This is really "bugging" me and I could use some help !

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  • #612718

    mommym
    Participant

    Every year – early September through October we get fruit flies in our home that are uncontrollable ! We live on Fauntleroy across from Lincoln Park so I don’t know if its because of our location but I’m just over this infestation. We don’t keep any garbage in the house, we keep all our fruit in the fridge and we wipe down our kitchen/sink/counters many times a day. I think they are coming up through our drains because not only are they in our kitchen – they are in all our bathrooms too. I’ve tried all the suggestions on google but nothing works. My question is – are there others out there getting fruit flies galore in their home and has anyone found a way to eliminate them. Any help would be appreciated !!

    #813674

    Lindsey
    Participant

    I am with you!!! We are so frustrated. We’ve moved our compost. We’ve put out vinegar. We’ve wiped down the counters multiple times a day and quarantined all suspected fruits and vegetables. Our garbage is under the sink and taken out DAILY. I’m so frustrated. I don’t have any answers but I really do feel your pain.

    #813675

    ghar72
    Participant

    Same here. It was the same last year. I try not to get too frustrated since it seems to always happen. We have stopped buying bananas and keep all fruit in the frig. That helps some. But yeah, vinegar doesn’t do much. Glad to hear others have tried all the solutions so I don’t have to!

    #813676

    B-squared
    Participant

    Have you been able to identify for sure (or remotely sure) what kind of fly it is? I suspect you would need to know this to know how to eliminate them. I just saw here:

    http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/drainflies.htm

    …where there is such a thing as a “drain fly”. Who knew? Maybe this is what you have. If so, the fly would be indicative of a bigger problem.

    This site might help identify too (drain fly not pictured).

    http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05502.html

    #813677

    Lindsey
    Participant

    Oh great. Apparently we have drain flies too! I noticed that little hairy guy land on my sweater last night and I thought he was strange looking. Thanks for the link, B.

    #813678

    JustSarah
    Participant

    Also dealing with this. There aren’t a ton, but there are always a few, and they drive me crazy. House and kitchen are clean, compost bin is sealed, food isn’t left out. So frustrating!

    #813679

    seaopgal
    Participant

    If you have houseplants, could also be fungus gnats, which thrive in overly damp soil. They tend to hover around the plants, but are also attracted to the light so might see them at windows away from plants. They are darker and slimmer than fruit flies. Here’s a good comparison photo (fungus gnat on the left).

    http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/fruitflyvsfungusgnat.jpg

    #813680

    clark5080
    Participant

    this seems to work pretty well for us

    1/2 qt water

    2 t sugar

    2t white vinegar

    a couple of drops of liquid dish soap

    Leave the mixture sitting in the infested area as long as needed

    #813681

    sacatosh
    Participant

    I accidentally stumbled upon a fantastic fruit fly trap a couple of years ago. Put a little bit (2 oz or so – a couple sips) of sweet-ish white wine, like a cheap riesling, in a wine glass or tumbler. Put a piece of plastic wrap over it and rubberband it in place. Then use a knife or your finger and poke a hole down into the center, so the plastic wrap creates a slight funnel shape.

    Those little bug(ger)s will get in, but never out. It works beautifully!!

    #813682

    KatherineL
    Participant

    You won’t like this suggestion, but one control for fungus gnats is spiders.

    #813683

    kurly212
    Participant

    For some reason, despite this hot summer, I’ve only had a few fruit flies…so far. And that’s with a semi-covered compost bin under the sink and fruit and tomatoes on the counter. But I’ve had infestations in the past, so I feel your pain. I second sacatosh’s method. It worked well for me. I used red wine, so either works. I can see how Riesling could work even better, so I’ll try that next time the need arises.

    #813684

    dcn
    Participant

    I had a pretty bad infestation for the first time this summer. I think it was because I remodeled my kitchen and now have a disposal and another drain on the other side of the sink. I think they were living on the non-disposal side. I daily poured boiling water mixed with vinegar down the non-disposal side and made sure to run the disposal every day. I also made the trap with a hole cut in a bag to make a funnel that was rubber-banded around a glass that was mentioned above, only I used apple cider vinegar with a drop or 2 of dish soap as the bait. Amazing how many flies that trapped. After a week or so, my fruit fly problem was mostly gone.

    #813685

    trickycoolj
    Participant

    Don’t forget to pu a drop of soap in your vinegar traps. I didn’t know that for the longest time. It breaks the surface tension of the liquid so the fly sinks immediately. They’re so light they otherwise can walk on top of the liquid. I have also had better luck with wine (get rid of that bottle that wasn’t delicious) and sushi vinegar. My mom always says to pour bleach down all of the drains before bed so it has a chance to sit.

    #813686

    herongrrrl
    Participant

    I’ve had good luck using the wine traps that Sacatosh mentions above. One especially bad year I got a couple sundew plants (Indoor Sun Shoppe in Fremont carries them, and they are even better than aloe vera for cuts or scrapes) and that worked really well.

    Also, be sure you don’t have any stray produce that rolled under the fridge or something…we once discovered the source of an infestation was a nectarine that had been forgotten in a cooler for a couple weeks.

    Finally, if your plumbing can take it, a good old-fashioned pipe scalding can do a lot of good to get rid of drain flies or fruit flies taking advantage of any scum in the pipes. Just pour a kettle of boiling water down the drain.

    #813687

    muchlove
    Participant

    Shot glass with vinegar and a drop of soap. When you really get tired of them…Shop-vac.

    #813688

    HelperMonkey
    Participant

    I was getting drain flies pretty bad every year until I replaced all my drains with mesh strainers. I think I got them at Target but here’s an example from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Danco-88822-Kitchen-Strainer-Stainless/dp/B000DZF4US/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411149100&sr=8-1&keywords=mesh+drain

    haven’t seen any fruit/drain flies since – and no clogs either!

    #813689

    JanS
    Participant

    those little buggers also like mirrors, and the color white…oh, and computer monitors :D

    #813690

    JanS
    Participant

    If you have 20oz plastic pop bottles, or the 1.5 liter size, cut it in half horizontally, turn the top over to make a funnel. Put your vinegar/soap mixture in the bottom, stick the top part in upside down. They can check in, and never check out :D. When full , just chuck it.

    For those winos, when you are having wine, just leave a half inch in the bottom of the bottle and sit on your shelf..it has a natural funnel shape. White by cheap stuff you won’t drink? Might as well enjoy most of it ;-)

    #813691

    ttt
    Participant

    Cider vinegar and soap in a dish, and a carnivorous plant. Although I have both and we still got the flies! They are BAD this year…

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