Pet Bat

Fruit Fly Catchers

Fruit Fly Catchers

 

As much as I dislike bats I was really wishing I had one last week to eat the fruit flies invading our house. It all started on the day we left for China. I was checking the refrigerator and found two cucumbers that would be bad by the time we got back so I tossed them in the garbage can fully intending to empty it on my way to the car. I forgot!

When we got home the house smelled a bit weird, but I wasn’t sure what it was until I opened the garbage can and a swarm of fruit flies flew out. They quickly settled back into devouring the rotting cucumbers and as soon as they had I quickly closed the top of the garbage bag and took the whole thing down to the trash room. Over the next week and a half I would see a few drifting around the house. I didn’t think too much about it until we had a fruit fly population explosion. It seems that the fruit fly egg incubation period is about 10 days. They were everywhere!!!!

So I googled how to get rid of them. There was a handy video that showed how to make a fruit fly trap. This involved a bowl of wine (not an option!!!). At the end of the video it said I could also use apple cider or red wine vinegar. My cider vinegar had expired so I thought that would be a great choice.  First, put a small amount of water in a bowl and add a few drops of liquid dish washing detergent and mix it up gently. Then fill the bowl about halfway with cider vinegar.  The dish detergent does something to the surface of the water that causes them to sink immediately.  Place the bowl in the area where you notice the most fruit flies.

I made one up and literally within minutes I had trapped at least 30. At this point their living friends were sitting on the edge of the bowl and they were not going in.   I am not sure if they could see their buddies floating below or smell death. I am not sure how you could smell death through all that fermented vinegar though :). At this point I decided to empty the first trap and make a new one. They jumped right in!  After the same thing happened three times I had two fruit flies that refused to take the plunge. So I switched to the more expensive fresh bottle of red wine vinegar. The remaining two took the plunge in seconds.  Picky fruitflies!!!  I haven’t seen a fruit fly since yesterday.  With a trap like this, who needs a pet bat???  The big question is did this group lay eggs???  I think I’ll keep a bowl of vinegar out for the next week just in case.

2 Comments

  1. dee jones

    FRUIT FLIES—yuck! I could have used this info when I forgot about some potatoes in our potato bin back when we lived in LA! UGH-I opened the door and they flew out–right at me. When I read your blog I could just picture your invasion! You are so smart and lucky to have found the solution (and one that worked) so quickly. I will have to file this remedy away in my brain for the next time something like this happens to us.
    BTW-I put bunches of pics from the China trip on our blog. Soooo much fun! Thanks again for the wonderful memories!

  2. Kristina

    Man, I must have the smartest mom in the whole wide world…I am glad that you found a solution…you are so handy, I could use you around more…hint: when are you coming to visit me? At this point, I guess it will be after the holidays?! Love you…I should be studying…hmmm….maybe sometime soon…

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