One corner of my kitchen is inundated with something that resemble fruit flies. I don't know why. I have poured bleach down the disposal. I have set out dishes of wine, cider vinegar, and cider vinegar with detergent to no avail.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to how to rid myself of these bugs without calling an exterminator?
have you pulled up the rubber black guard and cleaned that out? I clean mine often, PITN!
If that doesn't work, look for the 'food' source, or a leak that is providing the dampness or moisture that could be giving them reason to stick around.
We have looked for a food source and are bewildered as to what they could be eating. As my husband says they have to be eating something to be staying alive.
The only thing that's changed since right before the bugs appeared is that my husband brought some plants in from the yard but he swears he sprayed them and I haven't noticed any of the bugs in that room where the plants are.
You made me laugh with your title but I know its no laughing matter.
Recently I read that apple cider vinegar would help eliminate skin tags so I took my plastic bottle of vinegar into the bathroom to periodically swab my booboo. AND, even though it was capped, I immediately GOT fruit flies! -- flying around and landing on the cap of the bottle.
So, at least in my case, vinegar was NOT a deterrent. As soon as I put the vinegar back in the fridge, no more problem. Isn't it odd how they can just appear out of no where?
Good luck.
ETA: Personally, I'd give those plants another spray of something -- and the dirt around them too. And -- have you purchased dry dog food or flour recently? Put them in the freezer for a week and see if that helps. Just something to think about.This message has been edited. Last edited by: MyLifeVacation1,
They may not be fruit flies but may be coming from your plants. One spraying won't eradicate white flies, etc. Try the yellow sticky insect traps which you stick in the soil. http://parkseed.com/large-yell...rs-9-strips/p/06399/
Lucky
"I have always had an aversion to the concepts of in style and out of style." ~Rose Tarlow
Fruit flies were something awful this summer. They lay eggs on things like bananas.
I would check inside your garbage bin, some fruit may have fell on the bottom of it or behind it. My guess is that a piece of fruit has dropped behind something somewhere. Look behind and under everything.
****Look at objects not only for what they are, but for what they could be, vg****
Fruit flies are so annoying. They might not be on the plants, but they could be in the dirt the plants are planted in.
Anyway, to catch fruit flies with vinegar you have to use the vinegar in a small necked bottle. The flies are attracted in, but can't get back out, and they eventually die. In my experience it takes about three days with a vinegar bottle sitting out to get rid of the flies - once you have eradicated their source.
I'm sharing a lovely fruit fly catching bottle as used in my kitchen. Notice the carnage inside.
I used those fly-catcher things that come in a little roll that you pull out and untwist it. I hang it right where the gnats are gathering. It doesn't look really nice, but it catches them.
Posts: 8816 | Location: california | Registered: Apr 01, 2003
I had fruit flies from my tomatoes and was going on a three week trip and didn't want to come home to a real infestation so I poured an inch of cider vinegar into a glass and covered it with plastic wrap that I poked with a few holes. The flies get into the holes but don't come out. Left the glass on the kitchen counter while we were away. No fruit flies upon our return.
I tried the bottle like Cocok suggested. They just flew around. However, my husband took a plastic take out dish, put a paper cover with a large hole in it and that did work....at least with the bulk of them. Sometimes in the family room, I see one flying around but the worst is over.
