amitymamaThe Attachment Parenting Community

Gloriel · 12-16-2003, 10:50 AM

My kitchen is swarmed with these annoying little bugs. We have covered up our compost bucket; we don't have any food left out. They're just hanging on the cabinets and all over the place.

I tried putting out a bowl with some water and honey thinking that might attract them and then they'd drown, but they couldn't care less about it. I've tried vacuuming them up, but they always come back.

help me rid my house of these annoying bugs!!! btw, I thought they were only supposed to be a problem in the summer? We have snow on the ground; it's freezing here, and here they are. This summer we didn't have a problem with them at all!

annsni · 12-16-2003, 11:16 AM

Here ya go! This never fails and everyone else has commented that it works for them. I got it from an Amish woman and I could just kiss her. LOL!!

Mix gently together 2 Tbsp. sugar and 1/2 cup cider vinegar. Add 1 tsp. liquid dish soap and mix carefully - don't make suds.

Set out in a small bowl near where the flies are.

I keep a small jar just for this purpose and always have the solution behind our fruit bowl on the counter. I change it about every 4 days or when I remember (which could be as long as 2 weeks - LOL!)

Ann

Barb · 12-16-2003, 12:11 PM

none of the "solutions"worked for us. We ended up keeping the vaccuum cleaner in the kitchen for about a week and sucking them up with the hose every time one of us went in and saw a "congregation" of them. After about a week they were for the most part gone.

it was 115degrees here when we had them, i was 9mos pregnant with the hose in the kitchen. Dh called me "the great white pregnant huntress". lol

branwyn · 12-16-2003, 12:14 PM

when i worked at starbucks we were covered in them durring the summer months, until i learned to take a mason jar put in some water, dishdetergent and some vinegar, make a paper funnel and put it in the top of the mason jar, no time at all they were gone (we also had to put vinegar and baking soda down all the drains every night)

A_Furry_Thing · 12-16-2003, 12:19 PM

The bowls of stuff never worked for me either.
We got fly strips. They are ugly and are very sticky so don't touch them. It is really hard to get that goo off your hands once you get it on there (ask me how I know!)
Anyway they work really good. Goo gone will get the sticky off your walls and hands if you happen to get some ont heir.
Mindi

superman · 12-16-2003, 12:24 PM

That Amish solution sounds intriguing, I'll have to keep the recipe.

The life cycle of the fruit fly isn't very long, so if we have a swarm going, we just try to be diligent about taking the compost out every day. They're usually gone in a few days.

As for it being the middle of Winter, well, they've probably found a nice, warm, cozy place to hang out (and breed) in your kitchen! They're stoked!

But seriously, I don't think they can breed unless they have some food to deposit their eggs on, so take out that compost every day! (Or at least stick it outside the back door, I know tromping out to the compost pile every day in Winter can be a pain.)

mammakat · 12-16-2003, 01:07 PM

I put out a glass of wine! It works every time.

Gloriel · 12-16-2003, 01:37 PM

I think I'll try every solution you mamas gave-- I want these things gone!!!

Thanks so much for the replies.