# Fruit fly season again. Bastids! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 26, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320 "2014-05-26T23:04:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/1 "2014-05-26T23:04:27Z")
I hate 'em. Glass of wine while I’m typing this–they’re right there. Banana on the counter-there. Any recourse? ---
**Author:** ![Fiveroptic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiveroptic/32/8257_2.png) [@Fiveroptic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveroptic)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/2 "2014-05-26T23:07:33Z")
Well…guns are popular in our culture. Might be a tad overkill but I’m right there with you on this rant. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/3 "2014-05-26T23:20:09Z")
Put everything in your fridge, even bananas. Change your trash and spray the can with Lysol. Pour some bleach down all the sink drains and let it sit for a bit in the traps before running the water. Finally, some apple cider vinegar (or some wine) in a shallow jar, with some dish liquid mixed in. Should create a little death trap. Might take about a week but they should go away. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2014, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/4 "2014-05-26T23:23:14Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > I hate 'em. > Glass of wine while I’m typing this–they’re right there. Banana on the counter-there. Any recourse? Beer and chips. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/5 "2014-05-27T00:48:39Z")
> [@ZipperJJ](#): > > Put everything in your fridge, even bananas. Change your trash and spray the can with Lysol. Pour some bleach down all the sink drains and let it sit for a bit in the traps before running the water. Finally, some apple cider vinegar (or some wine) in a shallow jar, with some dish liquid mixed in. Should create a little death trap. > > Might take about a week but they should go away. That actually sounds useful. thx ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/6 "2014-05-27T00:54:03Z")
[These](http://www.gardeners.com/search?q=fruit%20fly%20traps) traps really do work. I haven’t had fruit flies for years, since I started using them. It’s probably good to put bleach down your drains too but I don’t think those flies are the same as fruit flies. ---
**Author:** ![Morgyn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/morgyn/32/3041_2.png) [@Morgyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morgyn)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/7 "2014-05-27T04:21:48Z")
Except don’t use bleach if you’re on a septic system! ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/8 "2014-05-27T04:56:44Z")
When I first moved to LA, they were still doing aerial spraying for Mediterranean fruit flies. And they would make all these announcements that it was perfectly safe, but then they would say that you might want to cover your car to protect the paint from damage. Which, I don’t know. Maybe it was safe. But you ain’t gonna convince anyone of that if you’re telling them it causes paint damage. It always seemed funny in a bizarre way to me. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Batman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/22d042/32.png) [@The\_Batman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Batman)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/9 "2014-05-27T05:43:11Z")
Poor you. Nothing like fruity flies to ruin your fruity shit. That said, a running air current should safeguard your poor, poor fruitfly-attracting crap. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/10 "2014-05-27T14:12:39Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > That actually sounds useful. thx And it actually works. I use a very small bowl, with a few drops of dish soap. Just make sure it’s cider vinegar, not white. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/11 "2014-05-27T17:47:35Z")
I’d trade fruit flies for the giant, green shit-flies we got here any day. ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/12 "2014-05-27T19:12:44Z")
> [@BrightNShiny](#): > > but then they would say that you might want to cover your car to protect the paint from damage. So it’s just another thing cars aren’t regulated for. ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/13 "2014-05-27T19:54:46Z")
> [@Drunky\_Smurf](#): > > So it’s just another thing cars aren’t regulated for. Not really. But it is an example of immoral shitheads like you making stuff up. But thanks for hijacking. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/14 "2014-05-27T23:56:49Z")
> [@samclem](#): > > Banana on the counter-there. Any recourse? Get rid of the bananas, of course. _Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana._ Thought everyone knew that. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/15 "2014-05-28T00:32:25Z")
I do the homemade trap, and also try to monitor fruit for ripeness and put it in the fridge as soon as it’s ripe enough. I also don’t put organic scraps in the trash, I use a small bag in the freezer instead, and just take it out whenever I take out the main trash. That method also keeps regular flies and other pests out of the kitchen, and it rarely gets stinky. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/16 "2014-05-28T01:41:22Z")
> [@Fiveroptic](#): > > Well…guns are popular in our culture. Might be a tad overkill but I’m right there with you on this rant. Guns against fruit flies is so 19th century. What you need is a Linux app and frikkin’ [lasers](http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/05/27/control_fruit_fly_with_frikkin_lasers/) to control the little buggers in the modern way. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/17 "2014-05-28T06:00:57Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > And it actually works. I use a very small bowl, with a few drops of dish soap. Just make sure it’s cider vinegar, not white. Sure, you’re feeding them. Remove the food source, and you won’t have fruit flies left to ingest the cider vinegar. I’ve had times when I’d swear there was absolutely no possible food source attracting them, then found a forgotten potato decomposing at the bottom of a misplaced basket, or something similar. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/18 "2014-05-28T07:16:44Z")
> [@The\_Batman](#): > > Poor you. Nothing like fruity flies to ruin your fruity shit. > > That said, a running air current should safeguard your poor, poor fruitfly-attracting crap. :dubious: Not quite sure what to make of this post. Unless the appropriate takeaway is that you’re not the kind of Batman that fights crime; you’re the type who doesn’t appreciate it when somebody disses your favorite food source. But if it’s that one, I feel ya, bro. ---
**Author:** ![MacTech](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MacTech](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MacTech)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fruit-fly-season-again-bastids/689320/19 "2014-05-28T18:47:53Z")
I’ll trade you, I’ll take your fruit flies, you take our ticks, deal?