Help!!! My wife and I have fruit flies infesting our house! I've been told they like fruit left out on the counter and empty fruit or pop cans that have not been washed. We're now rinsing our cans when we're done and throwing them into the recycle in the closet. As for fruit, we only leave bananas out (is this enough?). Even if this is helping, how do we get rid of them?

Yes, that is enough. Also, your thread is triple posted.

You could make a trap for them. A bottle or jar with a funnel leading into it with water inside. Put something like fruit juice into the water to attract them. Then press your fingers together in malicious delight as they are drawn to their doom.

they love alcohol too, so any beer cans or wine bottle empties will be a signal for Party Time!

bananas are especialy "yummy" to them as they give off Ethene gas a precursor to ethyl alcohol.

you could try a Methrin based spray to get rid of them, but if the cause remains, they will return!

Several approaches to the problem:

 

1: Sticky fly tape above something of interest (glass of red wine works)

2: A bowl/glass (more surface area) containing a scented soap (they like most of them), the soap breaks the surface tension so when they land they sink.

3: A bottle of nearly empty balsamic vinegar with a very small hole punched in the metal cap (they can get in fine, but have a royally hard time getting out)

options:

 

1. Mix borax with sugar.

2. Make some NI3 and mix it with glucose.

 

either way:

1. it will die from poison.

2. it will explode

fruit flies dieing from a fiery doom... sounds fun lol

Thanks everyone. I'll try these solutions out.

or thermite them

You could make a trap for them. A bottle or jar with a funnel leading into it with water inside. Put something like fruit juice into the water to attract them. Then press your fingers together in malicious delight as they are drawn to their doom.

 

 

That would work for sure, and if you wanted to be extra malicious/scientific (they go together often...), make the fruit smear alcoholic and view what happens. I read a report by the HHMI that discussed how flies got drunk. The gene in question determining how fast you get drunk? Cheapdate.

Carnivorous plants, lots of carnivorous plants. If you've got a sunny window, Drosera multifida "extrema" can produce a 4-foot wide mass of gloriously colorful stickly tendrils that will easily ensnare anything. Cape sundews are much smaller, but grow like weeds and reproduce like crazy. Nepenthese would also work, but some of the best species, well, let's just say I wouldn't get attached to any small household pets. All the other species like flytraps and US pitcher plants will be going into dormancy about now; I'm probably gonna put mine down for the winter in a few weeks too.

 

Mokele

Or you could just go without bananas for a few weeks.

I like the idea of baiting them. Give them what they want (there was alot of good suggestions) so what they want is where you chose. A large box 3/4 closed box with a no-pest-strip in the box near the feast will dwindle their numbers quickly.