leftover SCOBY is an excellent addition that keeps a lovely bubbling action going.
Dale-Lin Mallonen
July 28, 2017 at 6:32 amBack to the fly trap, thank you! I am going to try, but use the recycled pop bottle method. Cut the plastic around the shoulder. Put tea/soap in bottom. Put uncapped head of bottle into bottom, inverted. Tape together if needed & funnel the flies in. We have chickens so we need fly traps. Wish me luck
Hannah Crum
June 15, 2018 at 10:11 amGood idea! Those traps take a little more effort to construct but can also collect a LOT of flies. Did it help keep down the population with the chickens?
JK
July 11, 2015 at 3:11 pmI also vacuum up the fruit flies 🙂 i find that after a couple days of continuous trapping the resistant ones reproduce and then it stops working. So, I’ll vaccuum flr a day or two then put a new trap out !
Rose
June 24, 2015 at 11:12 amI am a fairly new brewer, and sure enough, fruit flies are attracted to my brewer. I am using a technique that I have been using with great success for years. I simply vacuum the fruit flies up! I do a sweep with the hose without the attachment at night, and if there are any more in the morning, I do it again. It is most satisfying to see the little buggers “leap” into the vacuum! And much preferable in my opinion to actually attracting them with booch. My kitchen is fruit fly free if I spend a few minutes vacuuming them every few days.
Geri
April 28, 2024 at 10:22 amGreat idea!! We vacuum every morning so will be making vacuuming our booch barrel area part of our regimen!! I have been making kombucha for years and have never had such a big problem with fruit flies as we’ve had in this past year. Thanks for this tip Rose ;)) PS… do you notice if the fruit flies escape from the vacuum ever?
Robin Conkel-hannan
May 7, 2014 at 2:31 amWhen I make medb I save some of the mud for bug traps with a drop of soap.. Works the same way..
I’m brewing my second batch of KT.. The first surprised me it was so fizzy.. Good stuff.. I’d been hearing about it for years but never met anybody who was familiar lt.. Always thought I should try some.. I’ve got a few pounds to lose and saw mention KT helps to lose weight so I finally ordered some from EBay.. Then I found you.. Your recipe is very different from the one that came with my ‘mother’.. Your recipe and helps are great..
…. Thank you
Terrie Dixon
January 22, 2014 at 1:45 pmI just finished drinking my 1st batch of booch in about 5 years. I have learned a few flavoring tips which I did not know a few years back when I brewed. I have crushed a blackberry, and taken a thin slice of ginger root and put in each of my bottles. I then left them on the counter 3 days…and wow it tasted great! Before when I brewed I cleaned everything with apple cider vinegar instead of hot water, and my brew tasted vinegary. It is so much better now.
Thanks for your many tips!
Terrie from Iowa
Pam
January 19, 2014 at 12:51 pmCould you explain a bit more on how you get the worm tea out of the dustbin. Presume it sits on soil to attract worms?
Hannah Crum
February 4, 2014 at 12:22 amThe hole in the bottom of the bin collects the worm “sludge” and then it drips into a plastic container at the end of the hose. We throw food scraps on top and then once a year, we turn out the stuff on top, spread the stuff on the bottom of the bin about the garden and then put the “top layer” back into the worm bin. Makes lovely compost!
What kind of composting is the garbage can?
November 22, 2013 at 4:02 amInterested in your composting, can you give me some info on it? Thanks!
kkadmin
November 26, 2013 at 2:09 pmWe do vermicomposting in a homemade bin. We converted an old garbage can by inserting mesh on the bottom and cutting a hole to capture the worm tea. Then we fill it with spent tea leaves, kitchen scraps and SCOBYs. The worms love it and they are continuing to thrive 4 years in!
Coleen
March 30, 2023 at 5:27 pmHi. Where do you cut the hole in the garbage bin to collect worm tea? Is it in the mesh or up the side of bin a inch or two? Also wondered what the mesh is for? Is that to stop worms coming in or to stop vermin getting to the worms? Do I have to get tiger worms or will garden worms work ok?
Hannah Crum
April 7, 2023 at 8:18 amMy brother in law helped me make this. I believe the hole for the worm tea capture was at the bottom of the vessel with a tube to let it run into a bucket. We placed the bin up on cinder blocks so we could put the capture vessel underneath the tube. The mesh is there so that there’s space for the worm tea to gather or it would all be filled in with dirt. We used red wrigglers so yes, garden worms would be just fine to use. There are probably tutorials on YouTube that demonstrate exactly how to make your own worm bin at home. Happy gardening!
Prudie
September 13, 2013 at 5:23 pmMy KT is very dark. I used 8 tea bags to a gallon of water and 1 cup sugar. I am thinking my tea just may be too strong and perhaps I should cut down to 6. Will this hurt the brewing process? (Tomorrow is day #17 and time to bottle this batch) Thanks for all your help! This is fun.
Hannah Crum
September 17, 2013 at 6:30 amWe recommend 3-6 bags of tea per gallon. If you like the flavor, that is most important but you can probably cut back on the amount of tea and still make a delicious KT and save some money in the process.
LELSIE HOOKER
July 17, 2013 at 5:01 amHELLO,
IVE MADE KT IN THE PAST THOUGHT I’D TRY AGAIN. ON MY SECOND BATCH, THE FIRST ONE WOULD NEVER TURN TO THE MILD SOUR SWEET. IT WAS TO SWEET. AND NOW MAKING ANOTHER, IT SMELLS GREAT I HAVE A HEATING PAD ON LOW TO KEEP IT ABOUT 86-89. ITS UNDER THE BOTTOM OF GALLON GLASS JAR. TODAY IS THE 7TH DAY, ITS STILL TO SWEET. JUST WONDERING WHY ITS NOT WORKING. THANKS LESLIE
Hannah Crum
July 29, 2013 at 6:07 pmIf you are heating from the bottom, you could be over activating the yeast which can lead to imbalance and slower fermentation. What is the pH of your brew? What recipe are you following? Hard to troubleshoot without details.
Lori Eldredge
June 7, 2013 at 6:57 amI have always placed a head of garlic at the bottom of my fruit bowl, and no matter how ripe the bananas get, the fruit flies stay away. Now that I am brewing, I place a couple of heads on my pantry shelf where I keep my brews, and viola! No fruit flies.
Hannah Crum
June 18, 2013 at 1:31 amThanks for the great tip!
Sal Morgano
August 11, 2013 at 7:16 pmHello, can you tell me are you peeling the garlic or is it just the way you buy it from the store?
Thank You!
Sal Morgano
Hannah Crum
August 23, 2013 at 11:31 pmI peel my own garlic.
Beverly
January 11, 2013 at 5:07 amHannah,
You are the greatest. In my house, KT never gets old enough to see better days. Usually I am fighting my kids over it. Thank you for all your videos. I love my kombucha.
Hannah Crum
January 13, 2013 at 12:42 pmHappy Brew Year Beverly! =)
Fayette
May 5, 2015 at 8:47 amI also never have enough KT, I always run out before my next batch is ready. I will have to SACRIFICE some for the advantage of keeping the fruit flies at bay. I have also used apple cider vinegar in the past, but now I don’t have to buy some when I run out. KT to the rescue! 🙂
Merna B (North Dakota)
January 3, 2013 at 4:38 pmWhat is the recommended amount of kombucha that one can drink in a day? Can you drink to much? Just getting started on making it and we are getting a good amount ready at one time.
thanks
Hannah Crum
January 13, 2013 at 11:34 amIt is recommended to start with small amount at first (4-8oz) up to 3 times a day. Then, Trust YOUR gut! Drinking “too much” will increase your need to eliminate and if you are new to detoxification, you may experience a Herxheimer reaction. Increasing the amount of water your drink will help to flush the toxins released.
Smith
October 12, 2012 at 9:17 pmHow long can the scobies stay in the hotel? Does the hotel stay in the refrig or on the counter?
Hannah Crum
October 15, 2012 at 12:06 amThe SCOBYs can remain in the hotel indefinitely. Keep the hotel on the counter to prevent the cultures from going dormant. You will need to feed the hotel nutrient solution (sweet tea) from time to time to keep it healthy.
Corey
November 15, 2017 at 7:55 pmShould the SCOBY hotel have a lid on it or cloth covering. I’ve mine with a lid on for a couple of weeks and it looks good but i wonder if maybe pressure could build up…? thank you
Hannah Crum
March 10, 2019 at 6:09 pmWe prefer to use a cloth cover – the new SCOBY that grows is essentially the “lid” and the cover prevents dirt or bugs from getting into the jar. Closed top will eventually have a funky odor due to “suffocating” the yeast.
Lisa Imhoff
June 8, 2012 at 11:44 amI found a few gnats (I think they’re gnats or fruitflies most probably because they’re so small in my kombucha on the scoby. What now? Do I not have the towel on tight enough or can it be because I let this batch brew longer and it’s stronger?
hannah
June 12, 2012 at 12:25 pmSometimes the lil buggers get in when you remove the cloth cover. Try to keep your KT covered at all times especially this time of year when they get pervasive. If you have a SCOBY Hotel, I’d compost the one with flies and start fresh.
Erol Jesse R. Libo-on
September 15, 2011 at 3:42 pmI want to buy kombucha scoby can you shipped it overseas (Manila)
hannah
September 20, 2011 at 2:06 amHi Erol! Yes, we ship internationally!
Erol Jesse R. Libo-on
September 15, 2011 at 3:39 pmCan mother plant vinegar be used in making kombucha tea?
hannah
September 20, 2011 at 2:07 amMOV is not the same as the Kombucha culture. MOV has its own healing properties but does not contain the same yeast & bacteria that are present in KT.
lindy
September 10, 2011 at 8:38 amI have been using apple cider vinegar and dish soap for a few years before I even knew that kombucha existed.
That works great and you don’t waste the precious kombuchia.
But thanks for the tip.
It is to bad that I could not hear your voice though. The intro music was fine but no sound with the voice.
Thanks keep up the good work!!!!!!!!!!!!!
hannah
September 20, 2011 at 2:10 amThanks Lindy! I use KT that has seen better days for my fruit fly traps – that or KT from some random flavor experiments that may not have turned out as I would have hoped. KT almost never gets wasted here 😉 Brew long & prosper!
Lesley
July 20, 2011 at 10:45 amThis sounds great. We have plenty fruit (and other) flies here in S.A !! Soon as the summer comes, along with all the pests,this will be my first mission!!