A side effect of a healthy lifestyle is you have a lot of fruits around. Someone else likes fruit too...
Fruit flies! Well they never get to actual fly status but more like fruit gnat.
Little bastards.
Sorry. Can you tell I have a few?
It's not feasible for me to hide away my nanas...the likely culprit and I've done everything from the fruit traps with the fruit inside the glass and plastic wrap with holes poked in it to actual fruit fly traps which does not work. The plastic wrap covered glass thing has about a 50 % success rate and I want something higher than that because I shouldn't have to name them Skippy (the laid back one that literally just flew in front of my computer screen), Loopy (one I assume was just born because that sucker is light, full of energy and ready to taunt) and Moe (just because). I would take a picture of them but they are elusive and I'd be tempted to crush them with the camera.
Anyone else had them? How did you get rid of them? I don't need a catch and release trap either if you get my drift.
====================
Like this post? Don't miss another one...subscribe via email or RSS feed. (Because you're cool like that!)
I take a bowl and add some red wine vinegar (or similar) and cover it with plastic wrap and poke small holes in it, they get in there and drown in the vinegar - it works really well but sounds similar to what you already have going there.
ReplyDeleteAnother option is to take a tall glass jar and fashion a funnel shape out of a coffee filter or other paper and secure the funnel into the jar. put some fruit in the bottom of the bottle and the fruit flies go down the funnel and get trapped in the jar.
Good luck!
I get them from time to time, but once I've eaten their food source, they go away. One thing I know works is to heat some apple cider vinegar and put it in your glass trap thingies. Supposedly the heating part releases more of the fruity smell and attracts more flies.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I've heard-but-haven-'t-tried that tequila in the glass trap thingie works well.
I've had good luck with what Roxanne has suggested. However, I've never tried heating it first. I may have to try that next time. I will also make sure that I switch out the vinegar every few days. I find that helps with the effectiveness of the trap.
ReplyDeleteThere was one in the shower this morning just flying around checking things out.
ReplyDeleteHe was practically a kamikaze. I suppose we could figure out if they are all male
or female by getting a tuning fork tuned to high C and seeing if they all come around.
We could at least trap the males that way and reduce their numbers.Pop up video last night had
a blurb on this, I am not making it up!
I HATE those nasty little things. I know WHY there there, but they make me feel like a poor housekeeper. I have NO idea how to get rid of them. I put the nanas in the fridge when I have room, but that's not often.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the vinegar (I use apple cider vinegar) in a shallow bowl. I also put in a couple of drops of dish soap and that's it. No plastic wrap is needed. The flies go in for the sweet smell and get stuck because of the soap. I have two of these set out right now. One by the fruit bowl (which is empty because I removed all the fruit to the fridge) and one on the counter by the trash can. Sometimes I have to put one in the bathroom to because they love the drains. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI tried two things this summer, and neither of them worked! I tried putting apple cider vinegar in a glass bowl...no such luck and then I put actually peach juice in a glass bowl...again, epic fail. The weird thing is that I know those techniques work b/c I've done it before when I bartended, but it was just not happening this year! :(
ReplyDeleteI've also had good luck with apple cider vinegar in a jar/glass and a drop or two of soap on the top. Sometimes I've put plastic wrap over the jar and othertimes I've made a funnel trap with a piece of paper. I guess I've also had success with thing on the top of the jar either.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a renal unit and get some gross drain flies, similar to gnats and these traps work great.
Fruit flies (or gnats if you prefer) haven't been a huge problem for me since we moved into this house. We lived in a rental before and they were terrible, I would've loved to have some of these tips then. I don't know what the difference is between there and here, we only moved a few miles so we have the same climate and everything. Lucky me I guess.
ReplyDeleteThe pests I'm fighting with this year are those stupid little tiny black ants. Sugar ants we call them, although I'm sure they have a more scientific name than that. Usually those cheapie little ant traps work wonders, but this year they're not cutting it. Maybe the little buggers have a learning curve after all.
I've had very bad infestations of fruit flies over the years. The only tried and true solution was to get rid of the fresh fruit for a day or two. Once their source for food is gone, they will move on.
ReplyDeleteI have this problem!! The best trick I have found is placing a bottle (soda bottle or anything with a thin neck) I found a cute one and adding some vinegar and dish soap. In a few days you will have a bottle of dead flies i keep mine there all the time and just set it behind the fruit bowl. ALso, thanks for this blog you are an inspiration to someone trying to me who is trying to loose a significant ammount of weight.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea but I like these tips.
ReplyDeleteI've got the flies and occasionally ants (even though I've sprayed)
This just reminds me of the beer bowls my gram used to leave outside for the slugs lol
Nasty little buggers, getting rid of the fruit is about the only thing I've found that works--NOT a good option. Right now I'm trying to figure out how tiny little ants have found their way into my kitchen . . . which is on the second floor of our house! Been here 15 years and this is the first year we've had ants inside, first in the dog food (set out traps outside close to their trail and bye-bye ants), now on the counter and IN THE DISHWASHER. More ant traps and a quick rinse cycle in the dishwasher seems to have taken care of them, but we'll see. Gah!
ReplyDeleteVinegar and dishsoap worked for me! Dang bugs.
ReplyDeleteI'm a HUGE fan of this little item :) http://www.harborfreight.com/electronic-fly-swatter-40122.html?mkwid=stNIGvnjg&pcrid=11116148356&pmt=e&mkw=electric%20fly%20swatter&gclid=CMTdn8y-obECFUYCQAod7nWjdA
ReplyDeleteugh! I'm having this same problem as we speak! You only have 3?? I envy thee! It will take a full on gnat genocide to get me down to 3. I tried the vinegar soap thing and it didn't work. I tried putting down sticky tape to trap them--nothing. Aside from running around like a bat-crap crazy lunatic with tape wrapped around my fingers smacking the little buggers to death, I'm out of ideas!
ReplyDeleteI have the same problem, though fruit hasn't been lasting long enough in my house lately (and I haven't bought bananas in a while either). I'm going to have to try the apple cider vinegar + soap thing...
ReplyDeleteYou need cats! :) Ours love chasing down fruit flies. Fruit flies dead, cats entertained. Problem solved!
ReplyDeleteI find a little sweet red wine in a bottle/glass works very well. The smell is strong and the dummies get drunk and drown. Cider vinegar is supposed to work well but I've never tried it.
ReplyDeleteThe bane of our existence!!!!! It's probably not safe, but my husband either lights them on fire or sprays them with ant spray! LOL
ReplyDeleteWe had a horrid time with them. I coned a piece of paper, filled the bottom of a plastic cup with vinegar (wine and apple cider worked; white did not), and taped the cone inside the cup, with the tip not quite touching the vinegar. Served as a great trap. I have not tried it, yet, but my husband recently bought what looks like a little plastic apple, called Terro Fruit Fly Trap (non-toxic). Next time we have an issue with them, we'll try it. Will let you know how it works. I think it was about six bucks., so definitely worth a try.
ReplyDeleteI'm a little late to this post as I just discovered your blog today. My fruit fly solution is this:
ReplyDeleteNote: You will need cooperation from all members of your household for this!
Pour boiling water, vinegar and baking soda down your drains (kitchen for sure, but bathroom if you have tons of fruit flies).
Use your drain plug to plug the drain(s) and then put an appropriate-sized cup/mug over top of the plug to make sure nothing escapes. Only unplug the drain when you use the sink, otherwise, keep it covered constantly for about 3 days straight.
This is what works for me, hopefully it will work for you too :-)
- Torri