Fruit Flies

[Nyboy]

My father loves fruit, for 50 years there has always been a fruit bowl on kitchen table of my parents house. The bowl was always filled with fruit in season. I don't remember my mother's kitchen ever having fruit flies. If I try to ripen any fruit outside of fridge I get inundated with flies after 2nd day. This has happened 2x this summer I keep a spotless kitchen. What is going on.

 

[so lucky]

Fruit fly eggs are probably on the fruit when you bring it home.
You can put out a small amount of wine with a few drops of dish detergent in it. Use a small jar or old glass. The fruit flies will be attracted to the wine and then die in the soap. Change every few days. You can also use fruit juice.
Also, you might want to cover the fresh fruit with a dish towel, to allow air to circulate but keep bugs off.

 

[Nyboy]

LOL I always have wine on hand !! I do wash the fruit when I bring home. Should I use soap I just rinse in water.

 

[thistlebloom]

Apparently they can live in a sink drain too. So I'm thinking if wine is poured down the drain and you don't have a busy sink they can multiply there. They only live a few weeks so reproduce really quickly.

They don't spread disease like regular flies, but they are annoying.

 

[Nyboy]

Bugs in my kitchen is just wrong !!

 

[PhilaGardener]

Apple cider vinegar is also quite attractive - same way that @so lucky described (a bit in the bottom of an open glass with a drop or two of dishwashing soap.

http://lifehacker.com/5635971/lifehacker-labs-capture-fruit-flies-with-a-cup-and-apple-cider-vinegar

Save the wine for better purposes!

 

[journey11]

I take a stockpot, put some kitchen scraps in it...fruit peelings, etc., then set it under the hood light on the stove overnight. Set the lid a few feet off to the side on the counter somewhere. First thing in the morning I sneak up on them and slam the lid down quickly. Take 'em outside and let them cook in direct sunshine...haha, take that demon spawn! Two or three times of that will usually get them all.

I never keep tomatoes or fruit out on the counter anymore this time of year. Everything goes out on the porch or in the garage. I wrap my bananas up in the plastic bag from the produce section, which helps them last longer anyway.

 

[Ridgerunner]

I've had problems with them too this year, worst I remember ever. They were living and breeding in the top of my Mr. Coffee. I didn't clean the grounds out until I was ready to use it the next morning so it stayed damp. I've changed that practice. I read their life cycle is 8 days from hatch to reproduction. If they are breeding in your house instead of coming in form the outside you need to try to find out where. They like wet spots like bathroom drains or kitchen sink drains. When I ran the garbage disposal I tossed in a couple of ice cubes. Grinding ice cubes cleans the disposal and will grind any of them or their eggs up that might be in there.

I did the apple cider vinegar trick but did not add a few drops of dish washing liquid to break the surface tension. It did not work. They could land on the liquid, take a drink, and fly off. When I added some dish washing detergent to it, they started drowning. This did not get all of them, but it got a lot of them. We left the cider vinegar trap out while we were gone for two weeks to Glacier and Yellowstone. When we got home last night I didn't see any fruit flies.

I may try Journey's trick next time. I get up early enough. It would be nice to get all of them instead of just most of them like I got with the cider vinegar.

 

[so lucky]

And Journey's trick gives that added satisfaction of imagining the little buggers having heat strokes in that hot pot.

 

[thistlebloom]

Hey @Ridgerunner , you weren't too far away when you were visiting Glacier. In fact you were right next door to Heather, @NwMtGardener .
I'm sure you had a wonderful vacation. Those are two of my favorite parks.