FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

I have a beautiful growing nepenthe pitcher plant. I also have a bit of a fruit fly problem. So I was thinking, what if I eye dropped a tiny bit of apple cider vinegar into one of the pitchers to attract more flies. Let me make it absolutely clear that I have not actually done this at time of posting, so if in fact this is a terrible idea that will kill the plant, I welcome anyone who wants to talk me down off this ledge to do so.

Vinegar is a herbicide. I don't know if apple cider vinegar is, but considering I almost nuked my mini greenhouse full of Nepenthes by spraying 3 times out of a spray bottle; I wouldn't take the chance.

Get a D.capensis or two and put them in the area. They will take care of your fruit flies.

hollyhock wrote:Get a D.capensis or two and put them in the area. They will take care of your fruit flies.

I think that Branint wants to try to attract the fruit flies into the pitchers of his Nepenthes with apple cider vinegar.

Branint wrote:I have a beautiful growing nepenthe pitcher plant. I also have a bit of a fruit fly problem.

I saw this and thought they wanted to get rid of a fruit fly problem?

Good point. I just saw put apple cider vinegar into pitcher of Nepenthes to attract fruit flies. Either way avoid vinegar and get a capensis to solve the fruit fly problem.

hollyhock wrote:Get a D.capensis or two and put them in the area. They will take care of your fruit flies.

Well it just so happens I have two of those. I'll see about putting them to the job, though I've been less than impressed with their fly catching abilities in the past.

Or put the apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap in a little dish covered in Saran wrap. Poke tiny holes in the Saran wrap. It's a easy to make fruit fly trap..

I doubt on small drop would kill the plant but it might kill the pitcher.

Acetic acid will definitely kill the pitcher, because it is an herbicide. If you are lucky it will kill only the pitcher, but it does create fumes. Vinegar fumes can and will kill your plants. So if you use too much (accidentally) then you will kill or damage your plants.
Look at it like this; will you pour a drop of Roundup into your plants pitcher to attract a bug (hypothetically,) while knowing that Roundup can kill your plants.

To clarify: do you want to get rid of the flies, or do you want to feed the pitcher? Well, here's my idea. Don't touch the vinegar- it's not worth the risk. Instead, go eat a banana, cut the peel into little squares, and suspend them a bit inside the pitcher, but not touching or in the fluid or the walls. The flies will be attracted to the banana peel, and hopefully fall into the pitcher.