Fruit flies, arhgh...

[Old Crank]

Any hints on reducing fruit fly infestations?
Have cleaned up everything. Made sure empty bottles were cleaned out or capped. All food and fruit is in the fridge.

This is becoming annoying.

[MerryHolidays]

1. Hmmmm....keeping fruit and food in the fridge would be what I would've recommended

Since you're already doing that, can you get one of those bug zapper lights? With putting all food in enclosed spaces and the light (plus one of those tennis racket zappers), we don't have any issues, for the first time in years, I might add.

[piddyprints]

2. There's a vinegar and sugar recipe.

I found it easily on the internet, but there are variations. You'd want to see which one looks good to you. I made one last year, put it in a small jar, covered with wax paper secured by a rubber band, and poked holes with a toothpick in the paper. Worked like a charm. Fruit flies were attracted, flew down through the holes, and drowned.

[bamagal62]

10. My Mom swears by this.

But, she uses honey instead of sugar. And, you can use plastic wrap as well.

[True Dough]

13. We've successfully used apple cider vinegar

But honey would smell a lot better!

[Warpy]

19. Best with a couple of drops of dish detergent

to disrupt the surface tension on the vinegar/sugar mixture. Otherwise, they just float on top. Yuck.

They breed in drains, yuck to that, too.

[Tetrachloride]

3. water and vinegar down all the sinks.

clean all garbage cans

use incense

[Jilly_in_VA]

4. Lowe's had little fruit fly traps

a few years ago that were cute. They looked like little apples. I kept a few and refilled them with cider or white vinegar. But I discovered rather by accident that the damn things loved my wine, so last year when I got an 8-pack of small wine bottles, I saved some and put about 3/8 inch of cider vinegar in them. They're decorative and the wee critters go in and don't come out, same principle. Any small bottle with a long narrow neck will work, especially if it's held wine or vinegar before.

There's also an electronic gadget called a Katchy that attracts all manner of annoying flying insects with light and traps them on a sticky thing that you change out occasionally. We have two, one up and one down. They work too. No annoying zap. Available via Amazon but more expensive than bottles.

[Bev54]

5. Poor boiling water down sink drains as well

[AndyS]

6. Have you cleaned the drain in your sink?

They move in there and proloferate. Some boiling water will work wonders.

[Kali]

14. actually they are two different kinds of flies

[Scrivener7]

7. Oh, man. I just went through this. They were everywhere in the kitchen. Including the fridge.

Just showed up one day and took over REAL fast.

I cleaned out the fridge and wiped everything down with ammonia (including jars and bottles). Threw everything out except closed impermeable containers. Left a small glass of ammonia in the fridge so the fumes would kill any stragglers.

Cleaned kitchen floors and and counters and appliance faces with ammonia. I don't know if this is kosher, but I put some ammonia in the "Jet-Dri" compartment of the dishwasher and ran the dishwasher through twice empty. Poured ammonia down the drains and let it stay there without running any water for a few hours.

Cleaning any dishes or pans or utensils I use and drying them immediately and putting them away. Cleaned out garbage can. Using the plastic bags you get in the produce aisle for garbage. Sealing the bag between putting things in it. This is unusual for me because I usually use paper bags. The plastic garbage bag has a paper towel soaked with ammonia in it. Garbage is taken out every night.

At a window near the kitchen, there were what looked like baby fruit flies. Cleaned the whole thing with - you guessed it - ammonia.

So far so good. 5 or 6 days and no flies.

[Kali]

15. yikes be careful

most machine dish detergent has bleach in it. bleach + ammonia = danger!

[Scrivener7]

16. Oh, shoot! I did it a few days ago, so I think we're OK.

Thank you for telling me.

[Old Crank]

20. You have to be careful

When mixing chemicals, even household ones. Products like Comet have chlorine in them, read the label s. If you mix it with an acid that many tile residue cleaners have you end up with free chlorine gas. That will combine with water to make HCl, hydrochloric acid in your breathing passages.
Been there, done that cleaning a shower.

[John1956PA]

8. Whenever I see those pests flying about, I use this:

[LuvLoogie]

9. Get a few potted carnivorous plants.

Don't forget that the flies will linger after your mitigation. Check your trash cans, too. They also like beer. So rinse your glasses with hot water, even if you don't immediately have time for dishes.

I would rinse my dishes well of residue even when I had a working dishwasher.

Also, run a fan in the kitchen. It helps to dehumidify and blow the critters off course.

[Old Crank]

21. Like the plant idea

Perhaps I can convince my wife they are orchids 😁😁

[Blues Heron]

11. try the apple cider vinegar detergent trick

they fly right into the foam and drown - put a couple of inches of cider vinegar in a glass, add about 1/4 as much water and a few drops of dishwashing detergent, whisk till it gets a foamy head like a nice draught beer, then leave it on the counter. They will investigate and get caught in the foam.

[Phoenix61]

18. You don't need to whisk it.

Just mix the liquid soap in well. It breaks the surface tension so when they fly lands on the vinegar it sinks. Usually they can stand on a water bubble due to surface tension.

[Eyeball_Kid]

12. Cutting off their food supply should mean that they only last a few days.

And they lay eggs in rotting food, so if all of your bananas are in the fridge or in a sealed plastic bag, they'll get hungry fairly quickly. And for sure, they won't reproduce without over-ripe or rotting food sitting out on the counter.

[zeusdogmom]

17. I've had really good luck putting a couple of wine corks in the fruit bowl.

I know - sounds weird. No fruit flies since I started doing that a couple,of years ago. I always have fruit setting out on the counter especially in the summer. No pesky little fruit flies to be seen.

[Old Crank]

22. Thanks for all the hints

I have rinsed out sinktraps to help. I also set out a sugar vinegar trap that has picked up a few.
The number seem to be dropping.

[Emile]

23. I use to have them. I had an

exterminator spray my house for ants two summers ago. I haven't had a problem with any bugs since.

[MagickMuffin]

24. Fun Fact: How can you tell they are Fruit Flies? Check out their eyes they are RED

That's how to distinguish fruit flies from gnats.

I've done this and yeppers the eyes ARE red.

I use old discarded plastic spice jars, fill them with vinegar, honey/sugar, piece of fruit, and dish soap. I leave the top of the spice jar open and let the flies take their supper. They don't escape the jars and once they get full down the drain or throw them away.

Good Luck, Old Crank!

[Marthe48]

25. I rinse all fruits and veggies as soon as I get them

I read a long time ago that fruit flies can lay eggs on the fruits before you get it, and the eggs hatch after your purchase is home.

Also, if the flies you are seeing are a bit bigger than fruit flies and move kind of jerky, they may be drain flies. If you pour some bleach and water down your sink drains, that will remove some of the odor that attracts them and also destroy any eggs in your drains.

The sugar and vinegar in a cup is a good trap, too. Good luck!