Aside from those with unique tastes, no one likes gnats, also known as fruit flies, in his or her food or drink. These pesky little bombardiers come in swarms, hovering around garbage cans, plants, dinner tables, and wherever else these sweet-toothed insects think they can find sustenance. Because they’re so little, you can’t really tackle them with a fly swatter, as you can with their larger counterpart, the house fly. These little ones who lay eggs and breed in your drains are clever creatures. Many traps, like sticky pads, just don’t cut it. Some people even try to lure them into a microwave to get rid of them, but, amazingly, the microwave won’t kill them! The best way to catch these seemingly indestructible nuisances is with trickery… sweet, soapy, trickery.

Gnats are very much attracted to substances such as vinegar, honey, breads (they’re attracted to the yeast), and alcoholic beverages, such as red wine and beer. One of the best ways you can take care of your gnat problem is to get a beer or wine bottle (these products are typically hot spots for gnats, and the narrow neck of the bottle will make it more difficult for them to escape), and fill it about half-full with vinegar, honey, and a little bit of dish soap. As we’ve all learned from our mothers, you catch more flies with honey, but they’re also quite fond of vinegar. This will lure them in, and, as they enter the bottle of doom, their wings will become coated with the soap and honey mixture, making it impossible for them to fly away, ending in their inevitable deaths.

This is an almost sure-fire way to zap your gnat problem. The microwave may not be able to kill them, but a squirt or two of dish soap should do the trick!