Anyone else being plagued by fruit flies this year?

[caggie3]

I honestly feel like I'm going to lose my mind soon! Every time I go in to the kitchen I end up spending the first 15 minutes killing the buggers. You notice one and then can't stop. I'd say most times I go in the kitchen I'm killing between 5-10! I hadn't noticed as many today and then went to pour dh some of his red wine and despite the lid being closed it had about 8 of them just on it! I've sprayed and killed them all. Its been going on for over a month now! I've emptied the cupboards, checked underneath everything, I did notice that our counter too small food bin that we empty into the big outdoor food bin had tiny gaps at the back and that very small baby fruit flies were crawling in and out of that, but the bigger ones couldn't. I moved the food bin outside completely 3 weeks ago and they are still here! I thought I'd solved it.

I keep noticing the odd one here and there in the bedroom or living room now too and panicking, though hopefully they're just the ones that were already here looking for food? It feels so dirty having them still but I promise my house is clean!

Yes we have loads this year. Tapering off now it’s getting cold but still odd one

I have them in my kitchen and they drive me crazy

I have a leak behind my washing machine which I'm 90% sure is the cause. My house is clean too!

Check for any leaks and make sure all your drains are cleaned regularly

Yes . I have never had so many. Each time I think they have all gone, I risk putting some fruit on the table and suddenly there are gangs of them. ( This happened earlier with some figs.)

Glad it's not just us they're torture!

My mum had this in summer - it was disgusting. I bought those sticky fly papers, the twirly ones, and hung one over the bin, one over the sink, one over the container of peelings etc for the compost, and one over the fruit bowl. Within a day they were covered with flies, so I changed them. Now she's down to one hanging over the compost caddy, and the problem is solved.

Gross but effective.

OMG yes! I almost made a thread about this myself yesterday. It is driving me mad, I am keeping the kitchen cold but still they come!

I have pulled everything out, cleaned everywhere. Thrown out all the fruit, disinfected the fruit bowl. Nothing works!

Try a egg cup filled with tequila and cling film over. Prick little holes in the cling film. I keep one behind the fruit bowl when I notice them coming back and then they're all gone again, well in the egg Cup til I get rid of them!

YES!!!!! What is going on??

Thanks for this!

I got them worse this year too. Put some vinegar in a glass covered with cling film. Stab a few holes in it and watch the buggers drown.😈

An army of the fuckers here too. Hoping the cold does for them as they’re driving me bonkers. I’ve been told to pour bleach down the kitchen sink plug hole but keep forgetting

I have the answer ladies. In a small bowl, mix (I’d say a tablespoon of each), some vinegar, sugar, hot water and a few drops of washing up liquid. Put the bowl next to your fruit. They are attracted to it and then can’t get back out. Really good fruit fly trap.

We had loads in the kitchen in the summer. Filled little bowls with cider vinegar and placed them around the kitchen. The flies went to them and drowned in the vinegar. I was amazed at how many there were. Definitely helped to get rid of them.

Yes! Kitchen and one bathroom - but I think they just shimmy down to the bathroom for a look around rather than living in there!

I don’t even have a fruit bowl and I don’t leave plates or glasses (they love a used wine glass apparently) languishing in the sink.

It’s quite baffling. And isn’t it the wrong time of year?

I’ll try the vinegar thing.

Do you buy potted herbs from the supermarket? I reckon that's how they get in via the compost.

Yes and my DH found a sure fire way and they haven't come back is keeping a cup of glass of apple cider vinegar. When we look in the glass every few days there are dead owns in there! And then replace etc

Dead ones. And we kept on the window sill in kitchen near the compost bin and fruit bowl etc

Yes it was driving me crazy!!!! I invested in one of these, not cheap but gone from seeing probably 50 a day to not even 1

Quiet Powerful 20W Electric Fly Killer Fly Zapper Fly Trap Bug Zapper Mosquito Killer Lamp Moth Killer Fly Catcher Insect Killer Electronic for Home Indoor with 2 Packs Replacement Bulbs UK Plug amzn.eu/d/db6kO1O

Oh thank goodness, I thought it was just me! I do have cats so I know the flies are attracted to the food which tends to be left out as a few of the cats are grazers. There's a little group of flies in my bedroom and the lounge though which just pisses me off. Like you said, it feels like people will think I live in a dirty house (not that I have people round, but not the point).

I feel mean killing them but over the summer I did buy one of those tennis racket zapper things. Luckily for the flies, my reflexes are rubbish so I hardly got any with it!

Yes loads here too. We’ve been putting out a little bowl filled with water, cider vinegar and washing up liquid. Seems to trap them.

Yes! Put a drop of red wine (or beer or white wine or apple juice - something sugary) in a ramekin, clingfilm over the top and then pierce some small holes in it with a needle. Perfect fruit fly trap