Fruit Flies

[jsnv]

How do I get rid of these pesky fruit flies? I think they came home with me from the grocery on some fruit but now the fruit is gone and the flies are here to stay. They hang out around my sink. I've been really careful about not leaving food in the sink or garabage disposal. They seem to be multiplying like crazy. Help.

[Jojo F.]

During the summer we get them too. I make a sugar water solution in a small galss, cover with plastic, and poke tiny holes in the plastic. They can get in but not out

[cristeen]

Everybody says ACV works, but the flys here ignore it. What's worked for me is juice. Either orange or pineapple in a glass, with a couple drops of dish soap mixed in. Just leave it on the counter for a couple days and they'll drown themselves in it. I think it took about a week, changing the juice every 2-3 days to get rid of our last infestation.

[~Em~]

I have them too - big fat ones and little ones. I hate them! They seem to come in with bananas and tomatoes.

Making a big pot of pasta and draining the boiling water down the sink helps the sink situation a lot, but won't eliminate them. I also have them in my plants and litter box (yes, nasty!)

I'm interested in how to kill them off too.

[ksbell315]

If they're hanging around your sink, they are probably gnats rather than fruit flies. We've had problems with both.

For drain gnats, cover the drains at night or when not in use. You can buy flat rubbery drain covers or use cups that fit inside the drain. For our kitchen sink, plastic 22 oz tumblers worked perfectly. Also, clean the drains by putting baking soda in the drain, pour vinegar in and let it react, then pour in boling water. This helps clean the gunk out and kill the gnats. But keeping the drains covered as much as possible will prevent them from laying eggs in the water in the drain trap.

For fruit flies, I use those sticky fly strips over my counter where they tend to live. They will hover around compost buckets, fruit baskets and dirty dishes, rather than the sink. Another fairly effective trap is to leave a glass with a little red wine in it on the counter. If that is all they have to go to, they will congregate there and usually drown in the wine. I have also had luck putting several small holes in the lid of a mason jar and leaving a little bit of wine in it. The flies find their way in, but can't get back out.