Fruit Flies Galore

[wantsandwishes]

It seems as though I have gone into the Fruit Fly breeding business and didn't even know it. I have become quite accomplished at it now and with little trouble really, well except for that they are driving me crazy!!!

Anyone have natural ways to get rid of these little guys? My kitchen is quite warm as the apartment I am renting is above the laundry room, big mistake, but can't fix it just yet.

I have threatened them with bringing in a carnivorous plant but they have made it perfectly clear they are not afraid.

Thanks for your help.
Lisa

[RawKnitster]

Fruit flies are always plentiful in August. I only know one way to deal with them. Once my fruit is ripe, it has to go in the fridge. If they manage to invade my kitchen, I will locate the piece of fruit they like best and sacrifice it. I put it in a large paper bag and let the fruit flies gather in the bag. Then gently and quickly seal the bag and take it out to the compost bin.

[ShantiDass]

There are quite fast breeders, aren't they? I know people will have different suggestions on here but this is what works best for me. I wash everything really well and put it in the fridge. If I don't wash off the eggs, they will hatch in the fridge and come flying out when I open the door. I also freeze things like banana's etc. just to try to get everything put away and not available to them.

I also remove as many water sources as possible. The cat and rabbits do need their water bowls so those stay out but those aren't in the kitchen. Fruit flies have a short life span - 72 hours or so. I keep everything hidden for a few days and they naturally die off and then I bring things out again. I only have to do this once or twice a year when it gets really warm and I try not to have a lot of produce on the counter but that can be a pain and then I have to shop more often. They really like the bananas and pineapple so I keep them in the fridge or in the green veggie bags so they can't get to them.

Good luck!

[Anastazia]

Also, put a jar with apple cider vinegar & a little squirt of dishsoap in it, cover it with saran wrap (or whatever) poke a hole in it (not quite an inch) & then next day, voila, they're all doin' the backstroke!

& it works even without the cover, that just keeps the ones who figure it out when they see the others take the plunge from escaping!

I usually put a few containers out when I have a bad infestation!
ALWAYS rinse your bananas off, then they can stay on the ledge! (They go black in the fridge!)

~Anastazia~

[RawPaw]

Also, put a jar with apple cider vinegar & a little squirt of dishsoap in it, cover it with saran wrap (or whatever) poke a hole in it (not quite an inch) & then next day, voila, they're all doin' the backstroke!

& it works even without the cover, that just keeps the ones who figure it out when they see the others take the plunge from escaping!

I usually put a few containers out when I have a bad infestation!
ALWAYS rinse your bananas off, then they can stay on the ledge! (They go black in the fridge!)

~Anastazia~

You can put a nightlight next to it and it'll work with fleas too.

[domestic goddess]

I put a washcloth in each of my produce bowls and dab on TTO on the corners- leave the corners out of the bowl if you can. TTO keeps them away. Some guy at Trader Joe's told me that! The ACV thing never worked for me...

[RawPaw]

I put a washcloth in each of my produce bowls and dab on TTO on the corners- leave the corners out of the bowl if you can. TTO keeps them away. Some guy at Trader Joe's told me that! The ACV thing never worked for me...

What's TTO? :confused:

Oh, tea tree oil. I had to Google that.

[Raw Yogini]

I have little white worms in my dates and raisins. There are also small brown moth/fly type things that have flown out of the same cupboard. Are these fruit fly related? I had to throw out the dates and raisins. I'm going to get glass containers to store it in from now on. My fruit seems to be fine.

[RawHeaven]

Put apple cidar vinegar in a shallow plastic jar with a lid. Punch a small hole in the lid or put some plastic wrap over it and punch a small hole in the plastic. Throw in a piece of banana, some other fruit. They will be attracted to the rotting fruity smell and the ACV. They'll be able to get in and not get it. This is if it's a really bad infestation and unfortunately you may have to get rid of them this way.

If you run a search, this came up a few weeks ago and a gentleman identified a more gentle way to dispose of them. I can't remember what it is, but I think the thread is in the gardening section.

[wantsandwishes]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions. I made two traps. One with banana and acv and one with just acv the last part you know where it is brown. The flies were drawn to it like flies HA! I also took my remaining bananas skinned em and put in the freezer to make some yummy pecan ice cream later. I don't think they want my under ripe avocados or the onions. So we are good there. I had to take the banana skins out to the trash, no compost here in the city, because they ignored the traps for the skins. So hopefully tomorrow we will be fly free. YA!

[coco]

I have little white worms in my dates and raisins. There are also small brown moth/fly type things that have flown out of the same cupboard. Are these fruit fly related? I had to throw out the dates and raisins. I'm going to get glass containers to store it in from now on. My fruit seems to be fine.

these are grain moths and are insidious. you can tell they are into your food in the cupboard if you see clingy fuzzy weblike stuff on the inside of the bag or container. they lay their larva wherever they can and hatch and fly around like crazy things. they can easily get into plastic bags as well so glass jars are really the only way to prevent an infestation. i got a ton of jars from the second hand store and bought a box of new lids and everything, and i mean Everything is in jars in the cupboard.

if you don't want to kill the fruit flies what i do is take a mason jar and put a piece of juicy fruit into the bottom like a slice of peach or some grapes or even a small wedge of banana. take a sheet of writing paper and shape it into a cone with only a very small hole in the end, tape it into the cone shape. insert the cone point down into the mason jar, it's really helpful if the point ends closer to the bottom of the jar, tape the paper to the lip of the jar so that it is sealed and leave it on the counter where the fruitflies are thickest. they will fly down the hole but can't get back out. there is plenty for them to eat and they'll have lots of company, it's a veritable fruitfly party paradise! every few days or so you can take the jar outside, tear off the cone and shake out the rotten fruit and flies then reassemble and start again.
i've found this to be a really effective trap.
good luck!

[wantsandwishes]

ooh that is a really cool idea also. I will try that tomorrow. I always have fruit flies. Just sometimes they are worse than others it seems. I just get rid of them all and the next time I go shopping it seems they come back within days. One time they were so bad I didn't even want to go into the kitchen. Thanks
Lisa

[Raw Yogini]

coco, thank you!!! :D