paigepea
Drama Llama
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Posts: 5,609
Location: BC, Canada
Jun 26, 2014 4:28:55 GMT
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Post by paigepea on Aug 19, 2014 14:59:58 GMT
We get them this time of year from fruit bought at outdoor markets, etc. they drive me bonkers.
A dish of apple cider vinegar and dish soap with plastic wrap over top with a whole in it helps a bit, but right now I need a better intervention. I have at least 4-5 flying around right now and they multiple so I have to stop it now.
Paige.
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Post by melanell on Aug 19, 2014 15:02:08 GMT
We just do the cider/soap thing.
This time of year we're often forced to keep more of our produce in the fridge, even though we typically keep many of them on the counter.
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Post by sphmaz on Aug 19, 2014 15:08:30 GMT
We do the cider/soap thing too but my DH goes a step further and drops a piece of fruit into the mixture. We just had some from bananas and I think they were gone in about 2 days.
Good luck! They are such a PAIN!!
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Post by melanell on Aug 19, 2014 15:11:14 GMT
Adding the fruit piece was a great idea.
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Post by LavenderLayoutLady on Aug 19, 2014 15:19:17 GMT
Spray them mid-air with Windex. Makes them drop.
Pour boiling water down your sink drain twice a day. They often breed down there.
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Post by bc2ca on Aug 19, 2014 15:30:35 GMT
The only thing I would add is make sure everyone rinses all bottles before putting them in the recycling (juice, wine, soda, etc.).
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Post by ~KellyAnn~ on Aug 19, 2014 15:53:44 GMT
I have to try the vinegar/soap idea. I don't have fruit out, but one houseplant seems to be the culprit. I'd toss it, but it is healthy and was from my mom's funeral. I think I have to treat the soil somehow, but don't want to buy/use chemicals.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 18, 2024 18:03:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2014 16:14:02 GMT
I had to move my houseplants outdoors and take down my fishtanks as the fishtanks provided the perfect breeding environment for them. I also keep my drains closed when not in use and pour a kettle of boiling water down the drains once a week. I also keep the vinegar dishsoap bowls out all of the time. It killed me to move my houseplants outside as I had some gorgeous ones but the FF's had taken over my house.....my DH wasn't a happy camper dis-mantling his fish tanks either, but it was either that or I was moving out...yes, they were that bad about 18 months ago. Now, I'm so paranoid that I won't let him put the fishtanks back up nor do I have anymore houseplants. Being vigilant is the only way I got rid of them. I will see one on occasion when shopping at the local farmers market but the vinegar dish nips the one or 2 in the bud very quickly. They breed very rapidly and are ripe for breeding within 24 hours of hatching...yes, I know more about FF's than I ever thought I would or ever wanted to.  |
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Post by Fidget on Aug 19, 2014 16:43:03 GMT
I have the same issue - just bought 2 Terro fruit fly traps, I used them last year as well and they did the trick. They work for up to 30 days so I leave it out even after I stop seeing the little buggers. Good luck! -I'm trying to link, we'll see if this works.... link |
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Post by padresfan619 on Aug 19, 2014 17:07:24 GMT
You don't have to put the plastic wrap over the vinegar and soap mixture. Once the flies touch the mixture it will drag them in and keep them there.
In the mean time you should not keep any fruit out on your counters, if you compost make sure your compost bucket is sealed and make sure to keep your drain clean. Also don't keep food waste in your kitchen trash, take it directly outside.
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CeeScraps
Pearl Clutcher
~~occupied entertaining my brain~~
Posts: 3,841 
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Post by CeeScraps on Aug 19, 2014 21:03:20 GMT
We've been using the vinegar and soap mix since it was posted here earlier this summer. It's working. Oh, what I did do is now I have a bowl next to each sink we have except the main floor bathroom.
So, I have bowls in the basement bathroom, and sink by the bar. Main floor it's in the kitchen only. Upstairs they are in both of our bathrooms. Each and every bowl gets flies. No, we don't have food upstairs. So, my guess is that they are coming from the drains. We've poured bleach down all of them. It's helped. I change the bowls outside of the kitchen about every 2 weeks or so. Those bowls may only have 1-2 dead buggers in them.
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luvnlifelady
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,428
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Post by luvnlifelady on Aug 19, 2014 21:52:40 GMT
I need these tips badly. The little things are driving me crazy!
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Post by threecs on Aug 19, 2014 21:56:16 GMT
If they are in your drains, try full-strength ammonia. I pour it in my garbage disposal/kitchen sink drain, put the stoppers on and let it sit all night. Rinse with boiling water in the morning.
I tried bleach and it did no good.
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crumpea
New Member
Posts: 6
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Post by crumpea on Aug 19, 2014 22:07:38 GMT
I suck them up with the vacuum hose. Poor things don't stand a chance.
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Post by **Angie** on Aug 19, 2014 23:06:18 GMT
We had them. Instead of taking the houseplants outside, put a decent layer of sand on top of the soil. The ff lay their eggs in the soil, hatch and crawl to the surface. The sand keeps them from being able to crawl to the surface. The only difference to the houseplants is that you have to water them more often.
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Post by Zee on Aug 19, 2014 23:20:05 GMT
I had to move my houseplants outdoors and take down my fishtanks as the fishtanks provided the perfect breeding environment for them. I also keep my drains closed when not in use and pour a kettle of boiling water down the drains once a week. I also keep the vinegar dishsoap bowls out all of the time. It killed me to move my houseplants outside as I had some gorgeous ones but the FF's had taken over my house.....my DH wasn't a happy camper dis-mantling his fish tanks either, but it was either that or I was moving out...yes, they were that bad about 18 months ago. Now, I'm so paranoid that I won't let him put the fishtanks back up nor do I have anymore houseplants. Being vigilant is the only way I got rid of them. I will see one on occasion when shopping at the local farmers market but the vinegar dish nips the one or 2 in the bud very quickly. They breed very rapidly and are ripe for breeding within 24 hours of hatching...yes, I know more about FF's than I ever thought I would or ever wanted to. What happened to the fish? |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Jun 18, 2024 18:03:50 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Aug 21, 2014 13:40:20 GMT
My dh gave them back to the aquarium he purchased them from....one of the tanks was a salt water tank and was not a happy camper about losing his beloved fish. I totally sympathized with him but it was either that or live with hundreds of FF's....I lost my peace lily that I've had since my dad passed away over 8 years ago....it was an average size plant when it was given to me but had grown to be a rather large plant or more like a bush and bloomed every year but I made the sacrafice to live FF free. I tried to save it, but I live in Florida and peace lillies don't do too well in the heat of the summer.  |
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Post by tanyab on Aug 21, 2014 14:34:14 GMT
My son works in produce at our local grocery store. We had fruit flies and he brought home this little fruit fly trap that they sell in produce. It took about 4 days total, but every single fruit fly was laying dead in the trap. It was by Terro and cost about $3. Give it a try!
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