Okay, it's confession time. I have 16 women coming to BUNKO in less than 48 hours and I have fruit flies. I have put all fruits and vegetables into the fridge, including my tomatoes and bananas which should not be in the fridge.
I took comfort in having a soul mate last week as Jim's sister and I were discussing the current state of our homes. I confessed my fruit flies to her. She said "Oh my gosh I am so glad to hear that! I have had them for 6 weeks and they will not go away." She has tried traps, etc. She entertained us with tales of her and Jeff whacking them against the mirrors in the bathrooms. Apparently hers have taken over the bathroom as well.
Okay, they must be especially bad this year. I love to let those last two bananas in the basket get overripe so I can make banana bread. I have done this for years. I actually have made mixes so that I can just mash the bananas and add the wet ingredients and presto.....have you ever tried banana bread toasted? It is awesome! Anywho, it all started when we made the banana bread described above on Conference weekend. Usually I just make the damn bread then they magically disappear. Well.... this time they did not. They multiplied and replenished my home.
One night, on Jim's birthday, I made deep fried onion rings for him. If you have ever used a deep fryer in the house you know it gets pretty smoky in there. Well, we were late for a shin dig at Jim's parents house (the night Rachelle and I jointly confessed our fruit flies while Jim's mom sat silently wondering....where did I get these girls? what is a fruit fly?) anyway, since we were late I left everything out, dirty dishes, etc. Well, I got home and knew that if I did not do those dishes then the fruit flies would multiply during the night. So, I started in on them and guess what....NO FRUIT FLIES! I was so excited. I almost called Rachelle but remembered the late hour. I had it figured out! The fruit flies were driven away by the smoke! Hallelujah! Well, as I happily labored in my kitchen, I went to put the fryer away. Mine is a fancy kind that strains the oil, etc. so you can use it a few times. Well, as I started deep into that oil I came to the realization that the fruit flies were not "driven away" by the smoke, they had kamakazzied into the oil. Out went 1/2 gallon of oil. And I was up late cleaning the whole deep fryer. You know how fun that is!
Well, late that night Katie starts screaming and making a scene in her bedroom. Come to find out, the fruit flies had not committed suicide in my oil. ($$$$ down the drain....) They had migrated to Katie's bedroom where she had left some cucumbers and carrots that she was feeding her bird. It had been there for several days! gross! gross! She was probably the cause of the fruit flies in the first place! Not my silly bananas. Well, now that her vegetables are out of her room, they are back to the kitchen, with a few taking up residence in my bathroom.
I don't really know if fruit flies are a sign of bad housekeeping. I really don't want to know as deep down I know the answer...... But I do know that I need to get rid of them in less than 48 hours. Ideas would be most helpful! Comment away! Please!
Happy St. Patrick's Day 2026
1 month ago
6 comments:
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I'm so glad it's not just me with the fruit fly problem! This year hasn't been bad, but last year was like a horror movie!! They were EVERYWHERE. I would be talking to my mom on the phone and say, "Do you realize I've smashed about 50 fruit flies on our bathroom mirror while we've been talking?" It was so disgusting. And, like you, I finally found out the source was actually in my daughter's garbage which she never emptied. uuuuugggghh
Once I found the source, it was easier to get rid of them. And the traps I made did a pretty good job. You take a mason jar, or some type of tall cylinder, and put some apple cider vinegar in the bottom, then set some newspaper in a funnel shape in the jar, so they fly down in, but can't get out. You need to duct tape the top of the jar to the paper so they can't get out the sides. Once you have a whole bunch in there, you pour boiling water in it and kill all of them.
Oh yeah - I remember another one I invented. You make a bowl of rising yeast (they loooove it) and put those sticky flytrap papers over the top of it - they'll stick all over it. grrrrrooooossssss
Hope that helps! Good luck!!
P.S. They like carved pumpkins, too, so you also might want to get rid of those.
See your problem here is the fresh fruits and vegetables. I say 5 a day = fruit flies. Come over to a carbohydrate house like mine and you won't find any FF. Mice, occasionally, but no fruit flies.
Thanks for those good tips Mandi! Unfortunately, I read your comment about 12 hours too late.....I left some pumpkin guts and seeds out from carving jack-o-lanterns late, late the night before....you are right! they do love those and have multiplied even more....crap!!! (so much for roasting the pumpkin seeds-that is why I left them out) I will try your vinegar trap and put it in the other room to lure them from the eyes of the BUNKO ladies....wish me luck!
Wow, Mandi, how do you know all that stuff? I hope you got rid of them Natalie!
I hear ya dishes and laundry! No fruit and veggies - no fruit flies. You don't get fruit flies on french fries and chips. PS. what's this "fruit" of which you speak?
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