Fruit flies have moved in
Nov 2018 — Have you noticed an increase in fruit flies since you began shopping at farmers markets or vegetable stands? Whether you are an animal activist (flies are animals, too), a defender of your home or a blatant specieist (is that a word?), how are you going to keep the population and the chemicals down?
Www.Care2.com has various suggestions:
1 Prevent the infestation. Diligently empty the kitchen compost collector daily; in the summer, empty the garbage can often. Keep the kitchen clean, eliminating standing bodies of water.
2 Put cut up fruit in a container that has a lid. Take off the lid to bait the insects. When the fruit is covered with the critters, screw on the lid, take the container outside and release the invaders.
3 If you’ve no qualms about killing the insects, take advantage of the flies’ poor vision. Pour about ΒΌ inch to an inch of apple cider vinegar into a small bowl. Add a few drops of dish soap. The flies will be attracted by the vinegar and killed by the detergent. Empty and refill until the neighbors have passed away.
Some folks cover a tall glass with cellophane wrap, attach it with a rubber band, prick it so the flies go in but can’t see their way out. Others replace the cellophane and rubber band with a cone made from a sheet of paper and put it into the top of the jar. The critters enter but never exit.