Fruit Flies

Meghan&Rich

Is anyone else having the worst time with fruit flies?  I can't seem to get rid of them!

So far, I have cleaned my drains with boiling water/white vinegar, and have set up multiple fruit fly traps.  They've caught some of them, but I can't get rid of them completely, and there still always seem to be so many of them!  The traps I've tried are: apple cider vinegar, fruit trap, and some milk/sugar/pepper trap that I found online (which didn't work at all).  We also put away our fruit basket and do not leave any other food out.

Any other tips that I can try?

Luckystar2

Ugh we have! Somebody else was just saying that they are really bad this year!!

I think I finally mostly got rid of them (for the moment) with just a couple homemade traps. I tried apple vinegar first and that did not work! What I used that seemed to catch the most was water, sugar, cut up old banana and dish soap. But sounds like you used a fruit trap already? Since I put a couple of these out it diminished a lot.

They were driving me crazy!

AmandaJLewis

they are such pests! we have a lot of them now too (oops, should have cleaned out the compost bin before vacation!).  I have luck with the apple cider vinegar traps, but I tape a paper cone to the top of the jar (with the point facing down and an opening in the bottom) so they can't get back out. The ACV only lures them over. they need to be incapable of leaving. also, i find warming the ACV helps to attract the little beasties. but even still it takes a few days to gather them all.

Luckystar2

AmandaJLewis said:

they are such pests! we have a lot of them now too (oops, should have cleaned out the compost bin before vacation!).  I have luck with the apple cider vinegar traps, but I tape a paper cone to the top of the jar (with the point facing down and an opening in the bottom) so they can't get back out. The ACV only lures them over. they need to be incapable of leaving. also, i find warming the ACV helps to attract the little beasties. but even still it takes a few days to gather them all.

Yeah I tried the paper cone but the apple cider didn't lure them at all. Hadn't seen anything about warming!

Thought I'd mention that my most recent trap I didn't bother to use the paper cone and just used dish soap (removed surface tension of water so they drown) Seems to have been enough!

MrsGPickles

I had fruit flies SO bad last year and found the perfect remedy. If you have a Busy Beaver near you (Lowe's, Home Depot, or Ace Hardware might have them too) get a fruit fly trap from there. Trust me - it works! They're meant to look like a little tiny apple and have a nectar that you put inside it. The flies go in, but cannot come out. I think it may have been about $8 or so, but totally worth it. I bought two and they were gone within the next two days. Good luck!

Meghan&Rich

Thanks for the suggestions!  I will have to try the apple thing and adding water/sugar/soap to my fruit trap.  The traps have been catching come of them, but there still seems to be so many and it's grossing me out.  It helps that I'm not the only one!

scubagirl81

We use Balsamic vinegar, I feel like they are more attracted to it for some reason

denalea

I have had the worst luck with fruit files, and real flies this year.  We had a party in July and the door was open so much we had at least 30 flies inside. 
:-&

For fruit flies I did have luck with the apple cider vinegar, but I covered it with Saran Wrap and poked little holes in it.  Same concept...they could get in and not out.  It did take a few days, though.  And, I found that I had to change the vinegar every few days.  I guess it got less potent, or something....

I feel you on the gross factor.  I hate bugs in my house.

lishie

Did you try the cut in half inverted soda bottle trick? I had them once about five years ago and it was terrible.

This used the vinegar, but then trapped them. This was the only thing, along with mainical cleaning, that worked for me.

http://lifehacker.com/276005/get-rid-of-fruit-flies-with-a-soda-bottle-trap

csuave

I have heard of using red wine in a trap.  Even if it doesn't work it is not necessarily a total waste since I'm sure there are other uses for the rest of the bottle

sarahandtim

Just saw this on a blog I read and thought of this post.

http://coconutrobot.com/2014/08/buy-fruit-fly-traps/