Fruit Flies on my fruit, fruit flies in my wine, too many fruit flies
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
Eugene, Oregon
October 8, 2016 11:43am CST
Tiny fruit flies or their eggs can come into your house on the nice fruit you bring home from the market. If it is a day when you have some windows open, they can squeeze their tiny bodies through the screens or sneak in when you open doors.
These things go from eggs to pesky adults in one week, so they multiply like, like... well, like flies. We are having mild, damp fall weather now, so we do leave some windows open, thus, the fruit flies are invited.
Leaving a glass of wine or any thing like that uncovered is a mistake, since they are drawn to it. It is not uncommon to hear one or both of us clapping at dinner time as we try to kill one of these invaders. They are hard to nail like that.
I left an unwashed wine glass on the counter last night and there were about six little flies crawling around it this morning. I covered it with my hand and took it outside, shook it and got rid of them, but maybe they headed for the nearest screen window.
Do you have these pests around? How do you fight them?
18 people like this
13 responses
@teamfreak16 (43655)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Oct 16
I've never had to deal with them. Knock on wood.
3 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
8 Oct 16
Maybe it's the altitude there? We are at majestic 426 feet.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
8 Oct 16
@teamfreak16 How high is Manitou?
2 people like this
@teamfreak16 (43655)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic - Could be. I never thought of that.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
8 Oct 16
I had loads of them last month and now have a related critter called the fungus gnat. They are much smaller than fruit flies but just as aggravating. My sister told me about the cider vinegar along with a bit of detergent, and since then we've caught hundreds of them.
I'm including a photo. It's a bit disgusting, but I'm getting low on the cider vinegar. This is my second batch and I had one in the bathroom too. We also have fly paper up and that's caught some.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
8 Oct 16
I am trying that as we speak... err.. write. Thanks!
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128840)
• Gainesville, Florida
9 Oct 16
Every now and then I'll find them in my house, but being that this is Florida and it is always hot outside, we generally don't open our windows very often, so it's hard for the little buggers to get in. Of course, like you said, they are often in our fruits when we bring them home from the grocery store. For the most part, I keep my fruits stored in the fridge, but when I buy bananas I leave them out on the kitchen counter, and every once in a while I'll see the little fruit flies. But it's not often.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128840)
• Gainesville, Florida
10 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic You mean my new profile picture?
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
9 Oct 16
That's a good thing. Fruit bowls are attractive but attract those pests.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
10 Oct 16
I noticed that new image just now. Tell us what that signifies?
1 person likes this
@jillybean1222 (6406)
•
9 Oct 16
we go through our fruit fly phases... lately, not so much thankfully... though we've had some house flies lately... not sure why. this weather has been weird
2 people like this
@jillybean1222 (6406)
•
16 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic we need a new backdoor. it has a gap that is letting in flies (house flies) and when i priced replacing the door, the cheapest one was over $1000 because it is a weird size. So we have issues.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
16 Oct 16
@jillybean1222 Ouch! That is a huge price for a door.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Oct 16
House flies are even worse. I have to hunt them down as soon as I see one in the house.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Oct 16
We have only been about 12 degrees from frost so far.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Oct 16
@paigea Wow, it is 42 here with rain in the forecast.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
12 Oct 16
@JamesHxstatic this morning we are about 12 degrees below freezing. (-6 celsius)
1 person likes this
@CoolPeace (1563)
• Miami, Florida
11 Oct 16
It should be something you can spray in the air that last for a long time to get rid of them
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
11 Oct 16
I would not want to breathe poison though.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
12 Oct 16
@CoolPeace I wonder what would work though that would do them in and not harm us?
2 people like this
@SIMPLYD (90717)
• Philippines
9 Oct 16
We do have some flying insects on our banana on the open fruit container when left for long . So , we see to it that when we pluck the banana on its bunch the others won't get wounded or opened so it won't invite those fruit flies .
@changjiangzhibin89 (17243)
• China
9 Oct 16
Here some people use electric hair drier to kill them.Turn on electric hair drier with its butt directing against fruit flies,then you would see those fruit flies are inhaled into it and burnt up.
2 people like this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
9 Oct 16
That may be a good method too. Thanks!
1 person likes this
@Freelanzer (10782)
• Canada
9 Oct 16
I know what you mean. They usually invade toward the end of summer here but thankfully with the cooler weather we are having they have disappeared.
2 people like this
@ElizabethWallace (12069)
• United States
9 Oct 16
I don't have those, but do have very tiny little moths. They fly slowly so I can swat them. I also find their larvae on the wood floor, and pick them up for a swim in the city sewers.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29410)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Oct 16
The cooler stormy weather seems to be helping along with the suggestions I got here.
1 person likes this
