What's With the Fruit Flies This Year?

[teflon6string]

No fruit or food out in my house, garbage dumped daily and disposal purged with every use. Yet they persist, swarming thicker than I've seen in a decade. Same thing at ALL local friends' houses and stores, particularly in the produce areas.

Is it a Washington County sort of thing?

I'm keeping the activity down to a dull roar with open cups of apple cider vinegar to attract them and a bit of dish soap to minimize surface tension allowing the little buggers to trap themselves. I got three cups of 50-60+ over the first couple days, and now it's down to a dozen or so per day.

Anyone else experiencing this increased annoyance? What are you using to fight it?

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[albin25]

Uhhh.... Did you receive a "gift basket'' of apples from Gov. Inslee lately?

 

[Coolbreeze8804]

Have you noticed that in all of these various circumstances that "you" seem to be the common denominator?




Okay... so other than that ... yes. I too have noticed an uptick. I've been writing it off to me being a bit oversensitive lately due to the fact that most politicians seem to look like fruit flies, but maybe not, eh?

 

[teflon6string]

Swat and drown 'em all!

 

[BBQ Guy]

Democrats in training...

 

[Oregonhunter5]

Are you a fruit? Lol!!!!

 

[powersbj]

Yup, but we had a tomatoe on the window sill that got a bit soft early in the summer, been at war with them ever since. We do the vinegar too, but also vaccuum them off the window over the sink before they get active for the day. Haven't had the numbers you're getting though.

 

[Coolbreeze8804]

I love using the dysan vacuum with the clear box so I can watch the little b$*÷<#_'yehds going round and round and round...
And yes, I do the same thing to convenient yellow jacket nests!!!!

 

[Tide Change]

I've noticed it too. Nothing around to attract them, but yet they're all over the place. Good cold spell should dampen their enthusiasm for reproducing.

 

[randu311]

Well you're in luck! I have been in pest control for almost 15 years. Anyway, the first question you need to ask is how are they getting in? Think window screens and be sure not to leave doors open. The second thing to ask is, what is it eating? I know that you said no fruit and such, but simple biology tells us that all living things need food, shelter and water. Take a second look in all cabinets, below the sink, and in the pantry. We all are human! I experience this myself and found the culprit to be a sack of potatoes I had forgotten about below my sink! The third and final question is where are they getting water? Fruit flies can be an indicator of a plumbing leak. Think of a pest issue as a 3 legged stool, each leg (food, shelter and water) MUST be present for life to exist, if we remove one leg, the "stool" cannot stand, and life cannot continue. Hope this helps, good luck with it!

 

[teflon6string]

Are you a fruit? Lol!!!!

Nope! But I've been called a vegetable a time or two.

 

[teflon6string]

Update:
After eliminating any trace of accessible food source in the kitchen (whole pineapple, kiwis, avocados, trash under the sink, etc.) the problem persisted. But it moved down the hall to, of all places, my bathroom. Annoying little buggers are congregating around the sink drain and the overflow drain opening. Seems they're attracted to toothpaste, or maybe it's the alcohol in mouthwash. Drowned a couple dozen in a fresh vinegar trap overnight. Bastiges!