How do you get rid of fruit flies? I had a pineapple sitting in the kitchen to ripen and it attracted some fruit files a few weeks ago. Now they seem to be multiplying! I can't get rid of them?
I tried the apple cider vinegar. With the dishwashing liquid and plain with the plastic lid. The dishwashing liquid/ apple cider vinegar combo worked best, however there were plenty of flies in both glasses. Way more than I would have thought. I will do it again in a few days to make sure I get them all and try the drain suggestions as a precaution.
Thanks Ladies!
I actually went to Home Depot looking for some spray or soemthing. They sent me to Cub to buy a garbage disposal cleaner. There are tons of different brands. Now I do one in my disposal once/week and haven't had flies since. They breed in the drains I think.
I have read that vinegar in the shallow dish works, I have not tried this. If you have banannas around too this will
attract them too so go without for a few days. Or put them in the fridge. Good luck!
The apple cider vinegar with dish soap works for me every time.
put a banana peel in a jar or cup, and rubberband a peice of suran wrap over the top. take a pin and poke holes in the suran. They can get in but can't figure out how to get back out.
I had that problem a few months ago when I brought produce home from the farmer's market..
What I did was take a small clear bowl, put some red wine in it and cover it with plastic wrap. Take a toothpick and poke some holes in it. They will go in and not be able to get back out. In a week or so the amount of flies in your house will be down. Be sure to really clean your kitchen too.. drains, counters, dishwasher, fridge, and stove top. They get in EVERYWHERE. They're so annoying :(.
If you don't drink wine at all I've heard you can try apple vinegar. I haven't tried it though so I can't tell you if it does or doesn't work.
They are probably breeding in your sink drains, and/or houseplants. They like standing water. Pour some bleach or ammonia (not both) down the drains, and put a bowl over them when not in use so they can't get back in there to lay their eggs. Dump any standing water out of the saucers under your houseplants.
I have found that putting out apple cider vinegar attracts them....you can pour some into a container or leave out the jar....they fly down into it and become trapped. It worked for me in the past a few times....hope it helps you as well...
Set out a small amount of dishwashing liquid in a cup. For some reason they are atracted to this and get stuck and die. Good luck. I will be interested to see what everyone writes , we have luck with the soap but other ideas might be nice.
They breed in the drains. Simple...put saran wrap over your drains (we did all our drains to be safe). Overnight for a couple nights should do it. Try keeping it on during the day if you can remember to take it off when using the sink! Good luck
The reason vinegar works is it is like ripening fruit to the fruit fly add in the dish soap and you have stickiness. Be sure that you use a glass that the fruit fly will need to fly into. Small glasses and narrow glasses tend to not work.
And... you should never pour full strength bleach down your sink. I can cause problems with your pipes (plumber told me this). Instead, to clean your sink (and usually it is with the drain that is attached to a disposaler) put several cubes of ice in the drain along with a good dose of comet. run you disposal for a few seconds without water running then turn the water on. This will clean your disposaler and sharpen the blades. Good Luck.
actually theyve now become drain flies...scrub everything down with bleach...then pour straight bleach down your drains..let sit for a long while...then run hot water for bout 5-10 min...we have that problem alot with ppl here on the property where i work at.this is plunkets pest control solution...
I had this same problem and found a post on mamasource that works wonderful!
In a bowl add a little bit of apple vinegar and then mix in some dish soap and set it on the counter. You will be amazed at how many you get. I would change mine a couple times because it seemed to get kind of nasty after sitting on the counter --
Good Luck!
Place a banana peel or some cut up fruit in a jar, put plastic wrap on the top and puncture the plastic with a fork in a couple of places. The flies get in but can't get out. Works very well!
Put a little bit of vinegar in a glass with a few drops of dish soap. I use apple cider, not sure if it makes a difference.
I've tried the vinegar and dish soap thing a bunch of times and it never worked for me...here's what works every time though!
You put a bit of wine in a small glass and a funnel on top...tape the seam where they meet. The fruit flies will fly down the opening into the glass, but will not be able to figure out how to find the small hole to fly back out.
Your fruit fly trouble will be gone in a day. Guaranteed! I really should patent a device! ;)
I use a plastic bag, like a Ziploc, open on the counter with bate inside, like your pineapple. After a few hours or overnight, I close the bag quickly, trapping the fruit flies inside, and then they can be disposed of.... I keep doing this until they're gone. Good luck.
