PrincessMommy Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 We have been infested with fruit flies and I don't know what's going on. Normally, I'll have an small issue but as soon as I get rid of any fruit on the counter (which is rare anyway) it solves the problem. Not this year. I was having problems for weeks and I then discovered an opened bottle of wine sitting on the counter - well it was vinegar when I noticed it opened amongst the other wine bottles. I have not had fruit or open wine bottles sitting out for over a month and I still have a serious problem with fruit flies. I try to keep the sink clean... but they love the sponge. That's never been an issue before. What is going on?? They.won't.go.away. What am I missing... Is there a new bionic type of fruit fly plaguing us now?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maize Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 I found this: "Fruit flies can reproduce anywhere there is fermenting organic matter that stays consistently wet or moist. Like other flies, the fruit flies develop from larvae, and fruit fly larvae must have moist, fermenting organic matter in order to survive. The most likely of such sites in the home is a slow-moving or seldom-used sink, bathtub, shower, or floor drain in which a layer of slime (gelatinous film) has built up above the water line. Other moist accumulations of fermenting organic matter are possible and should be considered. These include wet areas under dripping pipes and refrigeration equipment, garbage containers, and discarded bottles and cans. Regardless of where the flies originate, they will be seen at windows and at sinks, as they are attracted to light and to moisture." 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrincessMommy Posted November 19, 2018 Author Share Posted November 19, 2018 It could be coming from our sink then. It can be slow to drain and I'm sure, after 60yrs, it's pretty slimy down there. Ick. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katilac Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 Pour ammonia down every drain in the house, just half a cup or so, and stop up the drain. Leave for several hours and then run water to clear. Repeat every day at first and then at increasing intervals. Pop the clean sponge in the microwave for two minutes after using. A clean, dry sponge will not hold any attraction for them. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sneezyone Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 3 minutes ago, katilac said: Pour ammonia down every drain in the house, just half a cup or so, and stop up the drain. Leave for several hours and then run water to clear. Repeat every day at first and then at increasing intervals. Pop the clean sponge in the microwave for two minutes after using. A clean, dry sponge will not hold any attraction for them. Or something similar. Drain flies are common in Bahrain where we lived. I put a combo of vinegar and baking soda down all the drains every two days for a week, then once a week, then once a month. That kept them away too. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted November 19, 2018 Share Posted November 19, 2018 bleach in the sink 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrichor Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 We had a horrible infestation of fruit flies last year.. or maybe the year before that. It was terrible! They managed to infest the kitchen + the upstairs bathroom. I felt like I had to hold my breath just walking into either of those places so I wouldn't end up breathing them in. I made tons and tons of vinegar + soap traps. The soap breaks the surface tension and causes them to drown when they try to land on the vinegar. But it wasn't enough. I hung fly paper and made vinegar +soap traps and stuck balled up fly paper strips in the (disposable) fly trap cups I had made to trap the super smart flies that were all like "I love that vinegar smell, but heck no, I'm not falling for that trick!" and on top of all that, I was putting bleach down all of the drains every few days (something I read about the eggs needing a few days to hatch - that way i figured i'd be killing all the eggs and preventing new flies from hatching. I'd put the bleach down the drains (making sure it was at least a combination of bleach+water to coat the full sides of the drains, and also I would do it when we were about to go to sleep or leave the house - so I knew we wouldn't be rinsing the bleach out of the drains. Everything moist had to go or be dry, didn't want to risk eggs being laid and hatching. Towels, sponges, even piles of clothing were washed frequently. I'm sure all of the efforts helped somewhat, but I didn't see a huge difference until winter when I was able to kill the last of them. They reproduce slower in the cold, apparently. It was a horribly traumatic experience, and now I get mad at DH for buying fruit, lol. Mangoes and bananas seem to be the main culprits in our house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lawyer&Mom Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 My technique: Attract them with a bowl of vinegar, then vacuum them. Seriously. Take the attachment off the hose and just vacuum them in mid-air. Way more effective than hoping they drown. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Petrichor Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 2 minutes ago, Lawyer&Mom said: My technique: Attract them with a bowl of vinegar, then vacuum them. Seriously. Take the attachment off the hose and just vacuum them in mid-air. Way more effective than hoping they drown. My jaw just dropped (thank god the fruit flies are gone, lol) I wish I had thought of that one! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootAnn Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 Yes to these. I had two or three traps going in all infestation areas. (Mine now are super easy cider vinegar (+ small amount of water) with a drop of liquid soap in a cup (glass seems to work best), covered by plastic wrap. Make one small hole in the plastic wrap with the tip of a pencil/pen & I throw a rubber band or hair the to hold the wrap secure. Repeat with fresh material every 4-6 days. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Spy Car Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 To rid yourself of ones that are flying around, leave a bottle with a small amount of beer or wine in the kitchen and the flies will have a happy death. Win-win. Vinegar would also work. Bill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 They’ve been a little “extra” this year in my area. I thought it was just me, but my friends report the same. The ants have also bee more invasive, so they’re in it together. I’ll bet we can blame the excessive rain somehow. A fruit fly favorite seems to be red wine. Get a cheap bottle and put cups everywhere with a drop of dish soap in each. They can’t hear, so if you’re slow you can sneak up in the with a vacuum attachment. Pour some bleach down your drain. If you have cold weather, open up the house and freeze them out. Go to dinner or something for a few hours. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GoodGrief Posted November 20, 2018 Share Posted November 20, 2018 I'll add that sometimes tiny flies will get into the soil of houseplants, and it is hard to differentiate them from fruit flies. They are all annoying and we have had both issues. We also had larger flies that apparently came in from the farm in the hay for the guinea pigs, then started reproducing in the guinea pig litter. Diatomaceous earth helped with flies in soil or litter problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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