Here's another old post from my hsb blog!
No, I'm not talking about Iraq. I'm talking about my all out attack on the fruit flies that have invaded my home.
I first started seeing the little buggers several weeks ago after I took some watermelon out of the fridge. My intention was to feed it to my kids later that day. Well, it seems I forgot all about until a few days later when I lifted the aluminum that covered its end and was met by a small army of fruit flies.
So I trashed the melon and swatted at the flies, killing them all off within a few days. Or so I thought. Not long after, I began seeing them again. I don't know if they were left over from the melon incident, or if they had something to do with the veggies my mom had sent over, but they were back. I swatted at them again, killing a few here and there, and they seemed to disappear. Or so I thought again.
Suddenly, unlike King Midas who turned things to gold when he touched them, I was met by a sudden movement of fruit fly troops whenever I would touch something in the kitchen. They loved my faucet, the glass on my china cabinet, my candles, wet wash cloths, and even my beloved Mr. Clean Magic Erasers! I decided that it was time to institute a no fly zone in my kitchen.
I started by Googling "how to kill fruit flies." Most of the ideas involved putting fruit in a glass jar and covering it with plastic wrap, and then poking holes in so that the flies would go in, but couldn't come out. Of course, I didn't have any plastic wrap, but Sunday I did try inverting a Slurpee cup lid in a large Slurpee cup with an old rag and a piece of fruit in it. I noticed the flies loved to land on the cup, but once I got near it they scattered.
I went to church that night, and much to my horror they talked about the plagues in Sunday School. When my five-year-old heard about the plague of flies, he told his teacher that was just like his house! I knew something had to been done. And soon.
Finally, on Monday I got to the store and got the plastic wrap. I tried the glass jar thing but left the Slurpee cup out. The next morning, I woke to find that not a single fly was in the trap, but several were on the cup. So I took the wrap and very slowly approached the cup and covered it. It worked! I trapped some flies!
Then I remembered that they share my affection for Magic Erasers. So I took my old eraser and put it in the lid. The next time I looked, there were lots of the little buggers crawling all over it. I did another sneak attack and got even more!
So I decided to somehow attach the plastic wrap to the cup so that it would be there and ready when the flies landed. That didn't seem to work until I devised my master plan. I took the plastic wrap and wrapped it around the cup so that it was about four inched above it. Then I stuck the top of it together so it just left an opening about two inches wide. I left it like that all night long.
The morning came, and there it was. My little trap was filled with at least 50 flies, chillin' out on my Magic Eraser. I just pinched the plastic wrap closed and they were trapped. I went outside and let them go. Not because the ACLU said I couldn't legally hold them, or because The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals were watching me, but because I was afraid if I opened the plastic to kill them, they would escape in my house. I just wanted them outta here!
So all day long, every hour or so, I would go out on my porch and let my little POWs go. I do have to wonder what the neighbors were thinking. I even went out a few time in my nightgown! But as the day went by, I was getting less and less flies in my trap. I do believe that's because the surge worked.
Now, that is not to say all is well. I am still battling those rotten little flies. There are still a few around, but at least they don't swarm around every time I touch something. I'm not ready to pull out yet. As long as I see fruit flies, I, along with my Slurpee cup, old rag, and Mr. Clean, will continue to fight. There is no timeline for withdrawl. I won't leave until the job is done, and every one of those nasty little buggers respects that my house is a no fly zone, and it's gonna stay that way!

We're battling fleas at our house. Yuck! Hope you win your war against the fruit flies!
ReplyDeleteput some yummy red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar in a dish - pour in a bit of dishsoap and stir - set on counter - they go in and then die - all gone in a matter of a few days!
ReplyDeleteBlessings,
Janet
homeward4.blogspot.com
Hi! I am following you from the TOS Crew. Please follow me back at www.alittlebooknook.com. I look forward to working with you this year! :)
ReplyDelete