Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 --- " Lyn " wrote: > > HELP > > As we all know, KT and Kefir draw fruit flies. So far I have NOT had > success with the Kombucha Mamma's fix to that problem of baiting them > with a dish of KT and a drop of dishwash detergent. All they do is > hang around the top of the cup and breathe the fumes. They don't fly > into the liquid. So now I have an infestation. They are even drawn to > my living room garbage. It seems like they like the tape that I tore > off of a package I just received in the mail! Does anybody know what > to do? I had a bit of infestation starting and I kept my vac on hand w/ the hose attachment (a handheld dustbuster should work too) and just suck the buggers up a couple of times a day. They're too fast to smack by hand but they can't out power a vacuum. It only took a few days until I couldn't find anymore to catch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 I haven't tried the detergent trick myself, but I have found another trick that captures a lot of these pesky critters. I take a tall glass and put a piece of fruit or kombucha in the bottom. Then stretch some plastic cling wrap across the top being careful to leave no openings. Then cut a slit about an inch and a half or so across the center. They seem to find the opening on the way in, but not so much on the way out. Sticky hanging fly tapes work, but they're ugly. I currently have a tall glass with a some pineapple rinds and a plastic funnel taped into the opening (bottom spout inward) to see if it works. Nothing gets rid of them as effectively as a vacuum cleaner though. > > > HELP > > As we all know, KT and Kefir draw fruit flies. So far I have NOT had > success with the Kombucha Mamma's fix to that problem of baiting them with a > dish of KT and a drop of dishwash detergent. All they do is hang around the > top of the cup and breathe the fumes. They don't fly into the liquid. So now > I have an infestation. They are even drawn to my living room garbage. It > seems like they like the tape that I tore off of a package I just received > in the mail! Does anybody know what to do? > > > -- Murray -<|>- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 I haven't tried the detergent trick myself, but I have found another trick that captures a lot of these pesky critters. I take a tall glass and put a piece of fruit or kombucha in the bottom. Then stretch some plastic cling wrap across the top being careful to leave no openings. Then cut a slit about an inch and a half or so across the center. They seem to find the opening on the way in, but not so much on the way out. Sticky hanging fly tapes work, but they're ugly. I currently have a tall glass with a some pineapple rinds and a plastic funnel taped into the opening (bottom spout inward) to see if it works. Nothing gets rid of them as effectively as a vacuum cleaner though. > > > HELP > > As we all know, KT and Kefir draw fruit flies. So far I have NOT had > success with the Kombucha Mamma's fix to that problem of baiting them with a > dish of KT and a drop of dishwash detergent. All they do is hang around the > top of the cup and breathe the fumes. They don't fly into the liquid. So now > I have an infestation. They are even drawn to my living room garbage. It > seems like they like the tape that I tore off of a package I just received > in the mail! Does anybody know what to do? > > > -- Murray -<|>- Waterloo, Ontario, Canada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 For those who brew their kombucha in other rooms, say a spare bedroom, do you have problems with fruit flies? jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 For those who brew their kombucha in other rooms, say a spare bedroom, do you have problems with fruit flies? jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 For those who brew their kombucha in other rooms, say a spare bedroom, do you have problems with fruit flies? jan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 I've had good luck with the paper funnel in the glass trick too. I've used a very small jam jar, and just taped the sides of the funnel to the top of the jar where it comes out. (A hole about the size of a pencil seemed fine.) You can use apple vinegar as bait rather than KT if you want. I just let the corpses accumulate, and add more vinegar or redo if it seems to have lost its allure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 I've had good luck with the paper funnel in the glass trick too. I've used a very small jam jar, and just taped the sides of the funnel to the top of the jar where it comes out. (A hole about the size of a pencil seemed fine.) You can use apple vinegar as bait rather than KT if you want. I just let the corpses accumulate, and add more vinegar or redo if it seems to have lost its allure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 Hello All, Loving the composting talk! It's amazing how much less " trash " our household generates since starting composting a couple years ago. Like Kombucha, it's a little scary at first if you've never done it but once you start you can't believe you ever thought it would be hard. If you are considering it, give it a try. To the original question, you could also try a dish of red wine to catch fruit flies. There are hundreds of species and some are more attracted to alcohol, some more to sugar. They can be pesky though, especially if you have exposed fruit or tea leavings, they will explode a population in no time. Good luck! Hannah Crum The Kombucha Mamma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 9, 2011 Report Share Posted June 9, 2011 Hello All, Loving the composting talk! It's amazing how much less " trash " our household generates since starting composting a couple years ago. Like Kombucha, it's a little scary at first if you've never done it but once you start you can't believe you ever thought it would be hard. If you are considering it, give it a try. To the original question, you could also try a dish of red wine to catch fruit flies. There are hundreds of species and some are more attracted to alcohol, some more to sugar. They can be pesky though, especially if you have exposed fruit or tea leavings, they will explode a population in no time. Good luck! Hannah Crum The Kombucha Mamma Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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