Fruit Flys

[157484]

I have a bad case of fruit fly's. I have two snakes and two rabbits so I cant bomb the house. what should I do. I also tried apple cider with holes in the lid doesn't work any ideas.
Big
Jake

[Eugene]

OK. I'll play along for a short while.

First, remove the food, trash and other items attracting fruit flies to the trailer.

Go to the hardware store or grocery store and buy 2 or 3 insect bombs. Remove the two snakes and the snake skin along with the two rabbits from the trailer. Close up the windows and doors. Read and follow the directions provided with the insect bombs. Set off the insect bombs.

In 3 or 4 hours, open up the trailer and let it air out for a while. Then return the two snakes, snake skin and two rabbits to their home.

[157484]

NO this happened at my house with the fruit fly's and the snake skin is in my trailer in southern Ohio. NOW my house is in Cleveland OHIO

[Eugene]

OH. OK. Something is attracting the fruit flies. Sme answer as I provided before.

You may have to bug bomb the house several times to reduce or eliminate bugs. This is not a bad time of year to bomb the house - relatively comfortable outside.

If the bug bomb doesn't work as well as anticipated, contact one of the professional insect control firms in your area. They have some insecticides not available to the "nonprofessionals".

[Don McCombs]

The fruit flies are after fresh fruit or vegetables that you are keeping in the open or the trash, as Eugene says. Remove the food and they will disappear. They only live for a few days. Don't waste your money on insecticides. If you want them to disappear faster, I'll tell you how to make a vinegar trap.

[157484]

I dont have any open trash every thing is put away.

[Don McCombs]

157484, you have a PM.

[Mike in Louisiana]

I had the same trouble a few weeks ago. It turned out that I had a potato in the wooden box with lid that was rotten and I did not find it untill
it started to smell. When I got it out there were fruit flys all over it.

[flyawa]

During the peak of tomato season we were plagued with fruit flies. An old timer showed us how to make a trap for them. Take a quart fruit jar and put some spoiled fruit in it. Cover the top with saran wrap and put a rubber band around the neck to hold the plastic wrap in place. Then poke a few holes with a toothpick just large enough for a fruit fly to crawl in. Once in they forget how to get out. In about two days they were all gone from the kitchen and the jar was thick with them. It really does work.

[Lt.Mike]

I have pet snakes also and insecticides or other chemicals used whether you remove them for use or not will eventually kill them. The same goes for pet birds. THe insecticides remain in everything porous, wood and fabric and will leach out a long time afterward. I've dealt with the fruit fly problem too. I too use a vinegar trap (apple cider vinegar works best)but with a single drop of dish soap to break the surface tension causing the flys to sink and drown. At night a single light left lit that has non-toxic fly tape hanging around it will soon have the tape looking like nasty shoe button candy.
Keep the trash emptied too and they should soon be under control.
As for spiders and whatever else is unwanted in the insect world, get a little house gecko fom your local pet store ($5) and let it go in the kitchen say where it can hide behind the fridge and keep warm. I know this sounds nuts but you'll never see it, they only come out at night and leave no mess behind. That little guy will wipe out all insects that venture into your home.
I had one get out of a terrarium awhile back. Prior to that I had spiders everywhere in my home. I swear the damned things looked like brown racluse spiders! The gecko wiped them out! He kept doing his thing keeping our house bug free until 2 1/2 years later when he cat finally caught him.
Give it a try.
Mike

[dirtyred]

will the gecko get cockroaches? down here we have them giant cockroaches that invade the house when the weather changes any. and if you put out fresh pinestraw you get the little german cockroaches that you just about cant get rid of without a professional spraying. I got some restircted pesticide i spray round and under the house from time to time but dont really like to spray cause of my chickens and animals. and it would be funny to hear my wife yell at the sight of a gecko. she freaks out over a lizard. right now we are pretty clean but spring is coming and the war will begin again. Will the vinegar trap work in a garden? i know that beer will work for snails and slugs but sometimes in the heat and humidity the fruitfly attack my tomatoes with hate in their eyes.