Fruit Flies, UGH!!

Ok, Ben & the kids picked several bags full of oranges from our trees on the side of the house last week or so. Well, with all of that fruit sitting in the kitchen, we have developed a fruit fly problem! YUCK!!! I canNOT stand all those little tiny reddish-brown things flying around my kitchen. Some have even made their way into my bathroom! I have been trying to smash & kill them on my bathroom mirror before I go to bed each night. Dang those suckers are FAST!

Also - no such luck w/ the fly swatter. So, I decided to search it online.

Here's one solution that I found on this site:

Make a funnel trap:

Make a cone out of the sheet of paper (like a funnel). Tape the outside of the cone so that it stays in place.

Check that the cone fits snugly into a glass or cup.

Cut off the tip of the cone so that you now have a funnel.

Pour a small amount of cider vinegar into the glass or cup. (Rum mixed with orange juice also works very well - additionally, a half teaspoon of baker's yeast in water can also suffice)

Insert the funnel into the glass or cup, but don't let the bottom of the funnel touch the liquid.

Tape the funnel in two or three places from the outside so that there is no gap between the glass and the cone.

Place your newly created trap on a flat surface. The flies will be attracted by the smell of the fruity vinegar and fly into the cone. The flies will slip down the cone and will either land in the vinegar and drown or will be trapped and not able to get back out. If you leave the trap overnight, the trapped fruit flies will eventually fall into the vinegar and drown.

I did this before I started dinner and it's actually working!!! I placed the glass next to the kitchen sink, since they seem to settle around there. The kids are fascinated watching the little buggers get caught in the glass & drowning. I also read that you can add a drop of liquid dish soap & stir it in the cider vinegar to make sure when the flies try to land on the liquid that they fall in & they can't swim. YAY!!! I'm hoping by morning that most of those gross flies will be trapped/drowned in there. I'm actually surprised how many are already sitting on the bottom of the glass.

FYI - other tips also mentioned covering all the fruit or putting it in the fridge where the flies can't reach it. Apparently they can lay eggs in the skins of the fruit, then you have more flies! Plus make sure there are no dirty dishes or food in your sink/disposer, your trash can is covered & empty it each day (if you don't already do that).