Tiny, tiny flies...

simonineaston

Have just moved into an apartment, from a house, where I was used to putting the rubbish outside. Here in the apartment the regime for dealing with rubbish is diffferent. In my apartment, the kitchen design includes small bins for catgeories of refuse, which match the large bins in the bin store, including one under the sink for food waste. It's size is fine for me - I live on my own, but in between the trips to the bin store, (which I obviously want to keep to a minimum, as I don't want to spend my days traipsing up and down three flights of stairs just to dispose of three uneaten baked beans and a toast crust ;-) ) the food scraps in the small bin under the sink are attracting lots of small flies - what can I do?

pmlindyloo

Some general advice:

Never leave food waste uncovered especially in warm weather as it will attract flies that can lay eggs on the food before it goes into the caddy. Most of the maggots will be removed once the caddy is emptied. Any remaining maggots and fly eggs can be killed by carefully pouring boiling water into the caddy once it has been emptied. Using a mild detergent with a fragrance will also help to keep flies away from your bin. Please ensure all food waste is contained within a compostable liner as this will stop flies laying their eggs in decomposing food waste.

You will need to empty the food caddy more frequently as a single person even though it is not full up.

If you follow the above suggestions then you should get rid of the fly problem. You should be able to leave the food caddy for two/three days if you do the above.

Just take the bag down when you go out.

kerri_gt

We have a food caddy which I empty weekly (unless full sooner) and have never had issues with flies. I use caddy liner bags which our council issues for free but you can buy these or line your caddy with newspaper. Keep the lid on it and wash it out at regular intervals - I either bleach mine or put it in the dishwasher.

If you have flies now I'd also give the cupboard the caddy is kept in a good clean out too to ensure you get any eggs which have been scattered.

G_M

Empty and clean the container more frequently.

Are you a hermit or do you go out most days? To work? The shops? To the pub? friends? Each time you go out, empty the caddy - no need tto make special trips!

xylophone

I have a lidded and lined food caddy in the kitchen under a kitchen chair by the door - I have never had flies.

The OP mentions "under the sink" - I wonder whether he has drain flies?

https://www.getridofthings.com/pests/flies/get-rid-of-drain-flies/

Davesnave

It doesn't matter whether one lives in a flat or out in the back of beyond like me, keeping food waste under the sink for a day or two shouldn't present any problems.

I use a Lidl 4 litre ice cream container with a close fitting lid for this. There's no way any small flies are going to enter it, so by the third day, while there might be a bit of mould starting to grow on the contents, that's roughly when it goes into my main container or onto the compost heap, depending on whether there's any meat, fish or dairy in it.

Compost flies are common in houses where there are overwatered houseplants. They're actually called fungus gnats. You aren't seeing some of those by any chance?

teddysmum

They could be fruit flies which don't just eat fruit. They are so tiny that their eggs are not easily seen and may be laid outside the bin.


Take some of the suggestions above and any escapees and offspring will soon die out with no food source

sevenhills

How about buying biodegradable bags?

Mutton_Geoff

Get a waste disposal unit fitted? Essential in a flat unless you convince yourself that domestic food recycling actually has any benefit.

simonineaston

Thanks everyone. Caught one of the little so-and-sos (they're very slow compared with blue-bottles which, as we all know, are almost impossible to swat, never mind catch!) and can report that they appear to be Drosophila (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosophila_melanogaster)... I gave them a piece of my mind and they all looked suitably sorry and left. Have now invested in a bokashi system with which to feed my growing herb collection (no tittering in the cheap seats, please...)

xylophone

which to feed my growing herb collection

https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/household-pests/fruit-fly-control/

Lavender has been shown to discourage fruit flies. Basil, mint and thyme, on the other hand, have been shown to be more attractive to the flies than slices of banana. (Thanks to University of Southern California Science Fair project summaries (PDF) and the grade school experimenter who conducted the tests).
Clove will repel this household nuisance. Stick as many cloves as you can (at least 25) into a fresh lemon and add to your fruit bowl.