Fruit Fly Fun

@Rollo1 (16679)
Boston, Massachusetts
September 21, 2015 6:34am CST
The latest in my long list of insect plagues is fruit flies. I think they came in on a bag of tomatoes that my sister brought me that someone gave to her out of the bounty of their home garden. But some the tomatoes were already quite ripe and some were going soft. When I realized the bag was full of fruit flies, I threw it out. I felt bad that someone worked to grow them, but I didn't need a house full of fruit flies. Except - once they are in the house, they just keep breeding. So, I have a glass jar, half full of wine, set up on the windowsill over the sink. Over the jar, I have stretched plastic wrap and secured it with an elastic for a tight fit. I punched a few holes in the top of the plastic food wrap with a sharp implement. The flies love fermenting things, and are drawn to it. They can't help themselves. They crawl in through the holes and get trapped. Not enough are drowning though, so I need to up the level of the liquid in the jar. Have you ever had a fruit fly infestation? How did you get rid of them?
9 people like this
9 responses
@sofssu (23662)
21 Sep 15
I have them all the time.. I don't know what draws them here.. I swat them with the insect killing bat.. but the thrive somehow. Maybe its because of our pet parrot.. he leaves a whole lot of half eaten fruits around during the day.
2 people like this
@ison_1 (1240)
21 Sep 15
Hi Anja :) Nope, never had a fruit fly infestation. I had an ant invasion once.
2 people like this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
21 Sep 15
For ants, I will refer to you to my dissertation on Diatomaceous Earth.
Where has this stuff been all my life? Ever since I moved into this apartment, I have felt like I am suffering the ten plagues of Egypt. First came the ants....
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
21 Sep 15
I'm juvenile enough to enjoy chasing them around with the vacuum nozzle. It just saddens me that they're too small to get with those bug zapping tennis rackets.
1 person likes this
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
22 Sep 15
@Rollo1 Maybe that's why I can't seem to get rid of them
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
22 Sep 15
@xfahctor If you have a bagless hand vac, then don't turn it off until you get outside, and then empty it into a plastic bag outside. Then if they fly out, they are not in the house. This is particularly satisfying in January. Die, flies. Die.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
22 Sep 15
I have one shaped like a flyswatter and it will get the little ones, if they are all on a window or something, but it's hard to catch them in mid air. I don't like the vacuum because it's bagless so they just all fly out when you empty it.
@BelleStarr (61101)
• United States
21 Sep 15
I have had the infestation but never to a large degree. My ants are now gone thanks for the tip.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
21 Sep 15
Did you get the Terro baits?
@LadyDuck (472179)
• Switzerland
21 Sep 15
No, I had no fruit flies infestation, but I know how they can be annoying. I believe that your idea to drown them is a good one.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
21 Sep 15
It works. They can't help themselves. They think they are going to have a great romantic mating session so they rush to the smell of fermentation. But then, they can't get out again.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (472179)
• Switzerland
22 Sep 15
@Rollo1 A vase with a narrow top full with syrup is the best way to catch wasps. They come inside and are unable to escape.
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
21 Sep 15
think I hung up a sticky trap for a few days and made sure any fruit and food were in containers so they couldnt get to them
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
21 Sep 15
I think the sticky traps work okay, as long as they have a sweet and rotting smell.
1 person likes this
• Centralia, Missouri
21 Sep 15
@Rollo1 and you take them down soonish, nothing grosser than those things left around for days
@glenniah (1197)
• Mandurah, Australia
21 Sep 15
I have heard of fruit fly but never had a fruit fly infestation. Ours seem to stay in the Orchards where the fruit is, I didn't realize they could travel far away from home.
1 person likes this
@Rollo1 (16679)
• Boston, Massachusetts
21 Sep 15
When they arrive in your home, they are probably just eggs on the fruit, but they have time to hatch as the fruit goes soft and ripe. Then they fly about and breed a new generation.
@simone10 (54187)
• Louisville, Kentucky
22 Sep 15
No, I haven't had that problem before but we have had regular flies inside and they are such a pain. Usually they die on their own if we can't kill them.
@Tampa_girl7 (50641)
• United States
23 Sep 15
What disgusting little critters. I hung up fly strips to catch them.