Help flies!

gingerstark

I've tried all I can now I am flummoxed.

1. Solar powered bug zapper - still have over 20 of these little flies all around my kitchen window.
2. Sticky tape - but they go absolutely no-where near it and swarm just under it in that square shape circle they do in the centre of the room.
3. nets - for some reason this does not affect them at all and keeps the wasps and blue bottles out instead.
4. remove sources of food - I've rinsed every cup spoon dish and removed the bins outside - they are still increasing in number.
5. put out traps - I get about a teaspoon of them every 3 hours in a glass of red wine.
6. they are attracted to red wine.....and water, tea, coffee, the sink the bathroom the bedroom ....honestly confused as ever how can these flies be fruit flies we don't eat fruit?!? Also seem to be swarming around the damp on the soil of my houseplants

If anyone has any idea's please hit me with them because all the methods of removing breeding grounds, zapping trapping etc are not working and it's been 2 months of this little blighters:/ i don't want to be spraying my home with expensive sprays but I cannot understand why i have so many in all area's of the home (we just moved in so perplexed as to how we could have so many).

Desperate now feel like I'm wasting money trying to solve the issue.

BrassicWoman

fruit flies? Fill a cup with apple cider vinegar and they'll drown happily in it

kerri_gt

Could they possibly be drain flies (I only suggest his as you mention about them being in the bathroom sink). We had this last summer and it was remedied by pouring some bleach down the bathroom plugholes overnight for a few days and then re-treating once a week for a while.

-taff

Fungus gnats like damp soil of houseplants.


They lay eggs in the top couple of centimeters and look like fruit flies. A swift google should show you lots of diferent approaches

frosty

Have you got any vinegar in your cupboards? I was surprised to see lots of flies floating in the bottle.

gingerstark

they're regenerating faster than they can drown in the red wine Not all of them are interested so some are sat in and around the glass on the cabinets, it's the only thing I have left out on the side for them and they're on the dishes the windows everywhere and no sign of them dying fast enough :'(

gingerstark

perhaps i have as you say two types and one is enjoying the plant. I read they dislike basil so I'm surprised to find them fly out of the plant next to the basil :O

tallyhoh

I had these a few months ago, eventually found that they were in bird seed in the cupboard under the stairs.

bouicca21

|I've had a problem ever since I bought this flat 4 years ago. I think their eggs lie dormant until the weather warms up.


I had traps (yes red wine works wonders) last year and the year before. This year the problem is much better, just the odd one or two at any one time, but I've given up on the traps and nasty, polluting spray is what I'm using.

gingerstark

Cheers guys this really is helping me to figure this out so treat the plant treat the drains and check under the stairs to see if there is birdseed

Bettie

I was inundated with them last year. I traced them to my pot plant and it has been put outside . This year not had one until last week when I opened a bottle of wine and two were floating in my glass straight away. Not seen any since .