Chasing Away Fruit Flies

[vincethefarmer]

I just dumped over half of my wheat grass into the rubbish bin. This is one of my first attempts at growing them.

My 1st attempt was quite successful. I planted wheat grass seeds in some normal garden soil and it grew beautifully.

My 2nd attempt was to grow them in organic compost and most of it has been infested with fruit flies. I threw out more than half of them because they were not growing properly after 5 days. The compost smelt like cow dung and I saw tiny maggots in the compost. Furthermore, the seeds were rotten with white good all over it. I think the remaining wheat grass might have to be thrown out too... What went wrong other than the fruit fly infestation?

I need to find a way to repel these fruit flies. I do not wish to kill them in a trap or something, I just want to get away from my wheat grass!

[smoothiegirl]

I found a recipe on here. ACV in a cup w/a squirt of dish soap. Kills mine.:)

[vincethefarmer]

I don't wish to kill them.

I found this:

http://www.home-remedy.org/home-remedies-for-fruit-flies.html

Seems like basil and lavender can repel these pests...

[RawHeaven]

I found a recipe on here. ACV in a cup w/a squirt of dish soap. Kills mine.:)

The apple cidar vinegar worked for me too when I had an infestation in my kitchen. Just a quick note make sure to put the ACV in a shallow dish with plastic wrap or a lid with a tiny hole punched in the middle. They can get in, but they can't get out.

They like most sweet rotting things, throw in a banana peel or fruit pulp to get creative.

[RawHeaven]

I don't wish to kill them.

I found this:

http://www.home-remedy.org/home-remedies-for-fruit-flies.html

Seems like basil and lavender can repel these pests...

this is even better...i've bookmarked

thanks for sharing!

[Aleesha Sattva]

um... the OP has stated that they do NOT wish to kill them... so why continue discussing this in their thread?

please let us have respect for this person's beliefs.

in light,
Aleesha

[domestic goddess]

I put a large face cloth in my fruit bowls and put a couple drops of tea tree oil on it, (the cloth, sort of line the bowl with it) it repels fruit flies. You can also dab it on the lid, rim of bowl, etc. A guy at Trader Joe's told me that one year when I was buying tto. I've been doing it since :D

[GoingtoRAW]

Thanks for this thread. I only have the problem with fruit flies when I have a lot of organic produce in the house. It totally turned me off to organic because those flies were even starting to live in my refrigerator (which was definitely clean), and just flying everywhere in my house - ALL THE TIME! It was disgusting and no matter what I tried I just couldn't get rid of them. It was scary to my kids - they didn't want to eat anything because there were flies all over everything which I thought that was just weird!!! I'll try some of these ideas out.:o

[Bethanie]

I wash every piece of fruit that comes into the house and dry it off and no fruit flies.
They come on the bag and the fruit so they and their eggs go down the drain.
It was so bad one year that they followed us all over the house:eek:
We couldn't prepare anything to eat or try to eat in the house, it was terrible and i knew that i didn't want to live like that another year.
Now no more flies and we are a happy family:D :D
B.

[GoingtoRAW]

[QUOTE=Bethanie;439173]It was so bad one year that they followed us all over the house:eek: We couldn't prepare anything to eat or try to eat in the house, it was terrible and i knew that i didn't want to live like that another year.

I can totally relate. It was the same way at my house!:(

[RawDrop]

I love that site! So many ideas for home fixes for everything!!! I have bookmarked that site and will be using it a lot.

Thanks!

[Bethanie]

I refused to be run out of my house this year.
I hope to be able to purchase a small to medium sized fridge for the basement next year to keep loads of fresh fruit in:D
Hope your situation has gotten better:D
Nothing like being able to eat in peace without uninvited guests showing up:D
B.