topic Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me! in Kitchen

HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

FunkyHulaGirl — Mon, 26 May 2014 19:12:03 GMT

The last few days I've been seeing fruit flies all over the place - mostly in my kitchen, but they're even in my bathroom and my basement (the door to which is off the kitchen). I've put away any food that was out, but they're still there - I'm having to dump the cats' water bowls every few hours because there are always some dead fruit flies floating in them.

Anyone have a tried-and-true way to get rid of these pests? Please?

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

ReeVue — Mon, 26 May 2014 20:02:15 GMT

This looks interesting:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Easy-Fruit-Fly-Trap/

I've used cider vinegar and sugar as the bait, with the inverted cone method (cone made by inverting the spout end of half a liter bottle pointing downward into the base half of the liter bottle.) There are a gazillion search results for these things if you're interested.

It isn't as immediate as just spraying bug getta all over the place, but it's effective over time.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

ReeVue — Mon, 26 May 2014 20:10:07 GMT

Some designs for this are quite elaborate -- this one actually has a built-in pedestal for the fruit:

http://www.thinkingfountain.org/t/2literbottle/2literbottle.html

Making certain that the drains in the kitchen and bath are very clean may help. If anything remains there that the insects can sniff out, that's often the problem spot.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

sfnative — Mon, 26 May 2014 23:26:05 GMT

Hi FHG,

We just moved up here from San Diego where we had fruit flies for maybe 5 months out of the year (and had the same issue with our kitty's water bowl). Because we didn't have kids at home any longer, DH went to Lowe's and purchased a bunch of those swirly paper sticky fly strips, which he hung off the ceiling in our condo. He replaced them when they were almost full. Was an inexpensive way to get rid of the pesky creatures.

I also placed most fruit in the frig. That which was rippening, was placed in a basket in a far corner of the master bedroom, which worked well.

Good luck!

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

FunkyHulaGirl — Tue, 27 May 2014 04:57:32 GMT

OK, thanks, everyone. I made some traps filled with sweet wind and a few drops of Dawn; we'll see what happens. If I still have them in a few days I'll try those sticky strips. I don't want to spray them because I don't want my furbabies exposed to poison - or me either. (sigh)

I'll let you know how it works!

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

solitaregal — Tue, 27 May 2014 06:17:12 GMT

Fought them couple year back. What got rid of them for good was pouring Clorox down the sink drains and letting it sit as long as possible (at least overnight). Now when I'm going to be away for more than a day I stuff the top of the drains with Clorox wipes. The drain for the garbage disposal seems to be the biggest culprit in my house.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

fthunt — Tue, 27 May 2014 14:07:49 GMT

Yup - fruit and fruit flies are related! When we bring fresh fruit in the house the fly eggs are already on the fruit - then they hatch. Nothing to do with drains, etc. These tiny flies also come in through our window screens.......I eliminate them by buying a pest love smell (to other flies) plastic triangle 'house' and put it on counter next to the fruit bowl.

These have sticky material inside - so when the bug enters thinking s*x - they get stuck like fly paper. Check SOLUTIONS website and Improvements or any other home solutions catalogs.

The traps should be replaced every month and you get like 2 to a box. I've used them for years and years = flies disappear quickly.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

gonnab — Tue, 27 May 2014 14:24:36 GMT

Signs of summer = fruit flies and sugar ants!!! They're everywhere and almost impossible to eliminate. Really really frustrating. I can look down at my wood floors and see those pesky little sugar ants crawling around. and heaven forbid that a crumb falls to the floor - they come running! Have found that a paste of boric acid and water left in a bottle cap will help to reduce and control them but it doesn't completely eliminate - they always come back. They come through the cracks of the wood planks. Fruit flies are another problem. There is a spray by RAID that helps but it means cleaning everything off your counters, tables, etc and spraying - make sure to include the sink drain because they LOVE to hang out there!!! And then don't leave anything out - every bit of food in the refrigerator. Wipe the counters off with a good disinfecting spray every time you use the counter. It's a pain! And just wait for the first frost of Fall which will then get rid of them until next summer! During this long hard winter, I promised myself I would not complain about the "joys" of heat, humidity, bugs, etc - but that didn't last long!

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

fthunt — Tue, 27 May 2014 16:34:16 GMT

Ants............only thing to eliminate them is an exterminator! We had the sweet ants every year for decades crawling on counters, stove and flooring until I hired 'eliminator' for $400 3 years ago - haven't seen an ant in the kitchen/house since.

There's a nest somewhere in your home - mine was in the basement on top of the cement poured foundation - back behind the pink insulation and I had the wood chips and rotted wood railroad ties around my garden (that was near the house foundation) taken out and a stone wall installed - and - stones in the garden instead of wood chips.

Ants...........gone!

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

RedTop — Tue, 27 May 2014 17:31:59 GMT

I put cider vinegar and about 5 drops of dish detergent in a small jar, cover with plastic wrap and cut a slit in the center of the plastic. The fruit flies are drawn to the vinegar, and then drown because the detergent weighs them down.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

Flo08 — Tue, 27 May 2014 18:23:36 GMT

Pour a little vinegar in your drains at night. Then flush with hot water in the AM. The vinegar will draw them to the drain and hot water will flush them away. I also make traps with vinegar in cut off water bottles covered with plastic wrap with toothpick holes and held with rubber bands. Can toss after a few days

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

poshmini — Tue, 27 May 2014 18:34:49 GMT

Was at Lowe's this weekend and saw in the garden center, at the checkout line, disposable fruit fly traps. Easy peazy. I get them as well, when we have bananas or grapes in a bowl. I think under 6 bucks, you get more than one I believe. Hope this helps.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

FunkyHulaGirl — Tue, 27 May 2014 18:35:57 GMT

That's what I used, Flo - cut-off water bottles. Yesterday I did boil a kettle of water and poured it down the drains to kill any buggies or eggs that might be there and it seems to have helped a little; I'll try the cider vinegar as well. (sigh)

The ants aren't too bad, although I can't for the life of me figure out how - on the rare occasion I'll take something into a room where I don't normally eat and a few crumbs are dropped - suddenly hundreds of them find their way to it! I did find some in my sugar - which is kept in a large, supposedly air-tight Lock n Lock container. Best thing to keep ants away is to sprinkle Aspartame (Splenda or Nutra-Sweet) in places where you see them. (Another good reason not to ingest that junk...)

I'm trying to stick to all-natural remedies; I don't want to use chemicals, both for my own health concerns and also that of the furkids - even boric acid can harm them.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

Zeoershova — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 06:24:43 GMT

keeping your place clean is the basic thing to keep your home and surrounding pest free.

If you are having so much problem with ants and flies then, you must hire a professional pest controlling service. These pest controlling services have team of experts or professionals that are capable of removing pest from your home without creating any kind of destruction. you can check online also about such services or service providing companies westernexterminator.com, www.pestworld.org, http://www.pest-control.ru/ are some of the renown pest and insect exterminator providers. You can contact them

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

DM Tiara — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 07:15:42 GMT

If these fruit flies are pesky in the bathroom, they are in the drains. Run your straight, hot water in tub/shower/sink basin for a few minutes, periodically throughout the week.

Definitely do the same in kitchen and/or utility laundry sinks. Fruit flies like even the cleanest of drains. Frequently running hot water COOKS them to death.

Voila! No more fruit flies!

DM Tiara

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

Cookie06 — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 14:00:25 GMT

If you have any indoor plants, check the soil. I think those pesky critters lay eggs in the dirt. One time in our office of all places we had tons of those little fruit flies. I went crazy trying to figure out where they were coming from. I noticed they were hanging around the plant in my office. I checked the dirt and when I stirred it up, hundreds of those creepy little flies came out. Yuck. I threw the whole plant and all out in the garbage. Worth a try, they have to be coming from somewhere.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

bigkat — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 14:46:48 GMT

Hey FHG, don't know if you fixed the problem or not yet. I had this one fall when I brought in a bunch of tomatoes. I am not "crazy" clean, but I would say I have a very clean house. We had them mainly in the kitchen, but also the bathrooms. I had heard that they lay eggs in the drains. I put baking soda in the drains and poured vinegar in, it will bubble up, just let it sit as long as you can before turning on the water. Took care of the issue for us.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

lovestopaint — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 15:06:12 GMT

Funky, try Item # 42033 Plow and Hearth handmade crackle glass and apple fruit fly trap. Works like a charm.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

debcakes — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 18:50:38 GMT

I put some natural vinegar in a wine glass. It doesn't look too bad and the fruit flies love it.

Re: HELP! These things are really BUGGING me!

Rowan123 — Tue, 03 Jun 2014 21:26:57 GMT

On 6/3/2014 Cookie06 said:
If you have any indoor plants, check the soil. I think those pesky critters lay eggs in the dirt. One time in our office of all places we had tons of those little fruit flies. I went crazy trying to figure out where they were coming from. I noticed they were hanging around the plant in my office. I checked the dirt and when I stirred it up, hundreds of those creepy little flies came out. Yuck. I threw the whole plant and all out in the garbage. Worth a try, they have to be coming from somewhere.

Those are fungus gnats. They're different from fruit flies but as you said it's a good idea to check potted plants too.