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Original poster

Fruit flies doing my head in ! Please tell me I am not the only person with them !!

48 replies

bizzey · 19/08/2023 22:32

I am not the best " housekeeper" ..!
But my god they make me feel like I want to bleach my house from top to bottom!

I have a gadget arriving tomorrow to do something with them .

But in future..is there anything I can do in preparation??

OP posts:
AnnieSnap · 19/08/2023 22:34

We’ve had a big problem with them this year too 🤬

Vallmo47 · 19/08/2023 22:36

I’m debating whether OP is me having created another username in the middle of the night after raging about these god Damn fruit flies for 3 days…
A couple of ripe bananas is all it took and I’ve been murdering them one by one for days on end.
Infuriating!!!!!!

PurpleWhirple · 19/08/2023 22:37

It's always the bloody bananas

Plump82 · 19/08/2023 22:38

I had a real problem with them last year. This year has been fine as all fruit has been kept in the fridge. I only use bananas for smoothies so they get frozen now. Haven't had one to date. Touch wood! Disgusting little creatures!!

Original poster
bizzey · 19/08/2023 22:39

None of you are me 🤣🤣!

I don't even have a fruit bowl!!
🤔🤣🤣!

OP posts:
Theunamedcat · 19/08/2023 22:41

Apple cider vinegar in a bowl cover with clingfilm and poke holes in they get in and don't get out

JustAnotherUsey · 19/08/2023 22:42

They are really hard to catch too. I put tape around my hand and tried to catch them but the somehow got away. Have tried a honey solution but the aren't interested. I saw a hack where you put fruit into a glass and make a cone with a piece of paper and put in glass. Making sure there are no gaps between the paper and the glass. The flies will go down the cone to get to the fruit and get stuck as they are unable to find a way out. So I tried that and last time I checked there were 4 fruit flies in there! Unable to find their way out! Hopefully tomorrow they will all be in there!

keepingsanity · 19/08/2023 22:42

Get rid of any fruit and pour boiling water then bleach down the sink and around the plug holes

NorthWestThree · 19/08/2023 22:42

I just use Raid and spray the fuckers. So annoying though.

SM4713 · 19/08/2023 22:47

I too was going to recommend the vinegar in a glass with cling film.

Other than rotting fruit, I'd read that they are attracted to coffee! I get a paper towel, spray it with kitchen spray and clean under the edges of the counter top. Apparently spills that drip over the edge, including coffee stains and dry there- can often harbour fruit flies too.

Curryageous · 19/08/2023 22:49

Theunamedcat · 19/08/2023 22:41

Apple cider vinegar in a bowl cover with clingfilm and poke holes in they get in and don't get out

We’ve had much more of a problem this year. Any even remotely ripe fruit out of the fridge BAM fruit flies everywhere.

We’ve also found this trick effective, although they still seem to get everywhere and for days.

Original poster
bizzey · 19/08/2023 22:52

OMG !
I was just coming back to say ...I have no fruit bowl...but DS always makes his coffee where they seem to congregate!
so it is not my wine that I leave them . Ha !

Coffee is definitely the culprit!

It gets wiped ..but obviously not enough.

OP posts:
shockedballoon · 19/08/2023 22:52

Get yourself a couple of Drosera Capensis plants and keep near the fruit bowl - mine has been an absolute diamond and I really noticed a reduction so I'm getting another one to hopefully nail the lot of the tiny bastard-flies.
They are a bit needy tho as they only drink rain water or distilled water, something about the fluoride or whatever in tap and mineral water that doesn't agree with them.

Fruit flies doing my head in ! Please tell me I am not the only person with them !!
Original poster
bizzey · 19/08/2023 22:54

And then they just multiply ❌ 100000x100000 ?

OP posts:
Caswallonthefox · 19/08/2023 23:00

Apple cider vinegar is your friend. The bastards were invading my kitchen so I googled it and the recommendation was:- small container, put some cider vinegar in it, add a small amount if washing up liquid and leave it near where your flies are.
They also say to put cling film over the top of the pot and poke holes in it. But I have found that without works just as well.

Nanamuffin · 19/08/2023 23:01

They could be drain flies and not fruit flies. Look very similar. Hot water down the sink hole. Repeated.

SoCentralRain · 19/08/2023 23:03

This is when spiders earn their keep.

LBOCS2 · 19/08/2023 23:04

Caswallonthefox · 19/08/2023 23:00

Apple cider vinegar is your friend. The bastards were invading my kitchen so I googled it and the recommendation was:- small container, put some cider vinegar in it, add a small amount if washing up liquid and leave it near where your flies are.
They also say to put cling film over the top of the pot and poke holes in it. But I have found that without works just as well.

This is what I do - I noticed we had some recently and this has basically resolved the problem.

They also breed in the soil of house plants so give any plants nearby a wiggle and see if there are any there too.

Nat6999 · 19/08/2023 23:06

Don't kill any spiders, I had a massive bluebottle in my flat & managed to direct it onto a spiders Web, I stood & watched this massive spider start eating it alive.

ItsNotRocketSalad · 19/08/2023 23:06

I'm so glad you've posted this! I've been having so much trouble with them this year but I haven't mentioned it to anybody because it makes it seem like I have a dirty house. I'm glad it isn't just me.

I'm being so careful with keeping all food covered and using fruit and veg well before it starts to turn, but the bastards are still hanging around.

FireandBrimstone · 19/08/2023 23:07

@bizzey I want to know more about the gadget that's coming...?!

MrsW9 · 19/08/2023 23:08

Agree with previous posters about apple cider vinegar - it really does work, especially if you warm it slightly in the microwave. Keep all fruit in the fridge until you've got rid of the flies. To our surprise, we also found the fruit flies liked the beer bottles in the recycling, so leave any of those outside and wash up any glasses as soon as possible (might be true of other drinks too).

ThePoshUns · 19/08/2023 23:10

Damn things. I had a rotting bag of onions in the cupboard that mine were feasting on. Drove me mad until I found the source!

PenguinLove1 · 19/08/2023 23:10

I get them every August and it droves me mad. The best solution is to buy these from amazon, put in the rooms they appear in the most and all the flies get stuck in there within a day or two its amazing.

Fruit flies doing my head in ! Please tell me I am not the only person with them !!
Lilyhatesjaz · 19/08/2023 23:11

It could be fungus knats. They are also tiny flies and there are a lot more as they live in soil especially the new peat free soils which are made of shredded wood,.