# Fruit Fly Escapees



## catfish (Mar 28, 2008)

I don't know what made me do this, but last night I opened a container of hydei flies without tapping them down. They were in full bloom, and as you can imagine, hundreds of them (it seemed like thousands!) went all over the kitchen. In my panic I knocked the container to the floor and the rest of them escaped. My husband was due home soon, and although he thinks the frogs are great, he's not a fan of fruit flies in the the kitchen. I scooped and smushed for over an hour and still found flies coming out of everywhere. This morning it dawned on me that I should have used the vacuum cleaner. So I put the hose on the vacuum and sucked out all the corners of the kitchen. You wouldn't believe how many flies were still wandering around. So, next time flies escape I'll run for the vacuum. Just thought I would pass this tidbit on.


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## gary1218 (Dec 31, 2005)

You need to get a golden retriever. My 16 month old female loves to follow me into the frog room and "capture" the ones crawling along the floor. Pretty funny to watch


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## catfish (Mar 28, 2008)

You're right, I do need a retriever, because my 2 cats were absolutely useless!


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## boyaminalnurse (May 7, 2008)

Would just like to say I understand your frustration. Today I placed one of my cultures back without the lid. Took a shower, came back and couldnt figure out why I ket finding FF everywhere. Then I looked at the cultures and there it sat with no lid. AUGH! Oh well, thank God for other cultures.


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## Fishman (Jan 16, 2007)

Must be some thing in the air. When I was feeding last night, as I tapped out the flies into the dusting container I knocked the dusting container over. Only lost about 50-75 flies, and smeared another 50+ on the work counter. BIG PITA, but at least my FF's and frogs are in the basement and away from the understanding but intollerent of bugs spouse!


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## JL-Exotics (Nov 10, 2005)

Ah yes, it is pretty much inevitable that the cup full of dusted flies will be tipped, dropped, kicked, or bumped and send it's contents to the floor. Same goes for dusted crickets... Happens to all of us! And I will have to agree that the vac works great to round up the runners. That is usually a good time to suck up as many of the free range spiders as possible too.


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## bobberly1 (Jul 16, 2008)

boyaminalnurse said:


> Would just like to say I understand your frustration. Today I placed one of my cultures back without the lid. Took a shower, came back and couldnt figure out why I ket finding FF everywhere. Then I looked at the cultures and there it sat with no lid. AUGH! Oh well, thank God for other cultures.


Oh man, I've had a phobia of this ever since I started. i just found out one of my springtail cultures has an opening in it, and they're all escaping directly into the 20 gallon fish tank they're on top of, not nearly as bad.

I figure I'll share a little horror story as well. Once, I was culturing hydei in homemade culture jars, before I had darts. Since I was just maintaining a stock and didn't actually need to feed anything with it, I didn't really pay any attention to it. Well I used a vent cover that was fine enough for hydei, but not for these tiny ones around my house. Mind you these were TINY, considerably smaller than melanogasters. So they cultured like you wouldn't believe and when they can get in, they can get out. So I had countless flying FFs all over my kitchen for almost a month, when they inevitably died off.


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## Anoleo2 (Feb 1, 2006)

Haha, I know how you all feel.

One time I was making cultures as usual, and I tapped a bunch of flies into a new culture, then reached for the lid, and slammed it onto the old, already closed culture, letting all of the new flies escape... Doh!


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## hexentanz (Sep 18, 2008)

catfish said:


> You're right, I do need a retriever, because my 2 cats were absolutely useless!


You need 2 more cats...... We have 4 cats here and you hardly ever see any escapees.


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## Otis (Apr 16, 2006)

I use sticky fly traps, you can get a 5 pack for 3 bucks at home depot or lowes. I have used the beer/vinegar way but this way is a lot less maintenance. Just make sure not to get your hair stuck on them. 

Good luck!


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## catfish (Mar 28, 2008)

otis07 said:


> I use sticky fly traps, you can get a 5 pack for 3 bucks at home depot or lowes. I have used the beer/vinegar way but this way is a lot less maintenance. Just make sure not to get your hair stuck on them.
> 
> Good luck!


Sticky fly traps - great idea. I put out a bowl of cut up fruit thinking, fruit flies must be attracted to fruit, but they weren't interested.


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## Mworks (Mar 23, 2008)

Venus Fly Traps (or other bug eating plants!) Mops up escapees in a very sustainable and fun way.

Regards
Marcus


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## Elf_Ascetic (Jan 31, 2009)

I accidently left a glass with a bottom of juice by the tank. I found out that it works perfectly as a fly trap. After some more experienting, the best succes I get with 2 cm (1 inch) of juice, and a little bit of detergent to break the surface tension. Hardly see any escapees anymore! And by placing the glass behind the tank, I don't see at the glass with death flies too...


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## Ulisesfrb (Dec 8, 2008)

I'm still quite new and this is yet to happen. Hopefully never...... 

I'm sorry, but I couldn't stop smiling when I saw this



> Originally Posted by otis07
> Just make sure not to get your hair stuck on them


 Is there another horror story you haven't shared yet?? LOL 

Ulisesfrb


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

I've had great success with beer traps. Basically just a 4 oz. condiment cup with about 2 oz. beer or wine. The flies seem to prefer more malty beers with stronger aromas. Sometimes I dust the sides with calcium powder to increase the effectiveness.


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## Marinarawr (Jan 14, 2009)

Yuck! What a close up! 

On only the second day of being a frog owner I was lying on the couch with my boyfriend when he suddenly started grabbing at me to try to kill some "jumping bug". I told him it was only a fruit fly but I could see the future battles unfolding about stray flies .

I'm finding that I don't even bother to fully remove the lid from my cultures. I just tap it, pop up one side, tap some out, and then give it one more tap before closing. I've inevitably killed several under the rim this way but it really cuts down on the escapees.


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Eventually you'll get your tapping technique down to the point where you can feed out of a culture full of flies with functional wings and only lose 3-4. Just takes practice.


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## Philsuma (Jul 18, 2006)

Dane said:


> culture full of flies with functional wings
> 
> 
> > You culture Fliers??


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## Dane (Aug 19, 2004)

Philsuma said:


> Dane said:
> 
> 
> > culture full of flies with functional wings
> ...


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## GeeEssFore (Jan 19, 2009)

I use apple cider vineger and dawn soap. Works great. My leo hates when they get into his cage


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## Nate (Jan 5, 2009)

Sounds like my three year old "puppy", he is also a golden and likes to catch the flies... he even caught a few flying ones... and this is only my 8th day of having flies!

Edit: You can also put a cup of beer near the source of the problem and watch the flies get euphoric before they die. - Thats Petes favorite way of killing them so it seems...


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