Fruit Flies - Any good tips?

[boomhauer]

My house (kitchen and bathroom mostly) has been inundated with fruit flies since this past weekend. There is no open food or food lying around the house.

Dopes anyone know of an effective spray (or other method) sold in stores that I could buy to get rid of these suckers? There are dozens of them around and regular insecticide did nothing.

 

[KristaTX]

Do you have any houseplants? If so, poke around in the dirt and see if that is where your bugs are coming from. I'm not positive those are fruit flies that do that, but I've seen that sort of "hidden" infestation several times with little flying insects thriving in the dirt .

There are some insecticidal spray soaps you can use if that ends up being the source of the problem. You could ask at Lowe's/Home Depot.

I'm not sure what to tell you if that's not the source. It is just an idea since you are not sure where they are coming from.

 

[ClarabelleCowFan]

Toss all the fruit and make sure that your counters and cabinets are wiped clean. We had fruit flies in the bathroom once because they were attracted to the fruity toothpaste globs that my DDs had left on the bathroom sink.

Good luck!

 

[Minnie824]

We had some annoying little bugs last year we assumed were fruit flies. You couldn't kill the little annoyances. Anyway, we found out they were drain flies. And since you mentioned they're also in the bathroom, maybe thats what you have as well. What you need to do is get some drano, pour it down each since, including tubs, with very very hot water. Do it a couple days and they should be gone. Good luck!

 

[hydster]

We've had luck with 2 things

Get a wide-lipped bowl... a standard soup bowl should work.
Cut banana slices and put them in the bowl.
Very tightly place plastic wrap over the bowl, being sure that the edge is sealed and the wrap is so tight that it is almost transparent... like the skin on a drum.
Poke holes in the plastic, being careful not to go to the edges. The "poking" instrument should be an ice pick or something along that line. Forks/knives do not work. You want to make holes... not tears. Fruit flies LOVE bananas

Or

You can take a small container, put a teaspoon of Sugar in the bowl with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and several drops of liquid dish soap. Cover with plastic wrap, poke some small holes with an ice pick or something small like that, seal with a rubber band and wait. The vinegar/sugar will attract them and the dish soap will kill them.

 

[PaulaSue]

I read this online and it worked for me....It basically said....

In a small bowl put 1/4 of a can soda and a few drops of dishwashing soap. Put surranwrap on top and cut 4-5 holes in it. Worked in a few days, all gone.

 

[sammi]

We had them last year and this year and always around Aug/Sept and yes we were also told that they were drain flies and to keep the plugs in your drains to get rid of them.

 

[PaulaSue]

Oh I also poured a little bleach down our drains every few days, especially the kitchen sink with the disposal side.

 

[jcsbama]

Oh I also poured a little bleach down our drains every few days, especially the kitchen sink with the disposal side.

And then plug the drain. It sufficates them.

 

[CathrynRose]

We had them last year and this year and always around Aug/Sept and yes we were also told that they were drain flies and to keep the plugs in your drains to get rid of them.

Right - bleach down the drain helps too. Bleach and plug until they disappear.

I hate those things.

 

[Crankyshank]

Venus flytraps. Seriously. You can get them from home depot

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Here's a tip I always remember:

Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like bananas.

 

[mking624]

You can take a small container, put a teaspoon of Sugar in the bowl with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and several drops of liquid dish soap. Cover with plastic wrap, poke some small holes with an ice pick or something small like that, seal with a rubber band and wait. The vinegar/sugar will attract them and the dish soap will kill them.

We recently did this. We had been having problems with fruit flies and I tried this technique and it worked like a charm. Took a few days or so...but we haven't seen a fruit fly since.

 

[sammi]

Thanks CathrynRose for the bleach tip.............I'll be sure and give it a shot!

 

[Kendra17]

We had some annoying little bugs last year we assumed were fruit flies. You couldn't kill the little annoyances. Anyway, we found out they were drain flies. And since you mentioned they're also in the bathroom, maybe thats what you have as well. What you need to do is get some drano, pour it down each since, including tubs, with very very hot water. Do it a couple days and they should be gone. Good luck!

I've never heard of that. But, that makes sense. A couple of years ago I had what I thought were fruit flies, but there was NO food out and the countertops and everything was clean. THe only thing that got rid of them was using a bug bomb. That worked immediately and I haven't had them back since then.

 

[DisneyBride94]

We've had luck with 2 things


You can take a small container, put a teaspoon of Sugar in the bowl with 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar and several drops of liquid dish soap. Cover with plastic wrap, poke some small holes with an ice pick or something small like that, seal with a rubber band and wait. The vinegar/sugar will attract them and the dish soap will kill them.

We've had luck with a similar remedy... but a bit different...

take a wide rimmed bowl... put some liquid dish detergent on your finger and smear it all around the rim of the bowl...and around the first 1/2 inche of the bowl.... pour an ounce or so of cider vinegar into the bowl (being careful not to pour over the soap)... frut flies land in the rim and either stick to that, or fall in and drown in the vinegar...you can SEE them pile up...very satisfying that!