OMG I need advice for fruit flies!!

[Katacara]

Fruit flies are taking over my house!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I have no idea how to get rid of them and/or keep them from coming back

I like to feed fresh to all my critters (with an option of dry), and change it out regularly (24-48 hours max checking freshness twice a day). I had this problem months back when a piece of pepper escaped my attention during a clean-out day. I was able to get rid of them then by switching to dry gut-load only, and making sure all my fruit and veggies where in sealed plastic bags and/or in the fridge. After a few days they where gone. Sense that time I have become even more OCD with cleaning, and checking on my feeder bins than I was before.

They have now come back with vengeance! They are everywhere this time! I have gone through all my bins of feeders and there is nothing in there that should have caused this, so I have no idea where they came from. For the past week or so I have only been feeding dry but they just will not leave so today I said heck with it and started to offer fresh again.

I have tried the "tape-trap" method, and either the flies out smarted me or I did something wrong because it did not work at all! I could see them walking across the tape, and I swear they where laughing at me! I would like to avoid having hanging fly sticky tapes hanging all over the place, but if that is what it takes than that's what I will do.

Can anyone offer any advice on how to get rid of them and tips to keep them gone? I think they are driving me to crazy town faster than the never-ending chirping of crickets!! Thanks in advance everyone for your help!

 

[Andee]

Do you like carnivouros plants? Best form of fly destruction except baby chams XD

 

[hopps31]

You could try using a small bowl filled with Apple cider vinegar then cover it with plastic wrap and poke a small hole, they will go in but not come back out!! I have actually done it with a whole bottle, just covered the top with plastic wrap and elastic band, and poked a hole. They like the smell! Though my ocd hated the bowls and bottles everywhere, so now I hot glue tulle on my screens so they can't get into my bins but air still can. It has actually worked great so far, fingers crossed! Good luck, I have felt your pain

 

[Chameleomom]

Apple cider vinegar and a squirt of Dawn in a bowl left out will kill them

 

[Katacara]

@Andee I don't mind plants like that as long as they do not become Audrey 2's lol

@hopps31 & @Chameleomom Thanks for the tip, I am going to try that first because finding apple cider vinegar will be a lot easier in my area than finding plants that will eat them, especially this time of year!!

 

[jamest0o0]

Depends which flies you have, swarming the house sounds more like fungus gnats(I had a horrible problem with this). The Apple cider vinegar method works best for fruit flies, but not so well for fungus gnats. On the other hand carnivorous plants will annihilate all fungus gnats within days(mine must have killed a thousand....). Now I wish I had more lol, my plants he almost double in size.

 

[kinyonga]

Could be phorid flies too.

 

[Katacara]

Ok thanks everyone, the vignaer has trapped some, but not as many as I had hoped.

Could anyone give me a list of plants that will eat the flies? (I know nothing about plants, except I am good at killing them lol)

 

[Andee]

depending where you live, some heartier pitcher plants, venus fly traps, butter worts? (I think is their name), sun dews

 

[Katacara]

Lol @Andee you know where I live silly

Thanks I will write those down and look for them, if I have to I will order them online.

 

[Andee]

I know I do but I don't know the weather there lmao

 

[Katacara]

Weather here I am very upset with right now!! But as we say; "If you don't like the weather in New England just wait 5 minutes"

It is WAY to hot for the 2nd week of Oct!!! and it is causing me problems with my eggs!!! That's why I'm right now

 

[Andee]

Most of the species listed above do well in warmer temps and humidity so definitely keep it with your chams. Pitchers need lots of food and lots of water, they tend to be more finicky of the bunch. They need more light usually too.

 

[jamest0o0]

Get these:

Nepenthes
Pinguicula
Drosera capensis

Problem solved

The drosera(sundews) and pinguicula(Mexican butterwort) need to be kept in a dish of water with bright light either on a windowsill, outside, or under strong lighting. Keep the dish always full of water, they cannot go dry. They need very acidic substrate, peat is popular. Always use distilled or rainwater for carnivorous plants. The pinguicula will turn into a succulent during winter months and stop catching bugs. At this point they can take less water. The nepenthes and drosera don't change at all throughout the year. Fly traps and American pitchers, infact most carnivorous plants, need a winter dormancy on the other hand. For the nepenthes, make sure the soil is always wet, way more than any regular plant would have, but don't keep them in a deep dish of water like you would with other carnivs. Check out Cali carnivores for more detailed info. They're an awesome hobby, I feed mine wax worms, since I always get more than I'll use.

 

[jamest0o0]

Btw I wouldn't use Venus fly traps, they are cool, but only get larger prey. And they usually get stuff that crawls rather than flies even though they're called fly traps.

 

[Katacara]

@jamest0o0 @Andee THANKS!!!! I will check all that out, when I can find a minute. I really appreciate the replies, and info!! I love this forum! You can always count on getting quality answers to questions, and fantastic info!, not to mention CHAM PEOPLE ROCK!!!!!!

 

[ponders]

This is my favorite for catching gnats and fruit flies. It is a sun dew. You can see all the bugs stuck in the dew drops on the leaves. They like lots of distilled water. I set mine in a cup of water.

 

[Katacara]

If I can't kill it by over watering, then I might have a chance at keeping one/them alive.

Would I need one for each room, or will one in a central location attract them all?

 

[Fireborn]

Instead of vinegar I use butter ripple schnapps. They get drunk and die.

 

[Samuel8299]

Ok thanks, everyone, the vignaer has trapped some, but not as many as I had hoped.

Could anyone give me a list of plants that will eat the flies? (I know nothing about plants, except I am good at killing them lol)

Try Pitcher plants these are the best for mine, They go in and cant come out! Also, they do a lot at once instead of 1 at a time like venus flytraps