How can I get rid of them??
Hi. I asked this question a while back. What worked was putting out a dish of cider vinegar with a couple of drops of dish soap in it. I changed the dish each day until they were all gone.
I haven't read the other posts so don't know if this method has been mentioned but it always works for me. I get a tall glass and put in about a half inch (or a little more) of red wine vinegar. Then, make a funnel out of paper. I tape the funnel together so that the hole at the bottom is quite small and then I insert the funnel in the glass. I also tape the funnel to the glass rim so the little buggers can't escape. The bottom of the funnel should not touch the vinegar but be down sort of close to it. Set the trap close to where you are seeing them and then check it after a half an hour or so. You should see lots of them walking around the inside of the glass. They are attracted to the vinegar but can't get out once they've flown down into the funnel. A few usually drown in the vinegar too. You can easily trap them between the glass and the paper - just push the paper to the glass when you see them and smash them. A little gross but it totally works. Note that the red wine vinegar should be fresh so I sometimes have to repeat the process 2 to 3 times during one or two days. It has always worked! Good luck!
Fill a glass about half full of apple cider vinegar and dissolve a spoonful of sugar in it. Cover it with plastic wrap and poke a small hole in the center. The flies will be attracted to it and get trapped inside. Or you could just hang old-fashioned flypaper. That will get rid of the ones you have.
The fun part is figuring out what is attracting them so you don't get more. Look for bruised or aging fruit sitting out, spills in the garbage can, that sort of thing.
We use the same set up as Becky C., but we use apple cider vinegar. We also put a piece of fruit in the bottom of the jar to make it extra alluring for those pests!
We get them bad too. Ours are because of composting. If you don't get the mix of browns to greens right, it will attract them. Now that we have this figured out, two of our neighbors have started and are learning the ropes. So we get them because our neighbors have attracted them.
Make sure all fruit and veggies are put away in the fridge. Check and clean the garbage disposal. Make sure not to let dishes sit. Also don't leave out sweet drinks. Check your pantry to make sure a piece of fruit or onion hasn't rolled away and is attracting the bugs. Take out the garbage and check the can....sometimes things leak and bring in the fruit flies.
I have done all the traps. They work, but they are slow. Leaving a half glass of beer or wine out seems to work a bit faster than the vinegar trick. (which does work, just slower than I like). This is going to sound crazy, but here's what I have done to quickly eliminate those annoying critters. I put a piece of cut up fruit, strawberries or apples seem to work best, on a tray. I stick it in my oven with the door open. Let the fruit flies gather. Shut the oven, turn on the heat. Presto...fruit flies eliminated.
I put out a glass of (good, not expensive, but not vinegar or starting to turn) red wine at night. There's always 20-50 dead-drunk little flies, and a clear kitchen by morning.
They like white wine, as well, but not as much as red.
I've tried the vinegar v honey thing as a science experiment. Both typically got at least a few. But red wine gets 'em all.
((Ditto... make sure you've gotten rid of their breeding grounds. Drains, potatoes, fruit, veggies, etc.))
WCCO news just did a report on this on the 10:00 p.m.news last night. Apparently we have a new breed of fruit fly here in the Twin Cities. I didn't catch the very beginning of the story, but I thought I heard what is different about them is that they like new, fresh fruit. It doesn't have to be decaying. You can probably find the news story online.
Like the others have said, you need to get rid of the source of their food and breeding and put all fruits and veggies in the fridge. The report suggested putting out a glue trap/sticky board with a little piece of fruit or some cider vinegar on it out near the fruit flies.
I would NOT use a pesticide or spray in the kitchen, especially one designed for outdoor use. Those can be very toxic to the nervous system. I once had a pest control company spray my kitchen for ants and I was assured that the spray they used was non-toxic and chrysanthemum-based. I have since learned that those chrysanthemum-based sprays can also be very toxic.
Apple cider vinegar works great. It is cheap and it is a natural product. You can even add a small piece of fruit in it as well, but it does work with out it. Put it in a jar on the counter with holes punched into the lid. Make the holes big enough for the fruit flies to go in but not so big its easy for them to get out.
I do what Becky does, but with only a piece of fruit in it. I've never tried vinegar. I don't smash them between the paper - I put plastic wrap over the top so that they absolutely can't get out, and I take them outside and released them about every 6-8 hours. They can't find their way back in - not bright enough. It really works. Try it for a couple of days.
Take Christina's advice, that will trap them. You also MUST! figure out where they are breeding. I don't think people want to think about that but that old banana, they are breeding in there.
So clean out all your drains and pour bleach down them. Run your garbage disposal, bleach as well. Go through every nook and cranny looking for stray produce. I swear it doesn't take much garbage to breed a swam of them.
O-M-G! I had this same problem. 1 fruit fly turned into many fruit flies. I know it says its for outdoor use but, I went and got some Yard Off. Its spray you use outdoors that keep away bugs and mosquitos. I sprayed a few sprays all over the house and the fruit flies magically disapeared. And that stuff is awesome for outdoors! I have alot of trees near my house so mosquitoes are really bad. Had a cookout,sprayed that stuff in the air every hour outdoors and noone was bit by a single mosquito. OR take the top off your fingernail polish remover and set it out.
By getting rid of their food source. If you have any produce sitting in the open, put it in the fridge even if you normally would not.
Use a garbage can with a tight lid. If the inside of the can is dirty, wash it the next time you take out the trash. Put the stoppers in your drains in case there are food bits in there. Get rid of old sponges.
If you have little ones that may drop food around or spill, you'll have to go on a deep cleaning mission that includes under and behind furniture. A little juice spill or a dirty dish is a great place for flies.
Good luck!
We had them bad last year.
Check all the hoses and drains in your sink/dishwasher area.
We had a back up with the dishwasher and he replaced the tube that is for water release if the dishwasher has overflow, etc and he cleaned all pipes with clorox and no more fruit flies. We had no idea that they could have been in one of those pipes we replaced. We have had no issue with year.
Also, one thing that works well is a small bowl of apple cider vinegar with a drop of dish soup in it. The love that and will fall in and be trapped. They also love red wine. You can use it for the same purpose.
I also used to suck them up in the vacuum when I was using the attachments. That works fast too!
Good luck.
Dish of apple cider vinegar w/ few drops of dish soap dissolved. Works like a charm! I keep a cup half full with this mixture sitting right next to my fruit bowl to catch any strays that might be flying around.
(I've tried using wine, honey, sugar water, cups covered w/ plastic wrap poked full of little holes... Success only with the cider vinegar (must be apple cider!).
Ready for a science lesson? The reason the cider vinegar w/ soap works is because the few drops of dish soap actually changes the surface tension of the vinegar. When the flies attempt land on the sweet vinegar, their weight is no longer supported by the surface tension, they sink and then drown! TA-DA!!!
But like the other mamas said, you have to figure out what it attracting them in the first place (overly ripe/rotting produce, dishes in the sink, compost, messy trash can, etc.).
Just know that you are not alone, and I know it can feel like a losing battle at times. You clean everything, you try every trap, and still there are swarms of them. Just be patient and methodical...you'll get the upper hand eventually!!!
