Overrun by fruitflies!!!!! Help!!!!!

We have a SERIOUS fruit fly problem today. It seems that when the kitchen was cleaned by my boyfriend on saturday, the leftovers of a cantelope were left in an unsealed garbage bag. With all the Thanksgiving celebrations, we haven't been here much and didn't notice until we got home late last night. We've gotten rid of the garbage and thoroughly cleaned the area, but there are a million fruit flies in here....to many to follow around swatting. As far as I know, they can live for several weeks to a month, which is WAY TOO LONG to put up with this, of course.
Does anyone know how to get rid of them? I'll go buy an insecticide, like Raid, if I must, but with the cats around I'd prefer a safer method, if there is one. If anyone has ANY ideas, I'd really appreciate the help.

In the mean time, Sammy and Lola are having a ball chasing the things around the house

I have also been overrun the past few days. These work fantastic!!! I always keep a few on hand:

http://www.gardeners.com/Shopping/se...ndising=Search

To get rid of fruit flies, fill a small bowl with red wine vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. I set it on my windowsill near the fruit, and the fruit flies are attracted to it and drown. I have had no more problems with fruit flies since I discovered this. it works great really it does

Good luck!

yeahy... I just put dishsoap ina cup and place it down and every few hours make a new cup of it.. an that works pretty good.

But.. my brother gave me a bag zapper for my birthday.. I don't know why.. anyway.. I was using it to shock people, and not bugs.. but thn we got a nasty fruit fly problem. I put brand new energizer batteries in it and when I touched the poor little bugs, they exploded! I'm sure it was painless.. since it was so fast.. so a few minutes of that there were no adults left.

I've been having a problem with them too!

lol My lab just finished their fruit fly labs....we kill them with watered down acetic acid (basically vinegar) in a flask. They live on fermented fruit (the drunkards!) so they're attracted to the vinegar which is a byproduct of alcohol dehydrogenase. That'll take care of them!

Thanks for the help, guys. Gonna try the vinegar and soap trick tonight......Fingers are crossed that it'll take care of the problem.

Originally Posted by amitya

To get rid of fruit flies, fill a small bowl with red wine vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. I set it on my windowsill near the fruit, and the fruit flies are attracted to it and drown. I have had no more problems with fruit flies since I discovered this. it works great really it does

Good luck!

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Apple cider vinegar works great too. Not sure if white vinegar would work or not ...

I've never really had a problem with them. I heard that Apple Cider Vinegar works from fellow cooks.