Fruit flies . want gone

Dogoid · 22 Sep 2009 at 16:42

after about 2 weeks of fruit flie invasion ( they just appeared out of nowhere.) i finally found their nest. a rucksack with a forgotten rotten banana in it , i quickly rushed the bag outside and opened it. there was about 300 of them clung to the outer walls of the rucksack and god knows how many on the banana skin.

i hosed the lot of them and hopefully drowned all of the buggers.

there are still a few flying around, but i think i have eliminated the source after 2 weeks of hell.

they reproduce quick.

any tips for a proper clean-up?

neil3k · 22 Sep 2009 at 16:42

eww thats disgusting

heres a tip

always empty your sack

VaderDSL · 22 Sep 2009 at 16:43

Must ... resist ... napalm ... quote.

Doh!

Personally, unless it was an expensive bag I'd throw it and buy a new one.

MikeHunt79 · 22 Sep 2009 at 16:44

neil3k said:
always empty your sack

this

Casdawer · 22 Sep 2009 at 17:20

Dogoid said:
any tips for a proper clean-up?

Nexus · 22 Sep 2009 at 17:26

They will die pretty quickly if they don't have something to feed on.

I found when I had a really bad infestation that the best thing to use was some of those fly strips you hang from the ceiling. By morning they would be caked in them, and once you've thrown away the affending item (in my case a bag of potatos hidden behind something) they will be gone quite quick.

lbcliff · 22 Sep 2009 at 18:15

Don't worry, they will die very soon. Nothing has to be done

RetiredGreyFox · 22 Sep 2009 at 18:49

neil3k said:
eww thats disgusting

If you think that's disgusting you ought to have seen what I was looking at today.
I was invited into a Ward where a woman with a very bad bed sore was being treated by maggots which are a variety of Fruit Fly :eek:

I was then taken into a ward where leeches were being used on skin grafts which wasn't too bad to look at.

Mr.Nick · 22 Sep 2009 at 19:03

dmpoole said:
If you think that's disgusting you ought to have seen what I was looking at today.
I was invited into a Ward where a woman with a very bad bed sore was being treated by maggots which are a variety of Fruit Fly
I was then taken into a ward where leeches were being used on skin grafts which wasn't too bad to look at.

Sounds yummy.

Cybergangster · 22 Sep 2009 at 22:07

http://lifehacker.com/5048662/build-a-fruit-fly-death-trap

Try this - it did the job for me a few months ago.

neil3k · 22 Sep 2009 at 22:11

dmpoole said:
If you think that's disgusting you ought to have seen what I was looking at today.
I was invited into a Ward where a woman with a very bad bed sore was being treated by maggots which are a variety of Fruit Fly
I was then taken into a ward where leeches were being used on skin grafts which wasn't too bad to look at.

very nice mr poole

alex24 · 22 Sep 2009 at 22:13

neil3k said:
always empty your sack

I lol'd hard at this!

Dogoid · 22 Sep 2009 at 23:22

i will try a flie trap if still lingering tomorrow.

i suspect the removal of the source feed items has done the trick though.

Hotwired · 22 Sep 2009 at 23:29

dmpoole said:
If you think that's disgusting you ought to have seen what I was looking at today.
I was invited into a Ward where a woman with a very bad bed sore was being treated by maggots which are a variety of Fruit Fly
I was then taken into a ward where leeches were being used on skin grafts which wasn't too bad to look at.

They're traditional and actually work very well.

Maggots will eat the dead tissue only, removing it from the wound and thus saving a lot of problems.

Leeches encourage blood flow and help prevent clotting (where appropriate).

Unwanted leeches are just annoying. If you ever trek through jungle you're almost certain to have to remove leeches later -_-

RetiredGreyFox · 22 Sep 2009 at 23:40

Hotwired said:
They're traditional and actually work very well.

It must have looked quite funny to some.
After coming from the wards I stopped off in our Pharmacy to borrow some leeches for the Doctors lecture which are in a see through sterilised bucket.
I walked through the Mortuary grounds where some people must have thought they come out of bodies.
Walking by my building there are road workers who gave me some really strange looks but I'm not sure if they actually believed me.

The Halk · 22 Sep 2009 at 23:55

I wouldn't mind leeches, but I just don't fancy the idea of maggots.

Are leeches prescription only, or can we all just pop down the pharmacy and ask for a box of leeches?

Hotwired · 23 Sep 2009 at 00:32

Maggots or gangrene... maggots or gangrene...

I think, over having my flesh rot away, I'd suffer the crawlies.

RetiredGreyFox · 23 Sep 2009 at 07:50

The Halk said:
I wouldn't mind leeches, but I just don't fancy the idea of maggots.

Are leeches prescription only, or can we all just pop down the pharmacy and ask for a box of leeches?

They are hospital prescription only for patients in hospital beds.
Our leeches & maggots are bred in Wales and only the leeches are stored for some time.
If not used they are cleaned out every week but once used they are killed.
Maggots have to be specially ordered in because they are part of the bandage and once full they too are killed.

Dogoid · 24 Sep 2009 at 23:20

planted 4 traps around house consisting of a plastic bottle with perforated foil lids for the entrance into vinegar and fruit heaven, then death.

each trap has dozens of them still alive probably mating and probably many new flies as a result.

they like wine very much and a bottle with some in has about 20 of them floating around , even after a full day , still alive .

some though wont go in and just sit on top of the bottle , prob getting high from the fumes.

tomorrow i end it all and harvest the lot for a mass extinction

qqg3 · 24 Sep 2009 at 23:39

Try your vacuum cleaner, worked for me. They died whilst being flung into the bag at high speed, its also easy to get them in mid air.