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Original poster

Omg!!! Hundreds of tiny flies in my flat?!!

49 replies

Rach224 · 19/09/2023 21:14

Omg.

Just put kids to bed, sat down and 3 (of what I assumed was) fruit flies landed on me.

Flat is very clean, I deep cleaned last weekend and cleaner was in yesterday. I checked the fruit bowl for off bananas but there were none.

Any way, a few more started landing on me and I looked around and the walls were COVERED in them. As in…. Hundreds of them. They are all over the walls and the floor.

Then I saw that they had taken over my plant pot and the outside is absolutely smothered in them, so was thinking it could be the plant? But then we have just had our bathroom done (completed just a few days ago) and there are loads in there too.. just had a google and it seems it could be drain gnats? Or fruit flies.. or funagl plant gnats. Any way, whatever they are.. what am I going to do?!!?? Standing in the bedroom, shut the door and too scared to leave.

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Original poster
Rach224 · 19/09/2023 21:15

I must mention that I have been out all day (got home around 5ish and saw absolutely nothing until nearly 8pm, like it went from zero to a thousand ?!

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Iam4eels · 19/09/2023 21:16

They'll be coming from your plant. You need to change your soil and quarantine the plant somewhere while any stray ones die off.

itsmylife7 · 19/09/2023 21:16

hoover them up. its probably the plant.

Original poster
Rach224 · 19/09/2023 21:18

Oh my goodness how am I going to move the plant when it is COVERED in them…. I could shove a bin bag over it but its quite a big plant, I don’t think the bin bag will be big enough and wont they all just fly away (in my face!!!).

Will they breed…. Will i ever get rid of them?! They are in every room!!!!

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Original poster
Rach224 · 19/09/2023 21:19

I know I’m probably sounding pathetic and hoovering them sounds simple but truly, they are in every area of the flat. On all the furniture, the clothes, literally bloody infested

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HollyFern1110 · 19/09/2023 21:20

Any potatoes going manky anywhere? We returned from holiday to similar at Easter. We were totally baffled until we found the bag of potatoes that had clearly slipped down the back of the tumble dryer (no idea how) and were rotting away.

If not I would also say it's the plant.

YukoandHiro · 19/09/2023 21:22

Shove the plant in a bin bag and get rid of it!

saymynamesaymy · 19/09/2023 21:23

Chuck it out the window Grin

AccountCreateUsername · 19/09/2023 21:31

If you can’t cover the plant, cover yourself - a couple of bin bags will make an overall, gloves / marigolds, face covering and sunglasses etc

Then take the plant outside and start hoovering everything. Good luck 🤞🏼

QuillBill · 19/09/2023 21:36

I got rid of fruit flys with a wine fly trap. Put some wine (I used red) in a glass. Make a cone with paper that is as wide as the glass. The flies are attracted to the wine and go down the cone but they can't work out how to get out.

Original poster
Rach224 · 19/09/2023 21:40

Ok so I completely understand it sounds as though it is coming from the plant as plant pot is covered BUT the bathroom (the room furthest away from the plant) is also COVERED in them? They are all on the floor mainly but lots on the walls in the living area too… I plucked up the courage to hoover the majority of the floor ones up but i mean they are everywhere in every little tiny space that I can’t get into easily!

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AsACloud · 19/09/2023 21:42

Do you have any used coffee pods around? We had this happen and we realised the coffee pod recycling bag wasn’t sealed properly and the bag, cupboard and then kitchen was full of wee flies!

Kroot · 19/09/2023 21:42

I’m dealing with fungus gnats currently. I think mine got in via a bag of indoor plant soil I purchased from a garden centre - must have had larvae in it.
I have loads of plants and don’t want to throw them all out, so I’ve got myself some yellow sticky tape things which trap the flies, and something called Mosquito bits which I steep in water for watering the plants. This targets the adult gnats and also little
ones developing in the soil. My gnat population is down by like 90% after a week or so.

If you have just the one plant (or a couple) just chuck it out

SoLongAndThanksForAllTheVaricoseVeins · 19/09/2023 21:43

It might well be drain flies. Firmly put plugs into all your sinks and plug up the overflows with kitchen roll. Hoover up all the flies visible now and empty the hoover outside. Then reopen one plug at a time and you’ll see where you are.

It could still be the plant, though.

stayclosetoyourself · 19/09/2023 21:43

Could it be cluster flies? They come from outside as the weather turns cool and cover a walk outside - they then go inside. They are a lazy fly. We're you in the flat last winter? Usually happens in October in older houses

SoLongAndThanksForAllTheVaricoseVeins · 19/09/2023 21:44

stayclosetoyourself · 19/09/2023 21:43

Could it be cluster flies? They come from outside as the weather turns cool and cover a walk outside - they then go inside. They are a lazy fly. We're you in the flat last winter? Usually happens in October in older houses

Cluster flies are much bigger, though. Proper flies.

stayclosetoyourself · 19/09/2023 21:44

Wall

ThatSunCreamSmell · 19/09/2023 21:45

We had similar from a plant. So gross I can see why you're freaked out. Can you cover the plant with a bedsheet and get it out, then clean that area. After that tackle the bathroom - do you have any plants in there?

stayclosetoyourself · 19/09/2023 21:45

We have cluster flies and when they come in early they are small but yes they are bigger by October I think

Gwendimarco · 19/09/2023 21:46

can you post some photoa?

TryingNotToFreak · 19/09/2023 21:46

Do you only have one houseplant?

They sound like fungus gnats, but your house wouldn't be as full as you describe with only one indoor pot plant?

If you do have more plants indoors then nematodes are your friend, combined with sticky yellow butterfly things you stick in houseplant soil to catch the adults. We had a BAD infestation late spring this year and haven't seen a single gnat since (took a few weeks to have zero).

Original poster
Rach224 · 19/09/2023 21:47

Gosh every suggestion I read i’m like ‘yep, its that!’ It’s hard to tell the difference!! Drain knats would make sense as they are in the kitchen and bathroom mainly (only two rooms with plugs) but then the plant could still very much be the culprit as nothing in the actual sinks..

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scrantonelectriccity · 19/09/2023 21:47

I've had loads in the bathroom and kitchen the past few days, tiny little red things. Can't figure out where they're coming from and it's bloody gross

Totallyterrific · 19/09/2023 21:47

I had this sort of problem a couple of years ago with flying ants. Absolute nightmare. I was hoovering them like a crazy woman for a couple of days (largely failing tbh, very little success in them actually going in the hoover tube thingy but it felt satisfying to be at least doing something) Horrible whilst it was a problem but within a couple of days it was fine and hasnt happened since.

Original poster
Rach224 · 19/09/2023 21:48

And yes we are in a VERY old building, which is undergoing extensive work (just outside of our front door) where walls have been stripped back to brick etc. Could also be that! I tried attaching a pic but it doesn’t load up unfortunately will try on the ipad shortly

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