No more bananas for us!

[juliebove]

I just saw the most disgusting thing!

I bought a bag of bananas from Costco and they were quite green. I left them in the bag because we've been having a fruit fly problem. I'd gotten it down to about one or two and I figured if they were in the bag, they'd be safe.

Well, I just looked at the bag and it was buzzing with activity. There must have been hundreds if not thousands fruit flies all inside that bag. Yuuuuuuuck! I took them straight to the trash.

The only way my daughter is going to get a banana now is if we get a single one at the store and she eats it in the car on the way home.

I don't understand why bananas are such a problem. When I had the fruit flies in CA, it was from bananas. And now it's bananas again. Seems to be a problem at every store around here. I see them in all the stores.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Perhaps try keeping them in the fridge? If they're fully green, let them sit out in a paper bag for 2 or 3 days in a warm environment (checking on them!) and store in the fridge.

[juliebove]

Perhaps try keeping them in the fridge? If they're fully green, let them sit out in a paper bag for 2 or 3 days in a warm environment (checking on them!) and store in the fridge.

But the Chiquita banana song says not to do that.

http://everything2.com/e2node/Chiquita%2520banana%2520song

I don't know why.

[MelissaO]

I buy stuff from Costco too and notice that if I do not wash off the pineapples and banana's then it is fruit fly heaven. I spray them down when I get them home with fruit and veggie wash, rinse them off then dry them and this seems to lessen the fruit flies. I live in the midwest and it seems that no matter where I buy fruit from certain ones seem to have fruit fly.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Juliebove, cute song! Thank you for the link!

[michigan roman]

Juliebove, cute song! Thank you for the link!


HERES THE COMMERCIAL , LINK =


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFDOI24RRAE ..

[RawKnitster]

They were probably full of fruit fly larvae. :eek:

[juliebove]

They were probably full of fruit fly larvae. :eek:

Apparently so, since they were sealed in a bag.

[Jenifae]

Thanks for the you tube link. That was GREAT! :)

[Raw Angel Mom]

You cannot keep them in the bag, they need to breath. Any fruits or vegetables will have those fly when they start to rot. You need to eat them before they turn bad. If your house is very warm perhaps try to find a cool place in your home.

Too bad, you are having this problem. I have tone of banana on my counter and don't have this problem. I only do when i don't eat my banana fast enough and start to rot. I use to have this problem with my onion, those i keep in the fridge.

Hope this help
-Chantal

[Jenifae]

When my kitchen is bothered by fruit flies, I put a little bit of apple cider vinegar in a small glass, cover it with plastic wrap and poke little holes in it. The flies are attracted to the vinegar, go in & can't get out.

What a great simple solution! I Love It! :p

[Ilse W.]

I buy bananas at Costco all the time. I buy 4 bags at a time (2 weeks' worth) and try to get mostly green ones. I leave them in the bag in a cupboard until a day or so before I run out of ready bananas. Then I take them out of the bag and keep on the counter. I have not problems with fruit flies from Costco's bananas.

[juliebove]

I buy bananas at Costco all the time. I buy 4 bags at a time (2 weeks' worth) and try to get mostly green ones. I leave them in the bag in a cupboard until a day or so before I run out of ready bananas. Then I take them out of the bag and keep on the counter. I have not problems with fruit flies from Costco's bananas.

Hmm... Thanks!

[Rastadawta]

greetings. fruit flies are a major problem now due to climate changes and other factors. as a health inspector in restaurants, the only way to kill these flies is to check for larva in sealed bags..with a microscope..lol..cant with human eye and to make sure the bag is not wet.. good luck

[juliebove]

Great. Thanks!

[juliebove]

I finally solved this problem in less then 24 hours. I tried a variety of traps, both purchased or things I found on the Internet. Here's what worked. Ziplock bags with slices of fruit in it. I used apples because that was the only fruit I had in the house. They seemed to work better after they decomposed somewhat.

I put several bags all over the house and checked them frequently. When I saw flies in there, I quickly zipped the bags up, then squished the bugs with my fingers.

If you use this method, do not leave the fruit out for more than a day because it can harbor eggs which will then hatch.

I changed the fruit. Caught 3 more flies near the sink, but no more flies have been in any of the traps. :)

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Congrats! Good for you in solving your problem!