This Bestselling Fruit Fly Trap Is Flying Off the Shelves: Here’s My Review

(Marie-France Pellerin)

We all love having fresh fruit out on the table to ripen for smoothies, snacks, or desserts.

What we’re less fond of are fruit flies. As their name implies, they love fruit just as much as we do — along with compost and the leftover wine sitting at the bottom of a glass after an evening of hosting.

This text is a translation from Noovo Moi

Females can lay up to 500 eggs on ripe fruit, and the larvae hatch quickly in just 24 hours. They become full-grown flies after 5 to 6 days, and a fruit fly infestation (scientifically known as Drosophila) can turn into a nightmare at home in no time.

Between my daily fruit-filled breakfasts and my kitchen compost bin, fruit flies are all-too-frequent guests around here. So when I kept seeing everyone rave about the TERRO Fruit Fly Traps, I was super curious to try them out myself.

Does it actually work? Here are my thoughts.

Key Features

• Traps come in a 2-pack.
• Each trap lasts up to 30 days.
• Non-toxic, food-based liquid attracts the fruit flies.
• Flies go in, but they can’t get back out.

First Impressions on the TERRO Fruit Fly Trap

I love how subtle and cute these apple-shaped fruit fly traps are.

Setting them up couldn’t be easier: I just split the non-toxic, food-grade liquid between the two traps and placed them in high-traffic spots — one by the fruit bowl and the other next to the compost bin.

All that was left to do was wait. Within just a few hours, the flies were already heading inside.

Pros

• Affordable.
• Cute design that blends right into kitchen decor.

Cons

• After a while, the trap seems less effective, as a few flies start hovering around without actually going inside.

My Verdict

Beyond being cute, TERRO Fruit Fly Traps actually deliver. Within just a few days, they’d completely cleared out every fruit fly in the house. (If you’re dealing with a major infestation, though, a few buyers suggest setting out more than two.)

That said, they do lose a bit of steam over time. I eventually noticed a few flies hovering around without going in, so the liquid might need refreshing sooner than the 30 days claimed on the package.

The good news? One reviewer tipped me off that a simple mix of apple cider vinegar and dish soap works wonders as a refill—meaning you don’t even need to buy replacement liquid.