Getting rid of flies

Pipkin

We get very bad fruit flies here when it is not winter, so now tend to keep all fruit in the fridge, which helps cut them down, though not eliminate them.

They can live and breed down your plughole too - anywhere moist in fact.

Miss_Behaving

I was plagued by fruit files a while back and used a tip I saw on 'How Clean is Your House'.

Basically put some cider or white wine vinegar in a jar, add a couple of drops of washing up liquid (for those who like the science bit this is apparently to break the surface tension), cover with cling film and make a couple of tiny holes. The flies are attracted to the vinegar, get in and drown! It works fantasically well.

HTH

Triker

Hi everyone, I'm trying that tip from Miss Behaving because I too am plagued with fruit flies at the moment, never seen anything like it.

I haven't got a clue where they have come from but I cannot get rid of them.

Sunny_Angel

Miss_Behaving wrote:

I was plagued by fruit files a while back and used a tip I saw on 'How Clean is Your House'.

Basically put some cider or white wine vinegar in a jar, add a couple of drops of washing up liquid (for those who like the science bit this is apparently to break the surface tension), cover with cling film and make a couple of tiny holes. The flies are attracted to the vinegar, get in and drown! It works fantasically well.

HTH

I am plagued with the little bu**ers too.:mad:
Doing my head in, all over food, etc, cant even eat a meal in peace:eek:

*Runs off to find glass jars cling film etc etc....*

thriftlady_2

I am trying the vinegar jar thing but only one fly has been captured, although I haven't seen any others around today.

Triker

One flew into the jar of vinegar, couldn't be bothered after waiting so long for a mass suicide event which wasn't going to happen so.......... put on a oil burner with tea tree oil in. They don't appear to have died but may have gone into hiding as we appear to have a definate drop in numbers.

Wondering if it's a national problem, there appears to be a lot of us suffering from the blighters.

matphil

I also had these flies and I did find out where they had come from. A small potato had escaped from its bag and had gone un-noticed in my cupboard. When I found the potato and got rid of it I scrubed the cupboard out with bleach and sprayed plenty of fly killer around.
This did solve the problem, now I try to make sure all fruit and veg are kept covered.

inkie

Glad to know that it's not just us... we seem to get rid of them and then they come back! Whats the elastic band theory??!

johnjp

If it`s the little ones, about 8mm in size, that tend to buzz around the centre of the room , it`s likely they have emerged from the lighting fixtures on the ceiling. The flies hibernate in between the ceiling and floors, lay their maggots in there, the maggots probably feed on other small insect remains - woodlice, spiders etc; (so in a small way are helpful) They are detritivores - dispose of plant/ insect/ mammal remains! Then the fly emerges and lives for about 8 days. One way to possibly stop this, and in hot countries it is a regulation, is to seal the apertures that the supply wiring comes through with a silicon sealant. Also I always leave the spiders alone till the weather is cold enough for them to disappear having, hopefully, gorged themselves on the flies and other unwanted insects. Getting the predator / prey ratio right should reduce the problem.

hollydays

Is this something to do with raised temperatures inside the house now.We suddenly have got a few house flies and a few small flies.I will try the vinegar trick.I too use thise sunflower stickers on the window-vapona i think ,about £2.50 for a pack of 4 from most supermarkets,look pretty but not sure house flies are particularly attracted to them.Killed more by swatting i think.