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InvisibleCreonAntigone
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Registered: 05/30/21
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Fruit flies
    #28024804 - 10/30/22 05:07 PM (1 year, 2 months ago)

What is a way to eliminate fruit flies that does not leech any toxins into plants?

I have been facing a swarm of fruit flies in my garden - it seems they're breeding in my composted and moving from there to some of my other plants. I want a way to kill them that doesn't leech toxins into the soil or plants - so whatever I'd use would have to be something that either doesn't stick around long, or isn't toxic to people. The flies are buzzing around my rye plants.

I tried neem oil and peppermint oil. Neem usually kills most of the insects I try to get rid of, a high enough concentration kills wasps and house flies in my experience. But they're shaking it off and aren't dying that fast. I know neem will reduce their growth long-term but I want to find something that can kill on contact.


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Offlineturtle_hermit
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: CreonAntigone]
    #28024818 - 10/30/22 05:14 PM (1 year, 2 months ago)

I use yellow sticky traps in the greenhouse all the time.
Something about the color attracts insects, they stick to the paper, and die.
The hanging fly paper traps work well too, I hang them around my chicken coop when flies get wild.


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OfflineHappyHigh
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: turtle_hermit]
    #28025250 - 10/30/22 09:00 PM (1 year, 2 months ago)

For flying pest yellow sticky for crawling copper mesh at base, Answer to all bug issues.


--------------------
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.


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InvisibleHFM
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: HappyHigh] * 3
    #28025575 - 10/31/22 03:25 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)

Take apple cider vinegar add some dish soap,put in a wide mouth jar,take plastic wrap and poke holes downthrough wrap as a lid they crawl through and can't get out,take a drink and die,knocks out swarms fast.Just swirl the jar to release vinager smell and they'll come quick.


--------------------
Trees lay chipped across the paths,
we hunt their souls to eat the wrath-HFM


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OfflineSoloist
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Registered: 02/10/22
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Loc: Suburban hell
Last seen: 9 hours, 5 minutes
Re: Fruit flies [Re: HFM]
    #28025799 - 10/31/22 09:18 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)

Quote:

HFM said:
Take apple cider vinegar add some dish soap,put in a wide mouth jar,take plastic wrap and poke holes downthrough wrap as a lid they crawl through and can't get out,take a drink and die,knocks out swarms fast.Just swirl the jar to release vinager smell and they'll come quick.





That sounds really easy haha. Fruit flies drive me bonkers.
Those, ticks and mosquitoes are the only things I will kill on sight.


--------------------
Embrace your darkness,
For without it,
Your light can never
truly exist.

                  ๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ–๐ŸŒ—๐ŸŒ˜๐ŸŒ‘๐ŸŒ’๐ŸŒ“๐ŸŒ”๐ŸŒ•
                          The Earth And I
89g fresh Gymnopilus subspectibilis
Rapรฉh Crafters
Trade and wish list
๐Ÿ„๐Ÿ‘€MO๐Ÿ„๐Ÿ‘€
Itโ€™s time to ghost this placeโœŒ๐Ÿป


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OfflineAcaterpillar
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: Soloist]
    #28028001 - 11/01/22 03:24 PM (1 year, 2 months ago)

Left over beer and soap has also worked well for me. Ive been dealing with a fruit fly infestation recently and usually just leave out beer and soap or vinegar and soap to decent effect. Also keeping any viable food sources for them out of the specific area will keep them for reproducing faster than you can kill them.


--------------------
Aaa...E I O Uuu...A E I O Uuu..A E I O uh Uuu..
*Cough* *Cough*
Ooo...U E I O Aaa...U E I Aaa..A E I O Uuuuu...

At first sight, The Perfection of Wisdom is bewildering, full of paradox and apparent irrationality.


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Offlinedaysbetween
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: Acaterpillar] * 2
    #28031858 - 11/03/22 09:03 PM (1 year, 2 months ago)

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis or BTI, a species of bacteria that kill the larva

A product called Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito bites is what you are looking for. 

Put a quarter of a mosquito dunk into a gallon of water, let it soak for 24 hours then water your plants with that.

Use yellow traps as recommended to kill adults.


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OfflineHappyHigh
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: daysbetween]
    #28032355 - 11/04/22 08:43 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)

I've used every at home mix they all end up hurting plants if you have a real problem. I had aphids for years on years spent countless $ on toxins and aggressive bugs that eat them, nothing worked.... copper + sticky trap they are gone in 2 weeks and it is afk.


--------------------
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.


Edited by HappyHigh (11/04/22 08:43 AM)


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OfflineAcaterpillar
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: HappyHigh]
    #28032400 - 11/04/22 09:42 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)

I've had success with predatory mites, they tend to linger longer than flying predatory bugs like lady bugs, wasps and mantids.
Aphids are usually pretty easy to handle though if you spray with menthol then spray it off with water a minute later. Def don't leave insecticidal mixes on your plants, most work after a minute and then need to be sprayed and wiped off.


--------------------
Aaa...E I O Uuu...A E I O Uuu..A E I O uh Uuu..
*Cough* *Cough*
Ooo...U E I O Aaa...U E I Aaa..A E I O Uuuuu...

At first sight, The Perfection of Wisdom is bewildering, full of paradox and apparent irrationality.


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OfflineSoloist
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: HappyHigh]
    #28032406 - 11/04/22 09:48 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)

Copper? How does that come into play?.. if you donโ€™t mind my ignoranceโ€ฆ


--------------------
Embrace your darkness,
For without it,
Your light can never
truly exist.

                  ๐ŸŒ•๐ŸŒ–๐ŸŒ—๐ŸŒ˜๐ŸŒ‘๐ŸŒ’๐ŸŒ“๐ŸŒ”๐ŸŒ•
                          The Earth And I
89g fresh Gymnopilus subspectibilis
Rapรฉh Crafters
Trade and wish list
๐Ÿ„๐Ÿ‘€MO๐Ÿ„๐Ÿ‘€
Itโ€™s time to ghost this placeโœŒ๐Ÿป


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OfflineHappyHigh
Stranger

Registered: 05/05/17
Posts: 892
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: Soloist]
    #28032697 - 11/04/22 02:21 PM (1 year, 2 months ago)

I honestly haven't researched it. just was something some one told me here in shroomery about 3 years ago. I had issues for years and thought no fucking way copper is my answer....
was so wrong. My p viridis had aphids a month ago got copper on the base i have no more aphids or the pesky ants that came with them. Also stopped caterpillars and slugs.

Reading on it now it seems a double wammy. it actually can shock slugs but in insects it is the taste/smell as they move close too it with antenna.


--------------------
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.


Edited by HappyHigh (11/04/22 04:48 PM)


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OfflineIcon
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: HFM] * 1
    #28032711 - 11/04/22 02:32 PM (1 year, 2 months ago)

Quote:

HFM said:
Take apple cider vinegar add some dish soap,put in a wide mouth jar,take plastic wrap and poke holes downthrough wrap as a lid they crawl through and can't get out,take a drink and die,knocks out swarms fast.Just swirl the jar to release vinager smell and they'll come quick.



This. I've used this hack before and it really works, they were all dead in the vinegar within a couple days.

OP are you sure it's fruit flies and not fungus gnats? I ask because fruit flies shouldn't really be spawning from or affecting your potted plants. Fungus gnats could colonize them though. For gnats, try "mosquito bits". Might even be able to use it on the compost pile,


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Offlinethe man
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: Icon]
    #28033677 - 11/05/22 01:32 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)

yup predatory mites or peroxide wi water get top inch or so with it to zap larva sticky traps after peroxide next water can use mosquito dunks to keep any new ones down, takes few weeks to get them but its doable.

the hugest thing is stop watering so much let it dry out an inch or 2 before waterings save effort and time and better for plants aswell, never mind wont have gnat issues. as assume u have gnats not fruit flies.


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InvisibleCreonAntigone
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Registered: 05/30/21
Posts: 2,875
Re: Fruit flies [Re: Icon]
    #28034449 - 11/05/22 01:16 PM (1 year, 2 months ago)

Quote:

Icon said:
OP are you sure it's fruit flies and not fungus gnats? I ask because fruit flies shouldn't really be spawning from or affecting your potted plants. Fungus gnats could colonize them though. For gnats, try "mosquito bits". Might even be able to use it on the compost pile,




Certain it's fruit flies as I've dealt with both. What they're most interested in are the uncomposted scraps in my composter. They are flying around my plants in a secondary way, but they're mostly laying eggs in the compost bin it seems.

I can tell because of the big red eyes on these flies.

I actually didn't mind fungus gnats as much since they seemed to keep to plants and didn't multiply as much.

I've considered chunking my whole compost bin or getting out the food scraps from it, but then I'm not composting anymore.

Maybe I could seal off my composter completely so no flies could get in or out, so that at least if they are multiplying they can't be buzzing around my garden in general.


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Offlinethe man
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: CreonAntigone]
    #28036215 - 11/06/22 09:36 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)

fruit flies wont poss an issue liek gnats. ya just set otut sticky and vinegr traps and put compost outside they will calm down.


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Invisiblethizzlemaniac
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: CreonAntigone] * 1
    #28037629 - 11/07/22 04:23 AM (1 year, 2 months ago)

This method is gross but i found it to be the best for me.

Take cups of juice and set them next to problem areas. All of the bugs will kill themselves in the juice. Keep dumping and refilling till problem is gone :thumbup:


--------------------
Hi how are you? How high are you?



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InvisibleCreonAntigone
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Posts: 2,875
Re: Fruit flies [Re: CreonAntigone]
    #28289669 - 04/22/23 10:29 AM (9 months, 2 days ago)

Following up on this thread about fruit flies in my soil to say what worked:

They died in the winter but this spring they came back, this time infesting my plant pots. I believe neem oil is the ticket - and that I wasn't using enough of it. If neem is high, it kills on contact; the ones that aren't killed are coated in neem and spread it around their nests inhibiting egg production.

It seems neem has certain thresholds that impact the insects differently - a little exposure and they live, more and it is a paralyizing agent and they die. So a higher dose of neem oil would kill the whole population of fruit flies.

This morning after seeing a lot of flies I sprayed with a very strong neem oil (half of the small bottle of oil, in a bit of water with a drop of soap). A number died on contact, the others looked stunned or sick. If I had sprayed more I could've killed them all but I left the ones that lived to spread it to their eggs. This evening I will spray with an even stronger neem oil concentration and I think that will kill most of them.


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InvisiblePurple sunset
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: daysbetween]
    #28295409 - 04/25/23 09:46 PM (8 months, 29 days ago)

Quote:

daysbetween said:
Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis or BTI, a species of bacteria that kill the larva

A product called Mosquito Dunks or Mosquito bites is what you are looking for. 

Put a quarter of a mosquito dunk into a gallon of water, let it soak for 24 hours then water your plants with that.

Use yellow traps as recommended to kill adults.





This is pure gold exactly as I was about to write



These won't harm your plants and it'll take them out within days is all

I added this to my dirt 3 years ago and they never came back .


Likely your neem won't work long and they'll be back it's only good for the adults



You'll think you got them but unless you do the above advice they'll be back harder


--------------------


Edited by Purple sunset (04/25/23 09:49 PM)


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InvisibleCreonAntigone
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: Purple sunset]
    #28298225 - 04/27/23 11:00 PM (8 months, 27 days ago)

You may be right. Today most of the adults were dead but there were a bunch of larvae coming up. I applied 70% neem oil and they did not die. I will monitor tomorrow and see if they die eventually, but neem may not be a direct kill on the larval stage as it is on the adults.


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InvisibleCreonAntigone
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Re: Fruit flies [Re: CreonAntigone]
    #28300298 - 04/29/23 07:19 PM (8 months, 25 days ago)

All the larvae died the next day. Still some adults made it, fewer now. My hope is that Neem has made the living adults sterile or at least reduced their capacity to breed.


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