Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Uggg, What is it about this time of year???

...that causes the fruit flies to come out in force and invade my kitchen????? I've been setting traps for weeks now and catching tons each time. I always have bananas out on the counter because we eat them every morning, but this fruit fly problem only plagues me at this time of year, EVERY year, at every house I've lived in.
I went to college in eastern Washington, where each fall the farmers burn their fields causing all the tiny bugs to migrate to people's homes. It was a huge annoyance! I live in western WA now, though and don't understand this? I can't even put my wine glass down to go to the bathroom without coming back to a glass full of flies, disgusting!
Does anyone else have this problem? Is it regional? What do you do to rid your home of these pests? Here are the couple traps I've found most effective:

As you can see, it's very effective! A bowl of apple cider vinegar with a drop of dish soap. The flies are attracted to the vinegar and then when they land on the surface, the soap makes it so they get stuck and can't fly away.


This one is also pretty effective, but it doesn't kill the flies, so you have to have some sort of plan for releasing them so that they don't just come back into the house. You put a piece of fruit in a bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Poke tiny holes in the top. If you do it right, the flies will get in but can't get out. I usually set this one out overnight and then put lid on it in the morning, then take it outside to release them.

Although these traps work, I have to keep using them over and over. It'd be nice if there was a solution that got rid of the flies for good. I refuse to store the bananas in the fridge. I actually tried that and the flies did disappear, but the bananas also turned brown overnight and were ruined! Does anyone have any other ideas for me?

4 comments:

Leah said...

I keep bananas on my counter too, but I don't think I have the problem you are having. I wonder if something else in your house is attracting them?? I pretty much only have to kill the occasional fruit fly. Odd.

Katrina said...

wierd. we don't have that problem here. What about keeping your bananas in a large tupperware container or ziploc bag? I have never tried it, but maybe it would work?

jdeemarie said...

I could've written this same post, the fruit flies are driving me crazy!! I'm also in Western WA - so maybe it is regional...
I'm going to try the apple cider vinegar and dish soap, I've had only moderate luck with drowning them in a small glass of orange juice. I think I'm also going to try keeping the bananas in the microwave...

Tamara said...

Hmmm, microwave, that's a good idea, I might try it.