Fruit fly infestation - help!

[FattipuffsandThinnifers]

Ever since we got a compost bin and started keeping a tub in the kitchen for fruit/vegetable leftovers, my kitchen has been overrun with horrid little fruit flies. I've changed the tub to a tupperware one with sealed lid, try and keep worktops scrupulously clean, make sure bin is clean etc, but they're everywhere now, it is revolting. Anyone have any ideas for how to get rid of them pleeeeease?

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

Right, you get a container, into contaner you place a big piece of ripe banana, you cover container with cliing film, then make small slits in cling film and place container in kitchen.

Soon container will be full of flies and kitchen empty.

If your container is clear, people will pick it up and say 'what kind of freaky experiment is this?' Or at least they have to me in the past.

[MissisBoot]

Empty your tub regularly. Fruit flies are only there when veg matter breaks down so if you have soft fruits etc which break down quicker the flies will appear quicker.

[FattipuffsandThinnifers]

WTWTW sounds like you've got experience of this!! Sounds great I'll give it a try.

MissisB, we empty it every day. They don't even go for the tub anymore as it's sealed but now just seem to have taken residence.

Thanks both.

[mawbroon]

We had this prob too. Can you keep the tub outside?

I was having to regularly hoover 50 or so flies off the ceiling until I stopped having any fruit/veg waste in the kitchen.

Have brought it back in now though because we are not getting so many now

[stleger]

We leave dregs of red wine in the bottle, or malt vinegar, and they have mass suicides. They are a pest.

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

It was one of the first tips I ever got from mumsnet, so whenever the 'fruitflies' question pops up I feel duty bound to answer.

Love your name btw.

[Flamesparrow]

I love you!!!!

We have loads of the little f*ckers and I couldn't work out why - I have been scrubbing everything.

going to buy a banana tomorrow.

[WhereTheWildThingsWere]

[kid]

I did the banana trick too, the silly little flies get stuck in the glass. I can't kill them though so I open the street door and let them go. The little sods fly straight back in though!

We haven't had any problems with them yet, just the odd one or two.

[WendyWeber]

I still have yet to find out WHERE THE BUGGERS COME FROM!!!! No soggy fruit - no flies - one bit of soggy fruit - swarms of them.

Where do they live in between?

[Pushpinia]

I've never had them before but this summer we were decorating and flooring and stuff got left on the table - I found a banana with fruit fly maggots on
which were actually not that bad, nothing like the big fat ones.

After that for a week or two there seemed to be quite a few flying around but they have gone now - taught me a lesson anyway!

[FattipuffsandThinnifers]

Pushpinia !!

They really are annoying little gits. Ripening banana is currently in cling-film covered tub but no joy yet - they seem to prefer the normal fruit bowls so far. I'll persevere though, they will not win!

Maybe I'll try the red wine trick too, certainly enough of it lying around

[Guadalupe]

They drive me bonkers. I cover all the fruit, hide the wine, check the earth in the plant pots and so on, yet still they swarm off in little clouds when something is moved. Sometimes I am actually batting them away froom my wine glass while I am drinking it.

[DaphneMoon]

We have been inundated too this year, it is the weather I think, warm then cold then warm again. They are driving me barmy, they all seem to descend on us when we sit down to eat, we seem to spend half our meal times batting fruit flies away, we must look mad!

[Soph73]

Funnily enough I was reading yesterday that fresh basil will get rid of fruit flies. Put some in your fruit bowl - if it´s a wicker one weave some through it & (apparently) it´ll do the trick. Someone give it a go and let me know if it works

[Soph73]

Have just read this thread properly so don´t know whether the fresh basil thing will work, maybe you could put some in or near your tub!

[malovitt]

Get a small shallow dish (ramekin size), half fill with water, a few drops of malt vinegar and a squirt of washing up liquid and leave next to your compost tub.

Fruit flies all dive in and drown.
(I made two up, and put one inside the tub overnight too)

In the morning they're all dead.

This tip was in the Times a few weeks ago and works really well.

[FattipuffsandThinnifers]

Brilliant, more tips! The banana in the tub thing worked a bit but I must've made the slits too big, the little buggers got out again.

We do have a fresh basil plant anyway (have had it for ages, before the flies appeared), which obviously hasn't deterred them, so not sure about that one?

Vinegar and wine next stop!

Must be something about the weather, we've never had this before.

[daftCrazyMadMum]

So i'm not the only one having this problem. I cant even put anything in my microwave until later because they get in there aswell. I am going to try the banana trick tonight and fingers crossed. I am totaly sick of constant cleaning.

I will let you know the outcome!!

[dorey69]

Hey ladies. My daughter has the same problem this year. She tried traps etc and she still has lots in her house. She moved the fruit etc and nothing left on the sides etc. Still infested,m I’ve just read that the fruit you buy from the supermarket could have fruit flies eggs on them already and then they hatch. Up to 500 a time. So we are probably bringing them home without realising. Any other tips would be appreciated as all the trap things don’t work.