Today is about death!
You would think that being married to a wine maker would be glamorous. It's not. The piles of wine stained clothes, dinners that steal him from the family table, worrying about him driving home late at night from events, the physical toll of hard and sometimes very dangerous work... and, at this time of year, losing him utterly and completely to the grape. The wives of those who toil in the vineyards and stomp on grapes are known as "Harvest Widow's" for good reason.
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| My husband's mistress. |
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| Juicy green hussy! |
Now, I've tried everything and heard every tale for getting rid of the little buggers. Cider vinegar, beer, soap... I've tried it all. But last week I stumbled upon something and did a little kitchen experiment to see if I was right.
I took several glasses and filled each of them with things said to trap/kill/lure the wee beasties. I arranged them in a ring on the counter and waited. Here's the results...
WINE
CIDER VINEGAR
BEER
FRUIT & WATER
Each of these glasses had captured just a few fruit flies (between 3-7). One of the tricks I read said to add soap to the cider vinegar, that the bubbles would 'trap' the fruit flies so I tried that too.
CIDER VINEGAR & SOAP
You really can't tell from the photo but there ARE several flies at the bottom of the glass.
Compared to the others it was a fair bit more successful and the flies did get trapped in the bubbles.
BUT WAIT... there's one last glass.
What's in there? YEAST!
When I was making pizza dough last weekend the fruit flies buzzing around like mad driving me bonkers. That's when I decided to see if I could use yeast to catch the buggy things. Sure enough they seem far more attracted to this than any of the other liquids. Some dried yeast, a pinch of sugar and warm water = fruit fly death trap!
oh bless you.....I have tried everything that had been recommended but nothing really good....gonna try this right now. I am so tired of the little buggers flying into everything. Thanks my dear. Oma Linda
ReplyDeleteWow! That is very very interesting indeed that yeast would attract them dang pesty things!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat story and thanks for sharing!
I am trying this RIGHT NOW. So tired of smelling apple cider vinegar and the swarming little bastards just mocking me.
ReplyDeleteOh, thank the gods for your tenacious experimenting! Thanks to you, I will have a more peaceful, fly free kitchen in the warmer months when the bastards seem to appear out of thin air.
ReplyDeleteBless you, Mrs. Knickertwist! I've usually relied on commercial traps to keep the house fruit fly free, but they've totally let me down this year. A flock rode in on some supermarket peaches a month ago, and their descendents are whooping it up in the kitchen even now. Yeast, here we come!
ReplyDeleteBeen using apple cider vinegar with a dash of dish washing
ReplyDeleteliquid for years. Set them out all over the house with great success but will try the yeast recipe if it works faster! The darn things drive me nuts!!
We live in the middle of vineyards. I will give this a try. Do hate those little bugs!
ReplyDeleteGoing to the kitchen to whip up a batch! HOPE like crazy that it works. They love the tomatoes I have sittin on my counter. I've tried leaving an empty bottle of wine with the little bit I can't squeeze from the bottle on the counter and it catches a few but not enough...thanks for your tenacity!
ReplyDeleteI use apple cider vinegar and a bit of sugar in a glass (mix sugar until dissolved in vinegar with plastic over the top. Poke little holes in the top of the plastic with a tooth pick so the flies go in and can't get out.If you use a plastic cup you just through the whole thing away! Works perfectly every time!!!
ReplyDeleteI find the this yeasty trap idea very inventive. I do not want to conclude reckless, but it can be assumed that the material enticing scent of yeast, the resulting alcohol fermentation process and the formation of volatile compounds of carbon dioxide. Among these may be either luring effect on fruit flies. Whereas this trap was the most effective, and at the other tests were present only in negligible quantities , and this is the carbon dioxide gas. Whether what is the truth, this trap works for me too.
ReplyDeletethe vinegar works really well you cant use just any soap i use dawn dish soap with regular soap which sinks to the bottom dawn doesnt do that i didnt know about using yeast im gonna have to try that
ReplyDeleteWhat about at work? Some one said hairspray. How can I transport something at work.small office.no one likes the vinegar smell.lol
ReplyDeleteThank you. I am going to try this living in South Carolina we have them all the time.
ReplyDeleteI make sour dough bread and use a bit of the starter to kill them too. My starter has yeast water and sugar and boy do they love it all dead in 24 hrs. Just like you here. We also make wine just homemade tinkering but the fruit flies are awful! Can't imagine it in a grander scale like you have!, anyway glad you posted this!
ReplyDeleteHow much of each ingredient?
DeleteLove love this idea! It worked better than all the others. Thanks for the idea, I can stand my kitchen again!
ReplyDelete