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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.

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

Yes only the one houseplant, no others

OP posts:
FirstFallopians · 19/09/2023 21:49

For drain flies, pour a kettle of boiling water down each sink- it kills the eggs and ends the lifecycle.

HAS to be boiling water- not just hot.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 19/09/2023 21:50

I'd get the plant out at least. To rule it out if nothing else.

Are they attracted to light? I managed to kill about a million cattle flies that got in my house (don't ask....) by switching all the lights on, then turning off room by room, giving them time to move to the next lit room / hall before turning that one off, and so on, until I got them all in the loo (smallest room, no soft furnishings). I sprayed loads of raid in there and then shut the door quick and left it for an hour. Then hoovered.

Once you've don't that poke about in the bathroom, take the bath panel off and see if there's a leak somewhere.

I'd also dug in the plant pot and worst case scenario wash all the soil off the roots and re pot it in new compost.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 19/09/2023 21:54

*done - not don't!

m00rfarm · 19/09/2023 22:17

Picture? If they re drain flies you need to do specific things to get rid of them.

Grumblebees · 19/09/2023 22:46

There is a type of cluster fly that is tiny and like a fruit fly... I had a similarly horrifying experience the first September after we'd moved into our new house - fortunately they were mainly on the outside of our windows but when I opened another window a million flew in that had been living in the window seals. Photo of them below. It's always end of September on a warm day that we see them in their millions on the warm windows and soffits, I think they live in the loft. I've actually just checked the date on that photo and I kid you not it's 20th September 2020, so bang on right time of year. We tried but bombing the loft but didn't make any difference, spoke to pest control people about it but not a huge amount could do. Sympathies! Buy some Raid and spray it all over your house then hoover them all up and don't open the windows for a week or so!

Omg!!! Hundreds of tiny flies in my flat?!!
Original poster
Rach224 · 19/09/2023 22:56

@Grumblebees oh my goodness this is EXACTLY what it looked/looks like! The most bizarre thing is how I was here for a few hours before noticing anything and then suddenly BOOM the place is fully infested! I will buy raid tomorrow and follow advise! Thank you all for your replies - what an evening!

OP posts:
Unexpectedlysinglemum · 19/09/2023 23:06

Gnats

Flickersy · 19/09/2023 23:12

Sounds like fungus gnats.

Put the pot outside immediately. Fly spray the rooms thoroughly. Water the plant well with a hydrogen peroxide solution to kill any remaining larvae in the soil (check online, I think it's 1 part peroxide to 4 of water and make sure it's suitable for your plant - my bird of paradise was ok). Do this several times.

Alternatively repot the plant. Bleach the plant pot and after removing as much soil as you can, dunk the root ball in aforementioned hydrogen peroxide solution before repotting in fresh compost.

TedWilson · 19/09/2023 23:13

Are you in Leamington Spa by any chance?

foxlover47 · 20/09/2023 00:49

The long yellow fly strips look Grosse I know but they have been a godsend at trapping the little fruit flies and gnats

Thistlelass · 20/09/2023 00:59

I can relate as this week I have been freaking out about fruit flies or whatever they are in my kitchen. They seem to be light brown so not sure what they are. Knew they were brown because landed on my black fridge freezer. Flying up out of kitchen sink. Now I am bad for having fruit decaying etc. All part of my poorer mental health. So been on the case since the weekend and things are so much better. I did use a fly spray. Clean any crumbs etc off work surfaces ( which we should all do) and clean cupboards and worktops down. I also have been putting a kettle of boiling water down kitchen drain a couple of times a day. Fruit flies can nest in their and feed off any food debris. I'm a lot more confident I am on top of things.

Frozensun · 20/09/2023 01:26

And put some small containers of vinegar, with a few drops of dishwashing liquid around. You can cover with plastic wrap and poke holes with a skewer. They’re attracted to the sweet smell and the dishwashing liquid breaks the surface tension.

VanellopeVonSchweetz99 · 20/09/2023 02:48

I've had lots of slightly-bigger-than-fruit-flies, brown, in the kitchen in the past few days. No house plants, no fruit out. They mainly just sit on the splash back; not as interested in say, a glass of wine or squash as 'normal' fruit flies are.
Opened my upstairs bedroom window the other day when it was muggy and I swear a few were coming in from outside.

Lifeisbutameloncholyflower · 20/09/2023 07:04

TedWilson · 19/09/2023 23:13

Are you in Leamington Spa by any chance?

Dying to know why!

Good luck OP in getting it all sorted, hope you managed to have some rest last night - that would have freaked me!

VeloVixen · 20/09/2023 07:08

I had this and it was a bag of potatoes going off at the back of a kitchen cupboard

Original poster
Rach224 · 20/09/2023 07:44

@Lifeisbutameloncholyflower You should of seen me! Stood in pj‘s tucked into long socks and wellies walking around the flat at 11pm hoovering the place like I’ve never done before! I must have woken up 10+ times in the night to shine the torch around the bed 🤣

There’s still a lot this morning (mainly dead ones….i think.. although they do a good job at pretending to be!). Still confused by it all to be honest.

OP posts:
TedWilson · 20/09/2023 10:33

@Lifeisbutameloncholyflower there was something on the news about a fly outbreak in Leamington.

Brrrrrrrrrrrr · 20/09/2023 10:37

I’m sure there’s a scene in a horror film like the Exorcist which is covered in flies. Try a priest.

Tdcp · 20/09/2023 10:46

We had this and it was drain flies, they were sitting in the plant soil etc but I bleached all the drains etc and kept the plugs in for a while and they went away after a week or so. They're horrid! Good luck!

Lifeisbutameloncholyflower · 20/09/2023 13:30

TedWilson · 20/09/2023 10:33

@Lifeisbutameloncholyflower there was something on the news about a fly outbreak in Leamington.

Ooh interesting! Wonder what that's all about.

Lifeisbutameloncholyflower · 20/09/2023 13:32

Yeah that would have been me too 🤢

Lifeisbutameloncholyflower · 20/09/2023 13:32

Quote op fail!

idrinkandiknowthings · 20/09/2023 13:44

I had a fruit fly infestation during the recent hot weather.

Apple cider vinegar in a glass, squirt in a bit of washing-up liquid, they're attracted to it and get trapped. Not very nice but it works.

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