The Fruit Fly Diet!

victoriavoodoo

But seriously. I am fed up, ever since it started getting hot this year I can't seem to get rid of the damn fruit flies in my apartment! I'm so grossed out by my kitchen I don't want to be in there as long as it takes to prepare food, my snacking has seriously almost stopped. They fly in front of my face and I decide to try and swat them 1 by 1 until I have no appetite for whatever I went in there for.

As nice as that is, it's really not and I want them GONE! Can anyone help?

I've already poured bleach down the sink daily the last few days, cleaned the counters with disinfectant wipes and vacuumed, and I'm trying to take the trash out every 1-3 days but its hard for me to waste the bags like that when they aren't close to full yet. There is NO fruit here, and hasn't been since the freakin bananas my boyfriend let spoil that started this whole mess. I don't eat bananas so I didn't notice them all bruised and stuff until the flies appeared.

There aren't enough flies to lead me to their source, just a constant 2 or 3 visible I've never seen 4 at once. You may think I'm overreacting at 3 flies but there have been 2 or 3 at any given time for DAYS and they fly RIGHT FOR YOUR FACE. I read they're attracted to the co2 we exhale or something. Right after I swat one like within the hour another flies in front of my face.


Fruit fly remedies, please??

usernameMAMA

Set out Apple cider Vinegar mixed with a little dawn dish detergent. Cover the container with plastic wrap and poke holes large enough for the flies to get in. I had this issue and I worked like a charm, keep it out for a few days...

victoriavoodoo

I'll get on that, do you think it would work with balsamic?

ChasingKatie

Yes, I did it with balsamic

victoriavoodoo

ok, set out 2 of those in salsa dishes. I hope the holes are big enough and I hope they scream little fly screams of pain when they get in there.

Mmmmona

For a lot of them, vinegar doesn't work, neither does a spray bottle with dishsoap.

I went to Dollarama and bought these sticky pads and taped them up everywhere, put them in my plant pots.

First you need to get rid of the source. They are coming from somewhere. Is there some old garbage somewhere? Dirty dishes? New plants (often nest in soil)? empty cans or bottles waiting to be recycled? Find it and get rid of it.

Sometimes they can nest in your drain. Fill your sink with hot water, add a bottle of bleach or draino or any harsh cleaner and then empty the sink. This will flush the drain pipe. don't just pour it down the drain.

Get the fly tape or sticky pads from the dollar store.

I also bought a bunch of venus fly traps. They thrived and are doing amazing but now I have no flies left for them!

victoriavoodoo

I spoke to a neighbor earlier who says he gets them every summer at this apartment building from the drains =[ this is the first summer I've lived here, moved in when it was cold. I'll definitely try flushing the drain that way.

No plants, they fly out of the dishwasher sometimes so I do think they come from the drains(I can see under the sink where the dishwasher drain joins with the sink drain, looks like they merge into one down there?). They'll fly out of it even though it's kept shut.

My mom keeps saying get fly tape, I guess that'll be the next step along with the drain flushing. Thanks for the advice.

I really hate feeling like i have a dirty kitchen. Unless there's something rotten under the fridge where I can't see or reach it's pretty spotless after my bleach rampage today lol.