Help please: Fruit flies driving me insane

Binxy

I mean it too - I feel like I'm cracking up. There are dozens of the little so and sos buzzing around me all the time (well not me directly - I don't need a bath or anything...........)

It started when we started composting. I've got some fly paper but they seem to be ignoring it.

Should I get something electric? Do they work? What works best?

I'm going out of my mind. Everywhere I look there's little buzzy flies

golddustmedia

You could try citronella, flying things hate that. Or personally I have a lid on the compost bin... Ok, a bit of a frenzy when you lift the lid but stand back for a few secs, dump in compost and close again.

paul_h

Fruit flies don't seem to be remotely interested in the UV light emitted by the electric fly zappers (you know, the 'insect-o-cutor' types), they only seem interested in fruit, vegetable peelings, etc...

I find that the best thing I've found to deal with ones in the house is the hand-held zappers, the sort that look like a childs tennis racquet - great fun and they make a pleasing 'crack' when zapped.

Binxy

Fantastic idea!

How satisfying *rubs hands*

squeaky

I use my hoover hose and hoover them up. Wait 'til they settle and ease the nozzle towards them - they can't easily tell, because of the air currents, that you are moving towards them.

Expertise is acquired in minutes and there are no splodge marks to clean off walls and surfaces.

charley24

We had them last year and we have no compost !!!

No idea where they originated except it was the kitchen, they eventually werein the whole house, used fly spray.papers etc to no avail.

So we cleaned everything in bleach, and then got rid of any materials they could be breeding in, eg your flannel, sponge (they need mouisture to breed), wet dish clothes weren't left by the sink-pu on radiator.

I also took down my kitchen curtains (they were bench level and used to get a bit damp on the bottom - I checked them as I was feeling ill from the flies) since the curtains went, touch wood NO FLIES !


Pull out your applicances, check for spliiages, likwise bleach your cupboards etc.

I was at my wits end but this did the trick !

fairenoughclough

I rang up **** home shopping to complain as they arrived at the same time as some red grapes, they refunded me for the grapes and £5 for my trouble.

I found that they were very attracted to my vinegar pot and made some vinegar traps by attaching a tissue paper lid over a glass with an inch of vinegar in it, a small hole in the top allows them access and then they seem to get confused and drown in the vinegar.

Magentasue

I've had this problem this summer. Have sorted them with a range of strategies:

1) I save stuff for the compost bin in a kitchen container. Having a lidded one is essential.

2) Get rid of the stuff sooner rather than later.

3) Outside, put a layer of garden soil over the top layer of your compost bin/wormery.

4) In the kitchen, I waited for them to land on the window and sprayed them with a weak mixture of washing up liquid and water. Window needs a quick clean every now and again but fruit flies now gone.

brummybloke

you could invite mr miyagi around, a pair of chop sticks and bobs your uncle.

skintchick

They live in plant pots so you get them round house plants as well as compost. Have you tried fly spray? I find that works!! As does clapping them to death although it takes practice and scares the cat!

Usually they are a seasonal habit too, for some reason.

hamaradam

I just read this by chance, I realise that the mention of the composter shines a light onto my problem, the dog being covered in horse flies, there is a composter directly behind his kennel, I bet thats why then? as my other dog in another part of the garden has no such problem... I have used citronella sprays on the dog (horse ones) and currently have to use a citronella roll-on as the 'horse shop' tell me its now out of season for this problem, (try tellin my dog that..) he doesn't like the citronella, I even soak his levi's bandana in the citronella too. I think I may need to move the composter... I will try the vinegar trap as well though, they are really horrid and I hate my dog having them on him.