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AIBU?

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Original poster

Anyone else plagued by little flies?

32 replies

Merryoldgoat · 27/10/2023 19:38

Where are they coming from? They’re everywhere - my house is clean, deep cleaner kitchen yesterday and no clue why I’m being overwhelmed by the bastards.

Anyone else??

OP posts:
Syndulla · 27/10/2023 19:39

Fungus gnats in your house plants?

Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 27/10/2023 19:40

@Syndulla off to Google…

OP posts:
Ponoka7 · 27/10/2023 19:40

There was a lot of people finding because of the warm weather, late hatchings. Berries or grapes are usually the culprits. Do you buy organic fruit/veg?

StrictlyAFemaleFemale · 27/10/2023 19:41

Fruit flies? Bowl of cider vinegar mixed with washing up liquid is what you need. Leave it out for a few days.

fishfingersandchipsagain · 27/10/2023 19:41

Tiny little ones like fruit flies? Check the soil of your houseplants. They can hatch from eggs in the soil. If you look at the soil of each of your plants for 10-20 seconds you’ll see whether that’s where they are coming from.

Ladyj84 · 27/10/2023 19:41

We thought all insects seemed multiplied this year and the spiders is it just us or are they getting bigger lol

tiredofbeingadmired · 27/10/2023 19:42

Try boiling water down your kitchen sink

Lovesgreen · 27/10/2023 19:44

We had this. Realised gnats were laying eggs in a house plant soil. Treated with a gnat killer that was house plant friendly (its a huge beautiful plant so i really wanted to keep it otherwise I would have just moved it outside). Sorted the problem out but it took about a week of treating the plant morning and night. Persevere!

pavillion1 · 27/10/2023 19:44

i think alot of people have bought indoor soil thats full of eggs ... So many fungus nat threads this year.
ive chucked 3 houseplant away as i couldn't get on top of it .

Iscreamtea · 27/10/2023 19:48

We had lots of fruit flies. I hoovered them up regularly. Put all food away in fridge/cupboards/containers. Made sure stuff was washed up asap. Poured boiling water or bleach down the plug holes and bought some fruit fly traps from amazon. They seem to be gone now but there were hundreds of them at one point. I became obsessed with getting rid of them.

Tonight1 · 27/10/2023 19:50

I can't stand fruit flies. I dozed off briefly earlier with my cup of tea next to me and when I awoke there were two of the little bastards drowned in it

Original poster
Merryoldgoat · 27/10/2023 19:50

Omg this must be it!! Off my Amazon then. Thank you all so much!

OP posts:
NeedMoMoney · 27/10/2023 19:51

Yes!! And there doing my tit in! They seem to be dying off now but we had loads at one point!! Couldn't even leave my glass of wine for 2 seconds before one would fly in!! 😄

Hoardasurass · 27/10/2023 19:51

They sound like fruit flies. I had a real problem with them due to my neighbours garden (honestly it's vile) so I ended up getting a couple of pitcher plants and I've hardly had any this year (neighbours garden has only got worse). Carnivorous plants are your friend

OddBoots · 27/10/2023 20:22

I too was about to suggest pitcher plants too @Hoardasurass we have put one by our banana bowl and it has made a massive difference.

StBrides · 27/10/2023 20:32

Yes!!

zurala · 27/10/2023 20:33

Yes! Noticed it today in the kitchen and sprayed fly spray everywhere. They are so annoying

OnlyFoolsnMothers · 27/10/2023 20:34

Yes…no plants, left vinegar out-did nothing. Less now than the summer but drove me mad!

PTSDBarbiegirl · 27/10/2023 20:34

House plants and a couple I brought in from garden, now all dead.

BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 27/10/2023 20:56

New place we moved into two years ago and yes have since had these tiny fruit flies are they called. Now so many now but still around but in the summer yes annoying little feckers. They are so tiny and move so fast. Never had them in old place but this is a new build and lots of wild grass area across from us which will never be built on so they could be coming from there.

FoleyHuck · 27/10/2023 20:58

Yep we had millions of them this summer when we'd repotted some house plants. We tried and tried to get rid of them but ended up binning all the plants.

AutumnLeaves333 · 27/10/2023 20:59

When this happens in my house its usually because the kids have hidden a half eaten piece of fruit somewhere! I was once plagued for a whole summer then when the kids went back to school found a fruit fly infested banana in a school bag 🤦‍♀️

BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 27/10/2023 21:04

AutumnLeaves333 that was quite the find, all you can do is laugh really but bet it was manky. Must have a look at my plant soil tomorrow and see if I can see anything, not sure what I am going to be looking for.

Doingtheboxerbeat · 27/10/2023 21:04

I have a little plastic lid that I put on my glass of wine, because I don't want them drowning in my drink 😳.
I had loads a couple of weeks ago but they have disappeared suddenly.

fishfingersandchipsagain · 27/10/2023 21:06

BOOTS52PollyPrissyPants · 27/10/2023 21:04

AutumnLeaves333 that was quite the find, all you can do is laugh really but bet it was manky. Must have a look at my plant soil tomorrow and see if I can see anything, not sure what I am going to be looking for.

If you literally just stare at it for 10-20 seconds, if the flies are coming from the soil you’ll spot the movement.

You can also buy bright yellow sticky paper traps for them that you can stick in the pots. The one with the most flies stuck to it identifies the culprit!