We seem to have an invasion of those pesky little tiny black fruit flies. We have washed and sorted all fruits and veggies and they are in the fridge.
What can I do to attract and kill off these pesky things?
Ugh, those things are annoying. We’ve had infestations in the past. A low point was when we took a weekend trip with one of D’s friends from Germany - when we returned, there was a mass of fruit flies on the ceiling!
You can google ideas. One thing that worked was to get a glass with some wine in the bottom. You put a baggie over the top with a rubber band to attach it to the glass. Then poke little holes in the baggie. The flies are attracted to the wine and can get in the holes, but for some reason they can’t get back out.
@MaineLonghorn I read you can do that with cider vinegar too…so I’m trying a small glass of that to see.
Yes, a lot of liquids would work. Good luck!
A small fan keeping the air circulating over the fruit bowl helps.
But she said all veggies and fruit are in the fridge.
We use the paper funnel method and balsamic vinegar as bait.
We use red wine and dish soap to kill fruit flies.
And the vacuum helps. If you find them near the fruit bowl vacuum them up.
I only wash fruit just before I consume it. In my house, if is in a fruit bowl or in the fridge, it is unwashed. Washing fruit before refrigerating it, may increase moisture, which may and speed up decay = magnet for fruit flies
Red Cider vinegar and a little liquid dish soap- works for us. Put it in a cup near the offenders. And wait a day. It attracts them and then the surface tension from the soap keeps them in the cup. We had tried white vinegar but not effective.
We had success with cider vinegar with a clingwrap cover - holes poked in the cover.
I think you are also supposed to check your sink drains because that is where they breed. Boiling water down the drain clears that up.
I’m trying the cider vinegar one today. If that doesn’t work, I’ll do vinegar and dish soap
I had an issue about 15 years ago and for the life of me I can’t remember what I put in the bowl (and covered with Saran Wrap). I had several bowls sitting out and it actually worked. But the bowl trick did the job.
I know don’t put my fruit out rust away. I keep it tied in the bag for a day if I’m going to leave it out. (Like bananas).
A couple hundred years ago, wine makers thought that fruit flies spontaneously generated out of thin air. They were not far off:)
Well…I did the cider vinegar and covered with plastic wrap with holes. So far, I’ve trapped one fruit fly. BUT I haven’t seen any flying around my kitchen all day either. Weird.
Fruit flies don’t live long, so usually if you put the fruit in the fridge they dissipate pretty quickly. Those fly trap strips are very effective for regular house flies and those weird cluster flies.
We have rented in RI every year for years during the summer. Many different homes. We almost always wind up having a fruit fly issue while there which we never have at home.
We do the apple cider vinegar and dish soap trick and works like a charm, catching many, many fruit flies.
Get several short, stout glasses. Put a couple tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and some dish soap in each glass. Fill with lukewarm water creating bubbles. Fill to the tippy top with liquid so the bubbles are hanging just above the surface of the rim. Place around the kitchen counters. The flies will be attracted to the smell and then will get stuck in the bubbles and drown. Seems to work best at night but works in the day as well. Cheap and effective.
We have a dozen citrus trees and fruit flies are inevitable during prime season. I’ve had a lot of success with the Terro apple shaped trap w/ bait (the one with the green top, not the multi hole version). Easy to inconspicuously tuck behind the citrus bowls and quickly gets the job done.
@doschicos I have short squatty juice glasses. I’m going to try your way…hoping my cat isn’t interested!!