How to get rid of those little nat things

proudkittiemom

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Ok we have those little nats or fruit flies whatever they are called, and me and Stormie take turns on smashing them, but what can i get thats safe for the kitties to get rid of these darn things??? I really hope u guys no what I am talking bout, we get them sometimes in summer but in winter we get them more!!!! I want to buy one of those fly traps sticky things but I am afraid to put that up because of the kitties they will find a way to get up to anything so does anyone have any ideas for me, thanx in advance!!
 

starryeyedtiger

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Get a drinking glass and a small funnel. Put a small piece of fruit (banana works well - so does apple) and put it in the bottom of the glass. then put the funnel in there....then tape around the funnel and the glass so that there is no gap between the two. Leave the opening in the funnel untouched. The gnats will fly down the funnel- but they cannot fly up it if the opening is small enough. When you get enough gnats in there....pour soap down the funnel then scalding hot water...and then tape the top of the funnel over so that they drown. Works like a charm!
 

jennyr

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I found that those things were breeding in the earth of a pot plant and I couldn't get rid of them till I changed the earth or even in one case threw out all the affected plants. They are a terrible nuisance.
 

lookingglass

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Here's what I've done: Go get a really cheep bottle of red wine, and pour a glass. Let the glass sit in the counter for a few days and the little gnats should fly into it and die. That is unless you have a kitty like 8-Bit who will knock over the glass and leave red wine paw prints all over your counters.
 

fwan

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Originally Posted by lookingglass

Here's what I've done: Go get a really cheep bottle of red wine, and pour a glass. Let the glass sit in the counter for a few days and the little gnats should fly into it and die. That is unless you have a kitty like 8-Bit who will knock over the glass and leave red wine paw prints all over your counters.
This is what i was going to advise
 

pushylady

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

I found that those things were breeding in the earth of a pot plant and I couldn't get rid of them till I changed the earth or even in one case threw out all the affected plants. They are a terrible nuisance.
Oh that's happening to me too! It's so irritating having these things flying around. And of course the cats love swatting them and they dig up the dirt to get at them so I have annoying fruit flies and dirt all over the floor.

I have to take my potting soil out of the shed and let it warm up so I can repot things.
 

sandtigress

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I took a small glass bottle (like the kind you get wine coolers or those Frappucino things in) and put some fruit juice in there. Plastic doesn't work so well because they can climb that, so use glass. Fruit flies eat rotten fruit, so they'll go for anything that ferments - fruit/fruit juice, vinegar, or alcohol. Good luck, they're pesky little things! My last infestation I found they were living in the drain in my sink
I just covered both drains up and only uncovered them when I had to use the sink - that and the bottles finally got rid of them.
 

MoochNNoodles

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My boss taught me this one, in a champagne flute, or similar narrow glass. In the evening put just maybe a 1/4" of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of liquid dish detergent. In the AM you should have yourself some gnats. Worked good for us!
 

hilda>^..^<

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Great ideas! I've had them in my plants too...a real pain. A co-worker told my husband to get any kind of Flying Instect Spray and just spray it on the plants' soil surface in early spring. I did that a couple of years and it worked reeeeeally well. Of course, with cats in the house, you really need to be careful with sprays as we all know.


Hilda >^..^<
 

lunasmom

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Check around too to make sure you do not have any rotting fruit.

I had left some potatoes on top of a microwave once and they melted in a week. I didn't know it, but at the same time, those gnats showed up.

Once I realised this I threw the potatoes away and cleaned everything with Lysol. They were all gone in 24 hours.
 

trouts mom

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Okay, first of all, I thought this was a thread about getting rid of ME


Secondly, are you sure they are fruit flies and not Phorid (drain) flies? I had a HORRIBLE problem with phorid flies in the summer. They are mostly in the bathroom or around the drain and they lok alot like fruit flies. The different thing about them is they scoot around on surfaces before flying away instead of flying away immediately like a fruit fly would do.

Do you KNOW they are fruit flies?

I had to get this thing from Abell pest control called VAPONA, and it kills all flying insects while not being toxic to us or our pets..It kille them all in a day or so, and then I had to sweep up all the little corpses


Anyway, I would get that if you can..It worked AMAZING for me.
 

wookie130

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Here's an easy trick, and it works super well:

*1 T sugar
*1 T dishsoap
*1 T vinegar
*1-2 T water

Mix together, and place in a shallow plastic bowl. It will attract and drown the fruit flies.
 

trouts mom

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If its not fruit flies, none of that other stuff will work. Find out which flies your dealing with before you try anything..you don't want to waste your time.
 

neetanddave

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Okay, first of all, I thought this was a thread about getting rid of ME
EEP! I was wondering what suggestions people were gonna have... I hope they were gonna be painless for ya, kiddo!
 

lunasmom

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

If its not fruit flies, none of that other stuff will work. Find out which flies your dealing with before you try anything..you don't want to waste your time.
How? Should she eat one? will they taste fruity???
 

trouts mom

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Originally Posted by lunasmom

How? Should she eat one? will they taste fruity???


NO SILLY...they look different close up and act different..You could identify them by looking online..

 

gingersmom

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Originally Posted by jennyranson

I found that those things were breeding in the earth of a pot plant and I couldn't get rid of them till I changed the earth or even in one case threw out all the affected plants. They are a terrible nuisance.
Yes, they aren't fruit flies, they are called fungus gnats, and they live in the soil, wingless for most of the year. They grow wings and fly to breed in thesummer and in the winter.

I have over 30 plants, and what worked for me in successfully ridding my house of them are the "fruit fly traps" sold by Gardens Alive. You can find them online. They use a pheromone to attract them, they crawl through a little hole on top and then get stuck inside.

It has been more than a year since I had any gnats flying around, thanks to those traps, although it did take a few seasons to get rid of them all.
 
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