Not exactly weight loss...fruit flies
 

Anyone have any ideas for getting fruit flies out of a plant, we're thinking it has to be the plant. Have been trapping them with apple cider vinegar/water and a little soap, but the little buggers are relentless. Definitely less of them...I've cleaned and cleaned, making sure no peels, no bad fruits, etc...grr

I've read to let it dry out to kill the larvae, but was wondering if anyone has ideas, thought maybe with everyone eating more fruits and veggies, someone might have been successful eradicating them.

thanks for your help!
:sunny:

They love red wine.

Are you sure they are not drain flies? If so, boiling water down the drain normally does the trick.

Try making a trap with a long plastic bag like those that used to protect newspapers from the rain (remember newspapers?). Put some wine or rotting fruit in the bottom, put some tape on the top, and tape it near the place where you commonly see them. When you see a bunch in the bag, quickly tie off the top before they escape. Is it an indoor plant? Can you put the whole plant in a clear plastic dry clean bag to see where they are coming from? If so, I would just re-pot, as the maggots might be developing in the soil. Had to repot a plant once when ants (!) made a nest in one of ours. We have a shrub that flowers in the fall. It's nice, but attracts fruit flies--they are small enough to come in through the window screens.

But I'm also wondering if you have fruit flies, as it seems a bit early in the year to have them. Is the plant sticky and sickly? Fruit flies won't damage a plant....but you've probably researched already... and they do like the apple cider.

G'luck!

We have had a HUGE problem with fruit flies. It was totally gross but I finally tried one of those sticky fly paper yellow strips and had thousands of them stuck the next morning.

No problem since, although we'll probably have to use one again in the future!

Jen

Pick up some insecticidal soap and spritz down your plants! Worked for me!

Thanks for all the great ideas, I think I'll try bagging the plant, and the soap spray I was thinking that's what I'd do if it was an outside plant.

The reason I think it's the plant is there's way more in the trap by it than elsewhere.

Per the Internet, I put a tbsp of apple cider vinegar, two tbsp of water and a couple drops of dish soap in a smallish bowl. It works great but it seems like there's always one left trying to fly into my glasses...lol

I just really don't want them to come back, the plant is super healthy...I'll try pouring some boiling water down the drain,too, just in case.

If I have to I'll repot

Thanks again, best to all :sunny:

We used paper bowls with apple cider vinegar, soap, and water. Put plastic wrap over the top tightly (tape it around the edges) and poke small holes in the plastic with a fork. They do collect fruit flies but....

they won't go away until you find the source. Our source turned out to be a rotting box of oranges in our basement that we forgot about. Once we disposed of the oranges, the fruit flies disappeared. Keep looking until you find that source!

:lol:

so...I have a water lizard. Who has well...water. Despite keeping it clean all the time, it attracts EVERYTHING. But when the roommate moved, he moved using banana boxes. Which had one itty bitty banana peel in it. With fruit flies. Five years later, I STILL have those buggers after doing everything I can possibly think of. I even got rid of every last plant in the house, the firewood stack outside the house, kept all doors and windows tight tight tight, tried vinegar, stopped leaving fruit out, whole nine yards. Of course, I am more or less limited in what I can do with King Louie...outside of keeping him and his tank clean. And apparently, they REALLY like him.

:lol: Hope you have better luck than I!!!

I've never heard of fruit flies around plants. I think you must be some kind of soil gnat. Try the insecticidal soap for plants, or contact a nursery and ask their advice.

I've had fruit flies before and set a trap in the kitchen with small pieces of banana peel in apple cider vinegar in a container with a funnel shaped opening.

I think they got into my drain then, too -- I poured a little bleach in the drain and let it sit overnight -- a little liquid stays in the pipes under the sink even when you drain the sink -- and they were gone in no time.

There are different kinds of bugs. There are the fruit flies which come with the fruit. And there are the little flying bugs that live in house plants. And I'm sure there are others too. I think you need to determine where they're coming from/living/breeding. Someone at work brought in a plant with the bugs and they proceeded to breed and infest almost every other plant here. I did the bagging thing, didn't work. I tried some other kind of bug spray (can't remember the name) which didn't work either. Then a friend gave me a bottle of "Bayer Advanced Dual Action Rose and Flower Insect Killer". I sprayed the soil and foliage of every plant, twice (a week apart) and no longer have a problem. (Beware...the stuff smells like stinky feet!) The flies lay eggs in the soil, so you've got to stop the cycle. They're a complete annoyance! I have no advice if they're fruit flies. Good luck!!!

Thanks for the advice Moondance, they are definitely plant flies.
The plant is living outside for now and there are no flies in the house.

One note, there was some potpourri near the plant, they were in there, too.
That surprised me, that went outside, too

I'll look for the Bayer and give it a try while it's out there, it's thriving outside for the time being.

best to all :sunny: