# Too many fruit "flies"... flying....



## Guest (Mar 10, 2005)

Okay... so the frogs never eat ALL the flies that I put into the tank. These stragglers breed in the tank and now I having flying fruitflies. (I much prefer fruitwalks...) These are a problem for me for two reasons:

1) There's no way to keep these flies from escaping the vivariums, which means there are fruitflies in my house

2) My husband is concerned that these escapees will start a non-native insect plague... perhaps a wee-bit dramatic, but he has a point...

How can I catch, and therefore destroy, these flying pests in the vivarium without harming my preciouses?


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## Blort (Feb 5, 2005)

Try this website:

http://fly.bio.indiana.edu/getting-rid.htm

In general, jar with a funnel and an attractant on the inside like an old apple. 

You might want to disregard the "Advice from extermination professionals" section unless you want chemicals all over your house.

Marcos


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## Guest (Mar 10, 2005)

FF's are native to most places. The best why to catch them is some fly tape. Also a couple people on here mentioned that they have some liquid air freshners in fruity smells that the flys are attracted to and drowned in.


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## Randy (Mar 18, 2004)

as hexen84 said, fly tape works well. I've been using them in the fly room and the frog room for over a year, and I rarely see an escapee anymore  On another note, before I started using fly tape, I had a candle in the frog room which would literally fill up every few days with dead flies. This makes me think that the scent attractant would work well also.


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## AZDR_A (Mar 20, 2004)

In the summer, we get flyers all over the house and frog room. I just put a mason jar with some ketchup in the bottom (can also use rotting fruit, but ketchup has worked the best for me). Then i take a sandwich size ziploc bag, cut the bottom off, and fold it over and put it in place with a rubberband. I leave a few out around at night, and in the am, i place a lid or something on top really fast and put it in the freezer for a while. Then i take it out of the freezer and start all over again. The fly's get in, but when they try to climb up the side of the glass they can't get it.

Good luck!


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## DaFrogMan (Oct 8, 2004)

Having flying FF's isn't alll bad....I actually prefer to let them have some fliers every once and a while. I think it give them some exercise and it's funner to watch them catch the flying ones too.

I use jars with funnels and they work fine. Good luck.


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## Arklier (Mar 1, 2004)

When I had a minor problem with flying FFs before I got darts, this is how I got rid of them...

I bought a clear bag of frozen fruit, frozen mango from Trader Joe's in this case, but any sweet fruit will do. Cut a corner off the bag and take out the fruit. There will still be juice on the sides and probably a few tiny pieces left. Lay the bag on a flat surface poofed out a bit so the hole isn't sealed off. The flies would come in, and couldn't get out because they couldn't find the entrance because of the clear bag. I'd just come back every hour or two, close off the hole by rolling up the bag, then mash the crap out of it. Took care of them in less than a day.


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## Ed Martin (Mar 25, 2004)

Do any of the methods that other people suggested, I've also used a wine bottle with about a glass left, it drowns a lot but never gets them all. 

Fly tape will work, but if you ever walk into it you will curse the day you bought it. 

If you can contain them to one room it is easy. If you have a good vacuum, just use the attachment hose and suck them out of the air. Give the flies a lure, fruit like Arklier suggested sounds great, let them land on/ near it and just suck them up! It is really easy and very effective, plus you can get them all in about 15 minutes total time. On 2 different occasions this past summer and fall I bought files that turned into flyers after 4 - 5 generations. This method took care of them. Let the vacuum run for a few minutes after each time to kill them. 

Ed


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## Mantellaprince20 (Aug 25, 2004)

First you should find out where these flies are breeding at inside your vivs. If you have rotting fruit or something, take it out and destroy it. Most likely these flies are wild, and managed to find a way in your viv. But, if you find their breeding spot, you can rid yourself of them. I myself actually culture a flying type as well as many flightless, I just like to give my vents a bit more of a chase for their food  I mean, how often in the wild would they run into a flightless fruit fly :wink: 

Ed Parker


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## Guest (Mar 15, 2005)

Really, if you want to completely elliminate the FF's, get a canary.

i knew an old lady who swallowed a fly, i dont know why she swallowed the fly........

Of course a cat would then sort out your balloning canary hoard, or you could just employ Hamsters, train them to become black belt's in Origami, then watch in awe as they fasion impliments of distruction from seemingly harmless napkins with which to wreak havok on the Infadel FF's.

My Hamsters called Brian, and he will be running seminars in the late Spring, just in time for the summer influx.


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## Guest (Mar 16, 2005)

i leave a half full glass of red wine in the frog room (learned this one on accident) it doesn't reek like fruit or other sweet smelling things, but attracts them just the same.


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