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Archive through September 15, 2005

The TVClubHouse: General Discussions ARCHIVES: 2005 Sep. ~ Nov.: Gnats??? Fruit Flies????: Archive through September 15, 2005 users admin

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Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 4:58 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
I don't know what they are, but they have attacked my kitchen! I don't see them till I start cooking and then I can hardly prepare my food without them getting in it!!!!!!! HELP!!!!!!!!!!

Weinermr
Member

08-18-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 5:02 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Weinermr a private message Print Post    
I don't mean to be obvious, but look for some rotting fruit that you may have tucked away somewhere. Or vegetables of some kind in the pantry or cupboard.

Also, they could be living in one of your houseplants. We had a heck of time getting rid of them. They just kept coming back until we finally found the right plant and sprayed it, and killed all of them PLUS any eggs that were layed. It was gross! Good luck.

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 5:03 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
I've had the same problem and realized they came from the potato/onion wooden bin I have sitting in my kitchen. It was like a swarm in there so I chucked everything out and swabbed it down with pine sol and then I also let off one of those fogger things. So far they're gone.

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 5:35 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ophiliasgrandma a private message Print Post    
Make a fruitfly trap.

Take a quart jar. Take a sandwich bag and cut a tiny hole in one of the bottom corners. Put some fruit in the jar, melon works real well. Put the sandwich bag over the top of the jar with the point of the bag with the hole aimed into the jar. Make sure the little hole is open. Secure the bag to the top of the jar with a rubber band.

The little buggers are attracted to the fruit, climb down into the hole and can't figure how to get back out of it. I guarantee in no time you'll have a jar full of fruitflies. Best trap in the world. I've used this method for years. Let us know how it works for you, Tex.

Skootz
Member

07-23-2003

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 5:51 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Skootz a private message Print Post    
OG, I am off to my kitchen to check this out and see if it works. This year the fruit flies have been terrible.

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 5:54 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
Oh I like that idea. I'm making a note for next time.

Schoolmarm
Member

02-18-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 6:27 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Schoolmarm a private message Print Post    
Cinnamon also gets rid of them.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 6:31 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
I have cleaned all my counters. (you should see them come out of the blue when I pour a glass of wine!) I have the bowl of vinegar on the counter.
I will try the trap!

Tess
Member

04-13-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 6:41 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Tess a private message Print Post    
Annie, we had a swarm of them one year, too. Seemed like thousands and all of a sudden. It turned out that my sister had put a bag of potatoes in one of my cupboards (where we NEVER put food) and when I opened that cupboard..........ack!!

Got rid of the potatoes and cleaned like Mocha did and we haven't had any since. And we learned to check all cupboards after my sister comes to visit!

Supergranny
Member

02-03-2005

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 7:45 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Supergranny a private message Print Post    
Thank you so much for the hint OG. We have them terrible this year too. We have apple trees in the back yard and it seems to draw them. Plus we end up with the back door open for the girls (our dogs) and it just invites them in. I have macular holes so I have all these brown floaters in my eyes. It is driving me insane to have these little black things in my vision too! I am going now to get the quart jar. Thanks again.

Zeno39
Member

11-09-2002

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 8:14 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Zeno39 a private message Print Post    
Are you all talking about little tiny gnat-looking things? If so, for some reason, I have had a problem with them that I have never had before. They have about driven me crazy. I think that mine are coming in through the vent over my stove, because one morning when I went into the kitchen, they were above the stove on the wall. I am going to try what OG said. I can't stand this!!

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 8:20 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
We own an 18-acre cherry orchard and live less than feet from the trees. There are two "for sure" ways to get these little buggers w/out using food.

First: Take a cup or small glass and put about 1/4 inch of vinegar in it (red wine or apple cider vinegars work best). Then add a drop or two of dishwashing soap. Top it with plastic wrap (with a rubber band around it to keep it tight). Then cut three or four slits in the top.

Next -- make the same mixture of vinegar and soap. Instead of a glass, cut off the top 1/3 or so of a plastic pop or water bottle. Turn the top upside down and place it inside the bottom section (so it looks like a funnel going down into the bottle). Put the vinegar in the bottom of the bottle.

The second way attracts more flies faster, but the bigger opening means they might actually find their way out. We usually set out a couple of each. We have about 2-3 weeks a year where they are just everywhere! With the vinegar solutions out, we can even leave bananas on the banana tree on the counter and they won't bother them.

Change the vinegar/soap mixture every couple of days to keep the smell fresh (and to empty out all the dead fruit flies.)

One last note -- this isn't nearly as much fun, but it you're drinking a glass of wine, usually three or four will commit suicide before you can drink the glass! LOL At one point, I'd put a small magazine over the top of my glass every time I'd set it down! :-)

Juju2bigdog
Member

10-27-2000

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 8:34 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Juju2bigdog a private message Print Post    
Must be a bad year for them. We don't have them in the house yet, but a friend was over a couple days ago and sitting in the back yard drinking a glass of wine, and they were driving her crazy getting in the wine.

So ... I think we have all parts of the country covered.

Wargod
Moderator

07-16-2001

Monday, September 12, 2005 - 8:44 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Wargod a private message Print Post    
Here too! I wish I'd thought to post about it at the time cuz that trap may have worked! Funny enough, it was the exact same thing that happened to Tess. We came home from Vegas and were swarmed with the damn things. It took forever to find the bag of potatoes that mom had shoved in a cabinet while we were gone...I'd thought they used them all.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 4:06 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
well. shoot. I do have a bag of potatoes in my pantry. It's on the opposite side of where they seem to be collecting so it didn't dawn on me it might be that. (there are none in the pantry)

Mocha
Member

08-12-2001

Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 7:04 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Mocha a private message Print Post    
Yall are right must be the year for them cause I don't remember having this problem last summer.

Callasin
Member

06-21-2005

Tuesday, September 13, 2005 - 7:23 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Callasin a private message Print Post    
We use the No Pest Strips and they work well. You can get them at Home Depot or Lowes. I've never had to use more than one to control flies in the entire house even though it says they only cover a certain area.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 2:37 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
They are getting worse!!!!!!!!!! The bottle/funnel thing with soap doesn't seem to be working at all and they seem to LOVE the bowl of white vinegar alone!! I have nothing on my counter. I cleaned my coffee pot. But they are just swarming!!!!

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 4:07 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
Did you try the vinegar w/the plastic wrap rubberbanded to the top? It takes a while to catch them all -- but that is more effective. Good luck -- ours have finally "died" down, but it took about a week to really get rid of them. Persistent little buggers!

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 4:09 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ophiliasgrandma a private message Print Post    
Ya'll need to get a gecko. lol

Ophiliasgrandma
Member

09-04-2001

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 4:13 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Ophiliasgrandma a private message Print Post    


One of these should do a first class, bang-up job of getting rid of those little pests.

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 4:15 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
tried that yesterday, might need to try it again
hell, i think i can find a gecko in the front yard!!!

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 5:08 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
it seems to attract more of them.......is that right????

Teachmichigan
Member

07-22-2001

Wednesday, September 14, 2005 - 9:28 pm   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Teachmichigan a private message Print Post    
Yes, Tex -- it attracts them so that they go down INTO the vinegar and then DIE! We usually set the "traps" away from food (like on an end table or on the counter away from other food)...many times it will take them some "think time" to get under that plastic wrap, but I've never seen one crawling back OUT! LOL

Texannie
Member

07-16-2001

Thursday, September 15, 2005 - 4:02 am   Edit Post Move Post Delete Post View Post Send Texannie a private message Print Post    
Woke up this am and nothing swarming, but then made coffee and they attacked my coffee pot!! This is just so frustrating!