Eradicating a Fruit Fly Infestation

[Swede]

(Mac, if there's a better spot to put this, please feel free to move it...)

At some time or another, it's bound to happen. Fruit flies in the brew room. The are naturally drawn to the scent of rotting and fermenting fruits and sugars. Once they take hold, it feels like an exercise in futility trying to get rid of them. It feels like a double strike, insects in the brew room, and the threat of an acetobacter infection (also known as mother of vinegar, fruit flies have this bacteria on them). Trust me, I'm not in this to make vinegar :angry-banghead:

I tried Raid spray, but it's not something you want to spray liberally on items in your brew room, and it's sure not very effective. After dispensing a half can of Raid over the course of a few weeks with no apparent results, I hit the web to find a home remedy.

One remedy that came repeatedly was using vinegar to bait traps, basalmic or wine vinegar specifically, so I figured I'd give it a try. I took some old wine bottles, poured about 3/4" basalmic vinegar in, and swished it around, and smeared the neck of the bottle to draw in the flies.

Within an hour, there were several flies in and around the bottles, a quick shake every time I'm in there assures that any flies not in the liquid get washed down and trapped in the liquid. I put three bottles in the brew room, one close to each main ferment I have going, and in less than a day, I'm sure I've caught more flies than the raid killed in 2 weeks.

Something to note, WHITE vinegar does not work, I have an open container sitting in there too, and not one fly has gone in. BASALMIC works wonders.

Hope this helps someone...

[SBB]

Swede one thing I have noticed over the years is that Fruit Fly love Bundy and Coke...leave a few drops in a glass over night and you will see what I mean. Little buggers drown it it...could be a solution to your problem
PS Bundy is Aussie rum that some people claim stinks and doesn't taste good.....as for me ...Im attracted to it like a fruit fly :D