Berkeley Parents Network: Flies

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Flies

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Fruit Flies

Tiny black flies in bathroom sink drain

Flies swarming in our kitchen

Household Pests

Fruit Flies

Dec 2007

Seemingly out of the blue have come The Fruitflies. We cannot locate from where they emanate and are going crazy with these little critters. For every one we smash, seven appear, like some Medusa-like being! Does anyone have any idea how to eradiate them? Our landlord told us to spray the entire house but with young kids/pets and people with allergies here, we think this is not a viable option. Besides they like to hang out up at the top of our cathedral- like ceilings. Please help us give these fruities the booties! Thanks!

I've had similar invasions, and you can deal with it without chemicals, but you will have to take a multi-pronged approach. First, and most obvious, figure out what's attracting them and/or where they are breeding. Scour out the kitchen trash can with hot water and a cleanser of some kind, and allow it to dry completely. If you have fruit sitting out, get rid of it or at least remove the ripe/overripe fruit. My fruitflies were breeding in the compost bin outside and coming in, and it had been a while since I'd added any dry stuff to the bin, so that can help. Then, to catch and kill the flies that are buzzing around the kitchen or other parts of the house, use this old trick. Put some cider vinegar (or balsamic, since it's sweet enough too) in the bottom of an old spice jar. About an inch of the vinegar is enough. Then, make a funnel with some paper, being careful to make the opening at the bottom of the funnel as small as possible. Tape the funnel in place in the mouth of the jar with the pointy part of the funnel pointing into the jar (but don't let it get wet). Put tape along the seam where the funnel and glass meet. Then put your new fruit fly trap somewhere you've seen a lot of fruit flies, and wait. The vinegar attracts the flies, who crawl down the funnel and into the jar to get at it. They can't figure out how to get out, however, and will eventually fall in and drown. After a few days, if you've dealt with breeding site, the existing flies will disappear into your trap, and the house should be fruit fly free. Katie

I have found that 1/2 a bottle of Corona beer, a wedge of lime or two (be generous with the lime and leave some juice on the lip of the bottle) a few drops of Dawn original scent and a little water added - left near where the fruit flies hang out is an effective and non-toxic trap. They fly into the bottle for the lime and beer and sink due to the soap. Dawn is the only one that I've found they can't ''smell.'' Good luck! Christy

Put your fruit in the fridge and get some fly paper ribbon. Most home supply, hardware and even grocery stores carry the non-toxic tubes of ribbon. Hang one up in your kitchen, unroll it, and the flies will be stuck to it in a day or three. Debbie S.

Check out this link: http://www.stretcher.com/stories/03/03jul21b.cfm Also, I find that they're often living in my plants, which according to that site means they're gnats, not fruit flies. I've killed them with a sprayer filled with soapy water (biodegradable dish soap, so it doesn't kill the plants). But since my initial infestation, I put a plant outside for a while if I see any new flies. Seems inhospitable out there, and the plant is clear in a week or two, and I bring it back in. Rahel

Dec. 2003

Help -- we have an invasion of fruit flies and can't find the source. Any recommendations?

There are ideas for getting rid of flies on this page: http://flystocks.bio.indiana.edu/getting-rid.htm Good luck

I read in a newspaper column that one often overlooked source can be the overflow drain in the sink

Tiny black flies in bathroom sink drain

Sept. 2003

We just noticed tiny black flies that are coming up through our bathroom sink drain and the shower drain, all in the same bathroom. So far, the other bathroom hasn't been affected, so I don't think it's a house-wide issue. I've tried flushing the drain with a chemical cleanser (yuk!), a baking soda vinegar combination, etc. but the bugs aren't going away. The worst is when I'm brushing my teeth and I see one flyng around on the side of the sink...we just don't want them to start multiplying any more than they already have! Anyone have an idea on how to get rid of these pesky little flies? --going buggy

Here's a question and answer from the Bug Man (Richard Fagerlund), whose column appears in the Chronicle's home section (from http://www.fagerlund.addr.com/cockroaches.htm). It may relate to your problem

I have a lot of little gnats in my bathroom. My regular exterminator has no idea what they are or how to get rid of them. I have called other exterminators with the same results. Do you have any idea what they are?
The insects you brought to my office are moth flies. These little flies breed in the overflow drains of sinks and bathtubs. They lay their eggs in the gunk that builds up in these areas. Use a funnel and pour some boiling, soapy water in the overflow drains which will kill the fly larvae and help dislodge the gunk buildup. Subsequently you can pour a capful of bleach in the overflow drains several times a week to prevent a re-infestation of these flies.

Mimi

Flies swarming in our kitchen

March 2001

We have lots of flies swarming in our kitchen. Looking for ideas on how to get rid of them. I've checked the archives. peggy

I don't like to use insect spray and fly-paper grosses me out. However, I have two methods to deal with flies that swarm in the kitchen and incidentally, they work well on wasps who attack when you try to paint the eaves of your house and on yellow jackets that harass when you are dining outdoors.

Method 1: Get one of those 12" diameter perforated aluminum discs or screens with a handle that are sold in stores for putting over frying pans to prevent splattering. They cost about the same as a can of insect spray. These gismos work marvelously to swap flying insects right out of the air, presuming you are physically able to swing one vigorously as one would wield a tennis racket. Perhaps it is sadistic, but I have experienced a perverse satisfaction taking out two or more of the hapless critters in a single swipe; but hey, no pesticide pollution, no left over can, no ozone depletion (propellent), and you burn a few calories to boot.

Method 2: This takes a little more finesse but you can actually suck them right out of the air with the hose of your vacuum cleaner, preferably a shop vac. If you tape a plastic pipe to the end of your vacuum hose the flies, bees, etc. don't easily recognize this as a threat, at first. As an aside, a shop vac with a 20 foot long plastic pipe is a pretty safe way to rid your eaves of wasp and hornet nests, if the need arises. Considering the current power crunch this may be a risky alternative to Method 1.

Happy hunting ! Frank

Every summer I seem to get flies, I've tried a few things which worked reasonably well, depending on the flies.

#1, I've run around with a spray bottle with dish soap and water in it and a magazine. If you can zap the fly with soapy water, they usually fly or fall to a wall, ceiling or floor where you can smack them with a rolled up magazine or fly swatter.

#2 I've had very good success using a clothes hanger shaped into an O with a plastic bag taped around the O - a rudimentary insect net. You swipe the fly, then pull the end of the plastic bag down so the fly can't escape. If you want, you can let the fly go outside captive release style (although I've seen them waiting by the door to come in).

#3 I've found that if I get up in the middle of the night for some reason, I could kill basically all the flies in my house, while they were on the ceiling "sleeping." Elizabeth

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