Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I'm sure I am not the only one with this...

What do you all do to control escaped fruit flies? I seem to have an endless supply prancing around the room - on the light fixtures, near the sink, on top of the tanks, etc.

They aren't escaping from the cultures, but the do get out from the tiny vents at the front of the vivs.

I would love to know if anyone has a successful way to attract and trap the runaways so that they don't climb everywhere.

Thanks!
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-Iman

1.1 BRBs (Ying and Yang)
1.1 JCPs (Striker and Sheila)
0.0.2 BPs (Spot and Speck)
0.0.4 Dendrobates Tinctorius 'Suriname Cobalts'
0.0.4 Dendrobates Auratus 'Costa Rican Green and Black'
5.5 Fish (Insert your favorite names here)
1.0 Miniature Daschund (Rue)

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I never kill spiders, so always have a lot of fine webs around the tanks. I do clean these up fairly often, but don't mash the spiders that make them. Spiders aren't everyone's idea of ideal fruit fly control, however. I just happen to like spiders. A couple of years ago, I switched to using all totally wingless fruit flies rather than the various other flightless strains, and this has really helped keep them at least closer to the tanks, as they don't seem to be able to travel as far.

You can also try to keep them in the tanks with a piece of orange as an attractant.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

D. auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, galactonotus orange, galactonotus yellow, fantasticus, reticulatus, imitator, castaneoticus, azureus, pumilio Bastimentos. P. lugubris, vittatus, terribilis mint green, terribilis orange.

They don't need much air in that tank. I had EVERYTHING sealed on my tanks. The only air getting in was when I opened the lid every day to dump in fruit flies.

If you still have a problem, tell everyone that they are pepper. And if they point out that it is moving, ask them if they had never seen really FRESH pepper before?
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

I use the pepper excuse a lot, but have some trouble explaining why I pepper the Merlot.
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

D. auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, galactonotus orange, galactonotus yellow, fantasticus, reticulatus, imitator, castaneoticus, azureus, pumilio Bastimentos. P. lugubris, vittatus, terribilis mint green, terribilis orange.

Don't you normally salt the Merlot first anyway?

>>I use the pepper excuse a lot, but have some trouble explaining why I pepper the Merlot.
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>>Patty
>>Pahsimeroi, Idaho
>>
>>D. auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, galactonotus orange, galactonotus yellow, fantasticus, reticulatus, imitator, castaneoticus, azureus, pumilio Bastimentos. P. lugubris, vittatus, terribilis mint green, terribilis orange.
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phflame
kingsnake.com host

Heaven's no--Bacchus would slay anyone who did that!
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Patty
Pahsimeroi, Idaho

D. auratus blue, auratus Ancon Hill, galactonotus orange, galactonotus yellow, fantasticus, reticulatus, imitator, castaneoticus, azureus, pumilio Bastimentos. P. lugubris, vittatus, terribilis mint green, terribilis orange.

As Patty points out, fruit flies love red wine. A small cup of red wine with a drop of dish soap will help keep the escapees under control. The dish soap reduces the surface tension of the wine, so that the flies sink.