September is a beautiful month around here, but it is also Fruit Fly Month. Even if we don't have any fruit/veggies lying around, they manage to appear. So, this is how we solve that problem. Take a piece of paper, 8.5" x 11", the thicker the better. Make a cone with a small hole at the bottom. Tape together, then place over a jar in which you have placed a juicy piece of fruit. Voila.
The disgusting thing is this is one day's worth of bugs. I kill them by filling the jar with water (cone still intact) and adding a few drops of bleach.
5 comments:
I know!!
Ew.
Imagine having a soggy pear tree. Cranky was afraid we'd have a fruit fly infestation inside the house.
But...
They all. Went. Away.
That's a good tip. I'll have to remember it if I have a fruit fly infestation.
It's a good thing you *don't* make wine!!
I've found that they are attracted to my fermenting sauerkraut, so I've been putting a dish of vinegar with a spot of soup out, and that seems to get them good. Of course, the most I've ever caught was five (making a huge dent in the population).
Of course, I do it to keep the peace, because a certain winemaker would FREAK OUT if a fruitfly contaminated the hooch. ;)
All:
I kind of hesitated posting this one at all: you probably all think I have a horribly filthy house. And while I can say the lack of water has made things definitely more grimy, it's the place, not the house! Where we live is called the Fruit Belt. And it's not just that great country air that attracts them. We were at my in-laws' for dinner and showers yesterday and their house in town has them too. It's just a season.
CC: Poor Cranky. Glad they vamoosed, though. Ours will shoo when the frost hits (sniff)
Carol: (bowing) I do what I can.
Liz: James is right to be worried. In my research of vinegar-making, the mother (the slime mold that converts the wine sugar to vinegar) is not complete without dirty fruit fly feet traipsing across it. Ick. Luckily, the vinegar I have made has been simpler than that. But yes, I do intend to try the wine-making next year! Yay, another thing to obsess over! But maybe I can convince Tom to take this task on...hmmm.
I tried this and it worked out great. Thanks!
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