Fruit Flies!!!

[Tuffcookie]

iI have finally found an insect more annoying than mosquitoes! DS's room was a mess. I starting picking up paper and throwing it in the paper can in his room when a swarm of fruit flies came flying out! Finally found, at the bottom of the paper can, a couple of banana peels!
What is the best way to get rid of fruit flies? Since the paper can has been removed they've migrated to the kitchen. I put some applejuice in a bowl and covered it with seran wrap, punched holes in the seran wrap so they would go in and get trapped.. It has caught a few but I think they are getting smarter! HELP!!!!

TC

 

[doxdogy]

We had them a couple of years ago. I tried everything to get rid of them. I finally had to buy a no pest strip and hang it in the kitchen (away from food) to get rid of them.

 

[Celluloidgal]

We've had trouble with them too! (They like to come in with cheap potting soil as well as bananas )

Somewhere I heard that they like the kitchen drain. So we used hot water and bleach & covered the drain for the night...helped a little, not a lot.

We tried the hanging pest strips...gross, but effective...but I swear they started getting smarter.

My husband had enough and tried to beat them to death with a fly swatter...got a few...the smart ones headed towards the ceiling where he couldn't get them.

Last resort...got out the flying bug spray...messy, stinky, no more "fruit flies"

 

[Shelle&Dave]

My DFiance uses windex on them. We always seem to get them when we buy bananas.

 

[piratesmate]

Occasionally the do get out of hand around here - we let our fruit ripen on the counter.

Anyway, we've found the most effective way to get rid of them is to put some peels (apple WITH banana works pretty well) in one of those plastic grocery bags. Try to leave only a small opening at the top. When you can see that there are quite a few sitting in there, quickly close the top & run out the door. Once outside, I try to tie it shut & then dump the bag in the garbage. Once or twice usually does it.

Of course you have to remove all possible lures - and I no longer have house plants, so it's just the fruit.

 

[LMC]

I went out of town once for a week; well when I returned home DH had left me a sink full of dishes AND fruit flies. After a few days of living with those pesky things and nothing worked to get rid of them, I hung a fly strip and got rid of ALL fruit in the house. I would only keep fruit in the fridge until I got rid of the ff's and that took about a month!!!!!!!! Another one of my fav's is the insect bombs but that may be a bit drastic; you have alot of clean up after those (or at least I do, I clean all surfaces to get rid of the poision).

 

[Lewski709]

Deer flies are much worse.

A saucer with lemon or other fruit scented dish soap should attract and destroy.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Okay I finally ended up spraying. I sprayed the kitchen and diningroom and then shut the sliding pocket doors between the livingroom and diningroom. With a little bit of luck they will be history! DS and dogs and hamster are upstairs for awhile to get away from the fumes. That leaves me in total peace and quiet, downstairs in the livingroom, to DIS Maybe I shouldn't say anything about when it's safe to come down!

TC

 

[DukeStreetKing]

Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like bananas!

 

[Celluloidgal]

Originally posted by DukeStreetKing
Time flies like an arrow but fruit flies like bananas!

If I had a "rimshot" icon I'd use it now.

 

[syncer55]

Fruit flies are as bad as horse flies

 

[Aimeedyan]

We got them awhile back, too, (though I will NOT admit what brought them to our home), and what we found was buying Flying Insect spray (Raid brand, I believe). Directions say to just spray the center of the room. Its potent, we had to start in the back of the house, spray the heck out of a room, shut the door, go to the next room. DId that all the way out of the house, and then left for a few hours. REALLY hit the trashcans and kitchen good. Made sure everything was up that didn't want sprayed too, of course.

That really got rid of them. I repeated it about a week later just for grins, and haven't had them again =)

GOOD LUCK!

 

[missyc]

Originally posted by Shelle&Dave
My DFiance uses windex on them. We always seem to get them when we buy bananas.

Is he Greek?
(Remember Toula's dad in My Big Fat Greek Wedding?! He sprayed EVERYTHING with Windex!) LOL

 

[Tuffcookie]

missyc, That was so funny, about the Windex!!! I'm glad to hear the Raid worked 'cause that's what I used.

TC

 

[Shelle&Dave]

Is he Greek?

Nope. He's Irish!

He's weird, but I love him.