Fruit flies…grrrr grrrr

So this is what I’ve done.

I think my problem is that I’ve reached sort of a ‘critical mass’ of fruit flies in the kitchen and they are multiplying faster than I can get rid of them. I scored a major victory this afternoon, though. I found my compost bucket, even though recently scrubbed and polished, was full of fruit fly maggots again. Nasty. So I up as many of them as I could with plain dish soap–bad for soft bodied insects.

In the past we’ve used these fruit fly traps from Gardener’s Supply and they’ve worked pretty well. But I’m out for a few days. The hole is about an eighth of an inch in diameter so I made my own with a small Ziploc container and an squishy strawberry. I’ve caught about ten or fifteen of the things. I don’t think its enough.

Yesterday I was so desperate that I got out our little stick vac and hunted them throughout the kitchen. I think I got about fifty or so but it was sort of a catch and release project. Whenever I’d turn it off they come pouring out of the end again.

I’ve stopped short of spraying and I’m looking for a deterrent. We’ll see what happens.