# Help? I Have Bugs, Knats, Fruit Flies W/QVIEW



## ronp (Aug 5, 2008)

I don't know what the heck I have. It's been about 5 days now. Day and night, on the patio, and in the kitchen. Yes I have a peach tree but others in the area don't. The only thing different this year is I am smoking but the others arent. I can't even have my beer and V-8 without them swarming the glass.

So, tonight I baited them on the counter and sure as hell you guessed it:








This was only after 1/2 hour. I set another bait and it is loaded already. If you click on the pic they are more eveident. 

Any Ideas or soloutions?

Thanks, oh. I also put up the water bag for flys over the weekend, doesn't work either. I hate using bug sprays.


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## bbqgoddess (Aug 5, 2008)

Yikes Ron!!
what about those candles? I hate the way they smell although my brother picked up some "citrus" citronella candles at Bed Bath and Beyond, and they did not  smell so bad!! just my .02!!


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## white cloud (Aug 5, 2008)

Your bait looks alot like mine which is, apple or wine vinegar with alittle water and sugar PLUS a few drops of dish soap, when they touch the water it pulls them in because of the soap, which breaks the surface tension of the water mixture. Hope it helps and works for me when we start bringing in tomatoes from the garden.


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## flatbroke (Aug 5, 2008)

Shower more often


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## ronp (Aug 5, 2008)

I don't think they would hold a candle to them, lol, but thank for the idea. They don't even get repeled by the sprays, just more come back.

That's funny because my "bait" is my beer and V-8, 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I'll try that, W C, but how can you actually repel them from even coming?

I just made a batch, thanks, let ya know if I find a bunch dead.


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## guvna (Aug 5, 2008)

look around your kitchen and patio and make sure there's no standing water anywhere. if there is, get it dried b/c that's where they're breeding. fruit fly's multiply rapidly but can't really live in absence of water. bleach-water kills the eggs so put some in a spray bottle and spray ALL potential areas that they might be breeding in. fruit fly's are very difficult to get rid of...
hope that helps.
guvna


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## doctor phreak (Aug 5, 2008)

ron hate to tell you but i had the same problem just a two months ago....could not get rid of them did not know where they were coming from..turn out my kitchen drain line under my concrete slab had a hole in and each time we used the kitchen and or dishwasher some of the water came out of the pipe and form a pool of water/mud pit under my slab ..had to tear out my kitchen floor and slab and repair the line and repour concrete and tile..lot of work but as of right now no more little flys ...also i think their called drain flies...this was my problem and sounds like it could be the same issue..look for standing water somewhere in the vicinity where they are....hope this helps..good luck


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## flatbroke (Aug 5, 2008)

Wow, Doctor Freak I bet that was a chore to fix,  How did the leak get detected.  Ron if you have the same problem dont shower LOL.


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## bigwayne (Aug 5, 2008)

Is that pic inside or outside?

You need to figure out what they are before you know what to do about them.  Gnats, fruit flies, and mosquitos are pretty easy to tell apart. I am guessing they are not mosquitoes as they would have been biting you.  If they are fruit flies you should be able to see reddish eyes on them.  If they are plain old gnats, they will generally be all black.

This link covers how to get rid of them.  Biggest issue is usually finding the source.

http://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/fruit_fly.htm


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## ronp (Aug 5, 2008)

Thanks.

Well, we don't have any standing water here in the dessert. I just poured some bleach down the drains, no much as we are on septic.They are both inside and out, but the pic was inside.They seem more reddish brown lately, I think in the beginning ther were black.

Thanks for the link it sounds like a more problem than I thought.


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## ronp (Aug 5, 2008)

Thanks.
I hope that's not it. I have radient heat under the floor, that would be a bummer. No standing water that I am aware of, just checked under the sink, dry. I think it is just something going around since other people are having the same issue. I Hope at least.


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## doctor phreak (Aug 5, 2008)

ron i was thinking about your problem...try this ..take some saran wrap and apply some honey or syrup on one side and then apply the 
" sticky " side down on the drain or your sink and /or bathub/shower  and just press down form a nice seal and go about your bussiness or bed and the next morning see if any flies are stuck to the sticky side and this could lead you to your drain pipes...as your earlier post they started out black but has turn to a reddish brown...mine was the exact color..the smaller ones black and the bigger ones were reddish brown....again i hope this helps they can be very annoying...and very hard to get rid of..again good luck.......


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## ronp (Aug 5, 2008)

Thanks Mike, I just did that, we'll see In the am, plus I plugged the drains with the stopers after the saran.


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## williamzanzinger (Aug 5, 2008)

We had aproblem with these guys ina major way in my kitchen at work. It took orkin 4 attempts at various angles to rid our kitchen. True there are two kinds, drain flies and fruit flies. We had to find where they were nesting which turned out to be a crack in the surface lip of a floor drain. Though we flushed that particular drain they were untouched because they were not IN the drain but down the side. I had them once in my house and accidendally found a cure when I left a 1/4 full open bottle of red sticky wine on my counter. In the morning they were all in the bottle stuck to the sides. Yea!! There attracted to sour of course, maybe theres something around your house you need to scout out.


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## ytsejam (Aug 5, 2008)

i had a big problem with them about a month ago.
I set traps in all the rooms in the house and would catch bowl fulls a day, and yet they still kept coming back.  SO i went on a cleaning expedition, and i finally found where they were coming from, and took care of that.  havent seen another one since.
the sorce of the problem happened to be a diaper pail that had been sitting unused, and still kinda full.  after my daughter was potty trained, we just kind of forgot it was in the corner of her room.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





  it was pretty gnarly


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## white cloud (Aug 5, 2008)

Last year we had alot of hornets hanging around the deck. So I made up the same concoction in a 9 x 13 at the end of the day had drowed close to a hundred of em.


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## ronp (Aug 5, 2008)

Ok, thanks T H, I just did that with some balsamic vinegar, we'll see. I already have 2 caught in 10 minutes whle I was typing here.

I'll keep lookng, thanks.

That sounds gnarly for sure.

I tried that last night, only got a few. My red beer seems to attract them though.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





I just checked the saran in the drains, clean. I also made bleach water and washed the counters down, we'll see later when I come home. So far today they aren't too bad yet. 

Thanks for all the help.


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## ronp (Aug 6, 2008)

T_H, I had 2 traps this am. 1 on the counter and 1 in the pantry. Before I left the counter was ok, so I moved that trap to the pantry. Got home tonight, and they were both active. Here is the thing, it is a dry pantry with canned and paper goods, dog food, and really nothing that would seem to be a breeding ground. Now I moved the traps to the center island and they are swarming there. They love the balsamic vinegar and think that is attracting them, not finding the source. I wonder if they can be coming through the screen? I can't close the window, because we have an evaporative cooling system that requires openings to let the air circulate to the outside.

I am still at a loss.

Thanks for the help so far.


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## supervman (Aug 6, 2008)

Ron - 
We just got some fruit and veggies from a new store and got the same stuff. NO WHERE NEAR what yall got there. 

Take a red wine glass and put a couple shots into it and leave it overnight. Little buggers drown. I don't see ANY in your shot there that are in the liquid. 

If you have out fruits. SCRUB and DRY all fruits, apples etc. 
CLEAN the bowl/basket. 
That will help remove eggs. 

I believe their life cycle is only 3 days. 
I poured some bleach down the drains and in 2 days they were gone. 

Hope it helps. 

SKOL
Vman


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## low&slow (Aug 6, 2008)

I dont know if you have indoor plants or not, but if you do check them cause they like to breed in the soil.


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## coyote (Aug 6, 2008)

make a couple martinis. then get some flying insect killer..Not the stuff  made here as I find it ineffective..If you can find the stuff the military use's great. that stuff kills every thing.
and I don't know if you do it..but out side trash cans..when they do the pick up..wash and disenfect them. let the sun dry them completly then put the lids on//I always give them a good blast of some really vile insect killing stuff before putting the lid on just to ensure they won't make a home there for a while. and it really sounds like you have a piece of aging produce hidden some place.
good luck..and remember if you sleep with your mouth open..they will rest in it..


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## smoke freak (Aug 6, 2008)

Ive had these critters around my compost pails from time to time. And like L&S said , they can breed any where including potting soil in house plants. They do have a very short life span but reproduce rapidly so controlling them is a challenge. 

 My best defense is Yellow sticky traps.  They are attracted to the color yellow.  I get mine from www.gardensalive.com . They work best when placed horizantally.


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## ronp (Aug 6, 2008)

Thanks, Vman. No fruit here, well maybe a dead bannana, lol 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 . I just poured some redwine in a bowl, we'll see if it works or not. I did the bleach last night.

Thanks, L&S checked the plants, their OK.

Thanks, Coyote. The garbage cans are pretty far away, so I don't think that's the problem. No produce either.

I'll wear a Face mask to bed, cause I do.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Damn bugs, Balsamic vinegar, now red wine? I feel I am feeding some gourmet, or something!
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	












Here is my "Catch" for the day. I just put the redwine down as I typed and there were quite a few there click on the pic, none drowned though, maybe an overnighter will do it. What's next? Prime rib, a good pastrami sammie?

How would this work? Pastrami, smoked chicken, and capicola, on caraway rye and swiss. Last nights dinner.







No way, that's when I quit feeding them, a little balsamic, a little wine, ok, but that's where it stops. I'm not sharing my smokes with those Ba#$#@#$.


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## supervman (Aug 6, 2008)

Umm Ron 
Got any extras? 
Brother would like one of those sandwiches! :)


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## coyote (Aug 6, 2008)

"No way, that's when I quit feeding them, a little balsamic, a little wine, ok, but that's where it stops. I'm not sharing my smokes with those Ba#$#@#$.
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





 "

LOL..Ron I think that stuff you are feeding them is like a bug ******..and they seem to be getting to ya..LOL..sleep well..


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## ronp (Aug 6, 2008)

Thanks Freak, I'll check that link later as it seems busy now.

Thanks T-H, Well, I usually have the fan speed on low, and the window is open about 3 ". Reason I thought about the screen is I spotted a few on it, and it is just outside the smoker, a foot away. Oh, another thing is we have 2 coolers, and 2 stories, no flys up stairs, just down stairs in the kitchen area. 

Thanks for everyone going the extra mile for me, I owe ya all for even caring!


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## ronp (Aug 6, 2008)

I'll send ya one, let me know how.

Almost time for a martini, they dont seem to like them, [email protected]#%^#. Too fussy!


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## mossymo (Aug 6, 2008)

Try a 50/50 mix of Lemon Joy (original bottle) dishwashing detergent and Mountain Dew. We use it for wasps/hornets/bees and it seems to get rid of them.


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## bcfishman (Aug 6, 2008)

A Bic lighter and a large can of WD-40/

When you see one of those little bastages... click lighter, point WD-40 and let er rip.

It's like aerial dogfighting, but with miniature flies.
To start out with, use the wide spray but as you get better you can put the little red straw that comes with it into the hole and pick them off one by one.

This will definitely work better than the other methods mentioned and you will have fun playing with fire and watching them fall from the sky like flies. ehhh...


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## ronp (Aug 6, 2008)

Yikes that's a little extreme. I am not a pyro geek, I would probably burn the damn house down.

Thanks I think I'll pass on this one, though.


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## bbqgoddess (Aug 6, 2008)

OMG! AERIAL DOGFIGHTING? LMAO!
I knew this was gonna be bad when I saw "a bic lighter and a LARGE can of wd-40"....then mix with alcohol! lol!


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## ronp (Aug 6, 2008)

LOL, that's funny. I agree. But thanks for the idea BCFishMan.


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## kojo (Aug 6, 2008)

Ron, Im not sure what part of Nm your from, but i'm in Albuquerque and i have the same problem, i thinks it's from all te rain and humidity we been getting. I been wrapping up the tap on my keggerator the last few nights. I'm going to try a few of these tricks myself.


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## doctor phreak (Aug 6, 2008)

ron this cooling system.of your might be the problem...beare with me here...if your cooling system simiar to a swamp cooler then you have a constant water flow or water that stands for a period of time...the little buggers are coming from a water source and if you all have a lot of rain and humidity i would if possible clean the cooler with bleach and water and dry it out ..because you must have a drain or open water filter that they could be breeding in...and see if this won't help...other than that my friend i am at a lost...but i really think the little buggers are coming from a water source somewhere from you house or aroung it and venting into your house....again man good luck and i hope i have been some help..and think of this winter around the corner and those bugs hate cold weather....


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## carnuba (Aug 6, 2008)

BCFishMan;238418 said:
			
		

> A Bic lighter and a large can of WD-40/
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## mtlcafan79 (Aug 6, 2008)

WD40 used to be a lot more fun when it was made of the good stuff. Try starting fluid instead.


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## ronp (Aug 6, 2008)

Thanks MossyMo, I'll see if I can get some Mountain Dew.

I am in Rio Rancho. Good luck!

Hey doc, I have 2 swampers side by side on the roof. One is for the upstairs, and the for downstairs. I don't have any flies upstairs at all so I'm not sure that would help.

Just an update though. Here are the bowls after last night: 







I have very few flies left in the air today. The bowl with the wine on the left, has about 50 dead ones in the wine. There are a lot in the vinegar also, but are not dead, just trapped, so both ideas work well. I like the wine better because it kills them. I'll have to sumerge the vineger in the sink and drown them. 

Thanks *supervman for the wine idea,and Texas Hunter for the vinegar idea, they both work.*

That being said, I am not sure if I am outa the woods yet, but it looks promising. I just drowned the ones in vinegar, and added wine, now I have 3 bowls with wine.

*I would like to thank everyone for their help and thoughts, this is one big family, THANK YOU, I wouldn't have gotten this far without all the help.




*


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## 1894 (Aug 6, 2008)

Sorry Ron , Not much helpfull ideas from here 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





But if you had a bee problem 
	

	
	
		
		



		
		
	


	





Brake cleaner spray works great too . Lot's of pressure and a good 7' - 10' feet of range


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## mtlcafan79 (Aug 6, 2008)

I've killed wasp nests with a cup of unlit gas when we were out doing commercial landscaping. It kills them on contact pretty much. Just make sure you hit it the first time!


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## 1894 (Aug 6, 2008)

And then hit them with the aerosol flame thrower ???


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## ronp (Aug 7, 2008)

Well thanks again everyone. I only caught 4 all day, saw 3 flying around. The cheap box wine worked the best.


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## supervman (Aug 9, 2008)

I thought they came in on some peaches we bought. 
Just found out they're in the garbage can in the garage and slippin in when the kids open and close the door going in and out. 

Neighbors have gutted and are redoing their basement so they've had one of those HUGE dumpsters in their drive way for the last several weeks. ( I think this is the 7th one ) and they have a kid who is always eatin bananas and he pitches the skins in the dumpster. 

My kids said there are swarms of the things over there so now I know the source. 

Garbage was Wed. We bleached the cans that night and now we have them again. ARRRGH! 

Time for more wine.


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## ronp (Aug 10, 2008)

Sorry to hear that V Man. The wine traps work, you might wan't to set a few in the garage as well, good and cheap.

Good luck, man.

Ron


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