There have been times in the past when a few fruit flies would come into my house via grocery shopping and they multiplied. I usually make sure there is no good food source for the little rascals, swat the ones I can, and they are gone within a few days.
We had a few show up about a month ago and I did all the usual stuff, but we soon had an invasion. I searched the house, and found that my son had left an open cup in the bottom of his closet. It had contained a milkshake, and the little buggers came flying out of it like crazy.
I make sure that all food is covered, dishes are rinsed and put in the dishwasher, trash is removed daily. I removed the cat bowls and am temporarily using small paper plates that are tossed out daily. I've even put all the plants outdoors. The little monsters will not go away.
It's annoying to try to eat a sandwich and shew fruit flies at the same time. They are in every room in the apartment. I know they usually lay their eggs in a food source, but I feel like I've eliminated any potential nesting areas. Short of an insect bomb, does anyone have an idea of how to get rid of these pests?
Dianne from OR
Gnats from plants: in a spray bottle, fill with water, a few drops dish soap and a few drops of peppermint oil (essential oil). Spray the soil where the gnats are.
Fruit flies: open a bottle of gel hand sanitizer. Gnats love this and then get stuck in the gel.
Pouring bleach down your drain is bad for the environment and also not a good idea if you have a septic tank.
By Susan
I made a funnel of paper and placed and taped it over a jar with a little pineapple juice mixed with vinegar. The fruit flies are drawn to the mixture and they can manage to get into the jar down the funnel, but cannot figure out how to get back out. I have eliminated whole rooms of fruit flies by doing this. Any kind of fruit will work, especially if it is starting to rot, but with the lack of rotting fruit, the juice mixture works great.
By Mom to 11
I have the little devils too. I found they like the bubbles when I put dishes in to soak. I use an old plastic glass and put dish soap, then run the water into the glass to fill it with a nice head of soap bubbles. I will come out later to find the little guys have expired on the foam. I also have the pantry moths from a box of dog bones that are driving us crazy too.
I can appreciate your frustration as I have to deal with them as well. So much so that I wonder if they have beat the rabbit as the fastest multiplying life form on earth.
Here are some of the things that have worked for me:
Of course wash the mix down the drain unless you are really really needing a drink. Just figure you can get some protein while you get bombed.
By Bob P
I used to be a bartender and we used to pour some wine in a shallow cup and add some dish soap. The little pests go after the wine and coat their wings with the soap so they can't fly out. You don't have to mix it, just let the soap float on top.
By cathy
I've tried the vinegar and dish soap, it works pretty well, especially if you put it under a single light in a room overnight. The best thing I've found is to hang a sticky fly strip where they seem to be the worst, usually next to the kitchen sink. I don't hang it over the sink because one year I ended up with my hair caught on the fly strip. Yuck. It usually only takes a week to catch all the original flies and the ones that hatch out a few days later.
This works. One small jar filled half-full with water. Add two drops of dish soap which breaks up the surface tension. Add the butt slice of an orange or lemon and fully submerge. The flies are attracted to the fruit, but drown because there is no surface tension on the water.
By joan
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