Fruit flies

[Tguch]

Not quite sure where this post should go, it is not exactly raw food related, but it is a result of my kitchen having lots of fruit and sprouts and soaking nuts/seeds on the counter plus my indoor herbs and aloe plant... So it is a post related to the raw food lifestyle! :)

I have new neighbors living me, fruit flies! I cannot get rid of them. Even went away for 10 days leaving nothing out, and they still live. And in fact they are taking over every room in the house. Have others faced this invasion before? Any suggestions for getting rid of them?

Thanks!!!!

[chocoholic]

We had the SAME issue - my mother in law told me last week to pour a 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap in a clear glass cup - then carefully pour 2 tablespoons of avc on top = we left it on the counter and in 4 days we now have 28 dead little fruit flies in it!!! I had NO idea we even had that many flies!!! but it really worked - good luck!

[January Noir]

We had the SAME issue - my mother in law told me last week to pour a 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap in a clear glass cup - then carefully pour 2 tablespoons of avc on top = we left it on the counter and in 4 days we now have 28 dead little fruit flies in it!!! I had NO idea we even had that many flies!!! but it really worked - good luck!

Hmmm. That's a good household tip! Thanks for sharing!

[luvmyzoe]

What is "avc"?

[Cottonball McFluffy]

That should be acv, as in Apple Cider Vinegar. :)

[melia]

Don't you hate them!!!!
I have this problem if I leave fruit and bananas out on the counter. An army of fruit flies storm the kitchen and set up a camp. :D
I have used the dish soap/avc solution before. It works okay. Just remember to keep filling it up. Sometimes they don't like it.
I find it's really easy to get a messy kitchen when you're eating raw -- at least for me. I am a messy person though.
Whenever these nasty pests visit. I clean the whole kitchen. Scrub all the counters, the oven, the floor, I even cleaned the inside of the fridge last time.
And they love the trashcan. I don't know if you can do this -- I am just a single woman, so I don't have a family, -- but I got rid of my big trashcan. Took the small one from the bathroom and hid it beneath the sink where those little buggers can't find it. This also makes me take out the trash every other day (and I can just use grocery bags instead of trash bags!)
Another thing that helps -- if you have an overripe banana or something, peel it and put it in a plastic grocery bag and set it in something so it can sit upright on your kitchen counter. Make the opening small, so they can fly in easily, but not get out easily. Leave it there for a day until lots of them fly in there, the next day grab it around the top so they can't get out and carry it out to your dumpster! Repeat as long as you need to. That always works the best for me.
Right now I have put all my fruit in the fridge. Except for bananas. that seems to help alot.

[Anna2010]

We had the SAME issue - my mother in law told me last week to pour a 1/4 cup of liquid dish soap in a clear glass cup - then carefully pour 2 tablespoons of avc on top = we left it on the counter and in 4 days we now have 28 dead little fruit flies in it!!! I had NO idea we even had that many flies!!! but it really worked - good luck!

It really works! After reading your post I placed the solution in a clear plastic cup and placed the cup by the kitchen window this noon. Now there are about 2 dozen fruit flies in the cup! My kitchen is free of flies now.

Most of the flies went to the cup only after I removed the pot containin fruit skins/seeds, etc. from my kitchen into my garden (for composting). I still have lots of whole fruits in my kitchen though.

[Tguch]

Thank you everyone! I currently have the dishwashing liquid/acv concoction on the counter, and I washed my trashcan with bleach! I will give it a few days and see if this does it!

[babeak]

Another way is to vacuum them up every day twice a day if you need to. They have a 14 day life cycle. Don't allow them to hatch from wherever they are and then mate again....that is the key to suck them up before they mate again.

See this site for more fruit fly life cycle info: http://www.accessexcellence.org/AE/AEPC/WWC/1994/life_cycle.php

Basically you need to disrupt this life cycle and eliminate the food source.

I had a bad outbreak once with bananas and this pretty much eliminated it. I am however, fighting an outbreak in my worm bins right now. You just have to stay on top of it. If you see one, not too much need for alarm. However, two fruit flies are followed by dozens. :-)

[chocoholic]

sorry for my mistype - am always typing with one hand while either holding a baby,nursing.... or something else - yes I meant apple cider vinegar - so sorry for any confusion!!! good luck with the flies all! my hubby is so happy our our finally gone! he kept telling me to just take a few days off the fruit and see if they went away! no fruit!!! what crazy talk is that!??;)