Poll of the Day > i just went on a fruit fly killing spree

(+) Yeah! (+)

Got like 40 of them in my vacuum

is that what you kids are callin it these days?

Sounds like you either need to find the rotting food somewhere in your home or flush out sinks you hardly use.

I have multiple bathrooms in my place and we only use one of them, if we forget to flush out the sinks we often get fruit flies/gnats in them.

hypnox posted...

Sounds like you either need to find the rotting food somewhere in your home or flush out sinks you hardly use.

it's because it dipped below freezing last night, so all the bugs in the city are now in 'go inside' mode

Lokarin posted...

it's because it dipped below freezing last night, so all the bugs in the city are now in 'go inside' mode

Okay then you need to seal your place up. If bugs are getting in then your insulation has leaks and it's most likely increasing your heating and cooling costs.

hypnox posted...

Okay then you need to seal your place up. If bugs are getting in then your insulation has leaks and it's most likely increasing your heating and cooling costs.

yup, and i plan to get some traps next time I'm at the store

Just put out some ramekins with apple cider vinegar and a little squirt of dish soap in them. Works like a charm and is dirt cheap.

adjl posted...

Just put out some ramekins with apple cider vinegar and a little squirt of dish soap in them. Works like a charm and is dirt cheap.

my typical method is to put plastic wrap over a small container of water with a piece of banana in it and poke a hole in top.

adjl posted...

Just put out some ramekins with apple cider vinegar and a little squirt of dish soap in them. Works like a charm and is dirt cheap.

Plus you can drink them once theyre full as a quick snack.

Lokarin posted...

my typical method is to put plastic wrap over a small container of water with a piece of banana in it and poke a hole in top.

This approach works even better, and doesn't need plastic wrap. The dish soap breaks the surface tension of the vinegar such that any fly that touches it ends up drowning.

used to put a cup outside with acv to lure bugs into the preying mantis shrub

I don't have apple cide vinegar on hand so I'd still need to take a trip to the store... do have regular vinegar tho

Night 2 of Operation Flea Flicker...

I didn't get to go to the store so I still don't have apple cider vinegar (or bananas) for bait, so tried what I do have... honey and maple syrup. Ehhhhhhh, it doesn't really attract them... but it did get two of them. (that dish soaps makes them sink right to the bottom)

So... I chased them down with my vacuum all day. I got a Dyson V6 so it has a lot of power, but also has a transparent canister so I can see the little flies inside (so at least I know they aren't escaping the vacuum and I'm catching the same 3 flies over and over)

...

There's a good 20 of them still alive in the canister just exploring....... I kinda feel bad cuz they are kinda cute and I legit want to have a vivarium where I can watch bugs do their things

But fuck these fruit fuckers

I actually just put out some apple cider vinegar to try the flies. Theyre drain flies and I need to clean them

Earlier this year my son's praying mantis eggs hatched. For a first meal we let some lose in the kitchen and they massacred the fruit flies.

CarefreeDude posted...

Earlier this year my son's praying mantis eggs hatched. For a first meal we let some lose in the kitchen and they massacred the fruit flies.

nice

I am back from the store and got both some fly tape and some apple cider vinegar...

I put them both out near each other (and next to my vanilla/maple syrup trap from yesterday)

I didn't know apple cider vinegar is so fowl smelling... but apparently the flies love it!

I may need to re-design the trap though, since the flies are swarming the "outside" of the dish

add a pinch of dish soap

hera posted...

add a pinch of dish soap

i added significant dish soap, but they still prefer the outside and around the dish instead of the deadly innards.

you added too much

Lokarin posted...

I am back from the store and got both some fly tape and some apple cider vinegar...

I put them both out near each other (and next to my vanilla/maple syrup trap from yesterday)

I didn't know apple cider vinegar is so fowl smelling... but apparently the flies love it!

I may need to re-design the trap though, since the flies are swarming the "outside" of the dish

Don't fill it high enough that they can reach the top from the rim?

ZangsBeard posted...

Don't fill it high enough that they can reach the top from the rim?

i didn't with the 2nd one, but the first one is filled over the top, carefully, with surface tension

hey Lokarin! Killing is bad behavior! Please dont do that! I recommend closing this thread to prevent others from being inspired to kill!!

i will pee on you

Day 4

The flies seem to be in equilibrium, their numbers aren't increasing but aren't decreasing either.

I cleaned out the 3 dish traps - they caught about 30 or so. I switched to using a pop bottle. This greatly attracts them and they can't escape, but they also still love hanging out on the outside of the plastic wrap. However, unlike the dish traps, this makes them very easy to vacuum up.

I'd put the ribbon trap at about 30 kills now, too. So I'd say I'm at about 150 down.

Lokarin posted...

i didn't with the 2nd one, but the first one is filled over the top, carefully, with surface tension

It shouldn't be more than half full. If you filled it that full, there's a good chance that there's some on the outside that's attracting them (and it will have evaporated and concentrated more than what's inside, so it'll be more attractive than the trap). That and a small drop of dish soap is all it takes.

I ran out of ammo... IE: I had to recharge the vacuum

Their numbers are significantly reduced, but I don't wanna risk idle eggs.

I haven't located where they're coming in from. Based on their overall density it would seem they are coming in either from the stove chimney (I don't have a furnace, but the stove does have a vent that IDK where it leads to) or from the apartment hallway.

I left the stove canopy vent on overnight and the population of flies today was near zero... I'm reasonably sure that was the point of entry.

Meaning there's probably some rotten fruit on the building roof or wherever the vent leads to.

Found the solution to your problem.

https://youtube.com/shorts/9Z6D-j5alJc?feature=share

awww, baby chameleons are cute