Death to the Fruit Flies!

After feasting on juicy strawberries, tomatoes, cherries, plums, and other summer fruits, the remains of a good summer bumper crop produced an inordinate amount of flying objects indoors. I could see black spots darting in and out of my face. Fruit flies, the curse at home or at work.

The early morning news, the anchor has to excuse himself in the middle of the program and then whack his ears. He explained that there was this annoying fruit fly that bee lined into his ears.

Soooo…… fruit flies. What to do and how to get rid of them. With great difficulty.

Last year, at work, we have to get the fruit fly buster. Several traps were placed on each cubicle. I call them the “Las Vegas Hotel.”  What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. I checked the contraption daily and see what they were doing behind doors.  Need I tell you that those flies that checked in did the Vegas

Fruit Fly Las Vegas Hotel ~ Science Project

thing? Yes, sir. I see those little darlings from pupae stage to becoming a tyke. It was very interesting.

Every week, the hotels were replaced with new ones. But it’s very difficult to attract them all.  Some must have taken the elevator to the Penthouse, some have hitch hike to another department. What a dilemma we had.

We thought we have eradicated them. After 50 days, a new batch hatched and we have no idea where they came from. Back to the drawing board.

Plan B: no eating on our desk, no throwing of food in our garbage can, eat at the cafeteria and we have to take our plants home. My computer keyboard missed all the crumbs that fall between the keys. This is the best strategy to clear the desk of workers since we love to snack while working as well as losing weight.

The flies were getting smarter. They just hang around on top of the container. So we added another attraction for them, a swimming pool.

Yes, a bowl full of apple cider vinegar covered with plastic wrap. It was such an easy method and the flies died a swimmingly happy death.

If you need to try this experiment, all you need is a bowl or a jar, plastic wrap and toothpick.

Fruit Fly Swimming Pool

Directions

Fill the bowl or jar with apple cider vinegar
Cover with Saran wrap
Poke holes on the wrap with toothpick
Place the bowl in the kitchen.

At work, we placed it on a moving cart where we can roll it from one corner to another. I call it “meals on wheels” for the fruit flies.)

I must admit I killed plenty of fruit flies. As much I hate killing any sentient being, they are getting bigger and I am pretty sure there’s a nest somewhere in one of my plants.

Stay tuned.