Comments on: How to get rid of fruit flies using a basic trap http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/ permaculture on the new home front Wed, 01 Feb 2012 20:23:05 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-1801 James Wed, 11 Jan 2012 23:58:58 +0000 http://www.becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-1801 Thanks for the great advice! In the end this page was most useful because it prompted me to "go hunting". Sure enough, I found a bag of potatoes had slipped off the back of the shelf and gotten lost behind the cupboard. It was full of mushy potatoes and dozens of the little devils! Out to the bins, and feeling much better. I also made a bowl full of 1/4 c lemon juice and a tablespoon of maple syrup. Microwaved it for 20 seconds (to get it to mix better). Swirled in a splash of dishsoap -- I held it up near a fly and he immediately jumped in. DOA. I will leave the bowl out overnight and (fingers crossed) I will get the stragglers. Good luck to all! Thanks for the great advice! In the end this page was most useful because it prompted me to “go hunting”. Sure enough, I found a bag of potatoes had slipped off the back of the shelf and gotten lost behind the cupboard. It was full of mushy potatoes and dozens of the little devils! Out to the bins, and feeling much better. I also made a bowl full of 1/4 c lemon juice and a tablespoon of maple syrup. Microwaved it for 20 seconds (to get it to mix better). Swirled in a splash of dishsoap — I held it up near a fly and he immediately jumped in. DOA. I will leave the bowl out overnight and (fingers crossed) I will get the stragglers. Good luck to all!

]]> By: Rob Davies http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-1757 Rob Davies Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:01:29 +0000 http://www.becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-1757 I tried a number of methods but in the end, the simplest proved the most effective - half a glass of sherry (using a sherry glass) with a small spoonful of honey and a shot of washing up liquid. No need to cover the top of the glass or use a cone - the flies walk down the inside of the glass jump in and within seconds they're dead. A dozen drowned within half an hour in our kitchen (which was most of them!) I tried a number of methods but in the end, the simplest proved the most effective – half a glass of sherry (using a sherry glass) with a small spoonful of honey and a shot of washing up liquid. No need to cover the top of the glass or use a cone – the flies walk down the inside of the glass jump in and within seconds they’re dead. A dozen drowned within half an hour in our kitchen (which was most of them!)

]]> By: ramtops http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-930 ramtops Mon, 23 May 2011 11:36:14 +0000 http://www.becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-930 Found this on Google, which is interesting, as it is on my RSS feed anyway. I have donated a glassful of home made pineapple wine to try this out - we are plagued with the little critters. They were even in the *oven* this morning, for heavens' sake. Found this on Google, which is interesting, as it is on my RSS feed anyway.

I have donated a glassful of home made pineapple wine to try this out – we are plagued with the little critters. They were even in the *oven* this morning, for heavens’ sake.

]]> By: Ruth http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-184 Ruth Tue, 04 Sep 2007 10:53:28 +0000 http://www.becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-184 Blimey good advice all round. Will be trying a combination to see what works here. Now if you can just sort out the mosquitoes, mice, ants, cockroaches (only seen one thank goodness), cats and dogs - I'll be sorted. Blimey good advice all round. Will be trying a combination to see what works here. Now if you can just sort out the mosquitoes, mice, ants, cockroaches (only seen one thank goodness), cats and dogs – I’ll be sorted.

]]> By: Mari http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-183 Mari Sun, 02 Sep 2007 09:57:36 +0000 http://www.becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-183 I tried the banana thing, but unfortunately they didn't go for it. What they seem to like apart from wine and everything that's a bit rotten, is lemon. Just squeeze a small amount of juice into a small flat bowl, (make sure to leave them alone in the kitchen) and you'll see them heading towards it. Got this from a neighbour who tried this out during the summer. I did as well - Good luck! I tried the banana thing, but unfortunately they didn’t go for it. What they seem to like apart from wine and everything that’s a bit rotten, is lemon. Just squeeze a small amount of juice into a small flat bowl, (make sure to leave them alone in the kitchen) and you’ll see them heading towards it. Got this from a neighbour who tried this out during the summer. I did as well – Good luck!

]]> By: ackers http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-185 ackers Thu, 30 Aug 2007 19:14:20 +0000 http://www.becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-185 NB: Having just returned from a week away in the caravan I am happy to report that the end of a bottle of red wine seems to be the best trap of all. Just before we left as I was packing tea towels and the like I discovered the true source of the fruit fly infestation - a disgusting putrid rotting bag of slime was living under the sink at the back of the cupboard. It had once contained fresh potatoes but had mutated into a swarming mass of fruit flies and their corpses. Yuck! Had no time to deploy the bottle + banana skin trick (had no bananas either) so just cleared the mess away and left the dregs of a bottle of wine on the work surface as I'd noticed how quick the flies were to land in a bottle when it wasn't even slightly empty. we came back today to find kitchen clear of flies and loads of them floating in the wine. Surely not a horrid way to die if you're a fly? NB: Having just returned from a week away in the caravan I am happy to report that the end of a bottle of red wine seems to be the best trap of all.

Just before we left as I was packing tea towels and the like I discovered the true source of the fruit fly infestation – a disgusting putrid rotting bag of slime was living under the sink at the back of the cupboard. It had once contained fresh potatoes but had mutated into a swarming mass of fruit flies and their corpses. Yuck! Had no time to deploy the bottle + banana skin trick (had no bananas either) so just cleared the mess away and left the dregs of a bottle of wine on the work surface as I’d noticed how quick the flies were to land in a bottle when it wasn’t even slightly empty.

we came back today to find kitchen clear of flies and loads of them floating in the wine. Surely not a horrid way to die if you’re a fly?

]]> By: juggling mother http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-186 juggling mother Thu, 30 Aug 2007 07:15:20 +0000 http://www.becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-186 I learnt this years ago - but I just cut off the top of the bottle, turn it upside down & wedge it back in - no cone-making required:-) (we don't get fruit flies here, so a bit of honey (or cola!) works wonderfully for European flies) During one major infestation we were "collecting" about 1/3 of a 2 litre bottle per day! I learnt this years ago – but I just cut off the top of the bottle, turn it upside down & wedge it back in – no cone-making required:-)

(we don’t get fruit flies here, so a bit of honey (or cola!) works wonderfully for European flies)

During one major infestation we were “collecting” about 1/3 of a 2 litre bottle per day!

]]> By: Giles http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-188 Giles Thu, 23 Aug 2007 20:20:40 +0000 http://www.becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-188 Fantastic, thank you. My Venus Fly Trap - purchased specifically to help rid us of fruit flies - has been spectacularly useless in this regard. Fantastic, thank you. My Venus Fly Trap – purchased specifically to help rid us of fruit flies – has been spectacularly useless in this regard.

]]> By: Jake http://becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-187 Jake Thu, 23 Aug 2007 11:39:01 +0000 http://www.becomingdomestic.co.uk/2007/08/21/how-to-get-rid-of-fruit-flies-using-a-basic-trap/#comment-187 What a great tip, will certainly be trying that next time! What a great tip, will certainly be trying that next time!

]]>