Brown flies in apartment

KauniitaUnia · Post by **KauniitaUnia** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:04 pm

What are these tiny brown flies that hang in my apartment in summer? Do I need to keep my windows shut? At least they are easy to kill...

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EP · Post by EP » Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:13 pm

Propably banana flies. It doesn´t help if you keep windows shut, they don´t come from outside, they come with the fruit you carryhome. They don´t really live in Finland, the ones that are here will die in fall, and new ones come when a new load of bananas (or other fruit) is shipped to Finland from south.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:17 pm

Do you mean the little fruit flies? I think they are also called vinegar flies. They are very very small and you usually find them hovering over ripe fruit.

I don't think they do much harm and they will die off after the first frost.

KauniitaUnia · Post by **KauniitaUnia** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:26 pm

Hmmm, the only fruit I have is bananas and they are in the fridge so they must be tough cookies!

Have read the top google link for them now and I wish I hadn't

EP · Post by EP » Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:32 pm

Hmmm, the only fruit I have is bananas and they are in the fridge so they must be tough cookies!

But the peels are in your trashcan...

Rip · Post by **Rip** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 8:59 pm

EP wrote: But the peels are in your trashcan...

And lacking any suitable trash then can also live in indoor plant soil. Typically they are not after food stuff (fruit or veggies) that is not already past it's prime, so I would not consider them a major nuisance. If you see suddenly a lot of them, you have left somewhere something that should have been taken to trash already a few days ago....

interleukin · Post by **interleukin** » Sun Aug 30, 2009 9:28 pm

To get rid of those flies, take a small jar (eg the ones from jam or pesto) and put in 50% vinegar, 50% water, and just a few drops of dishwashing liquid. The flies just love the water/vinegar mix and the soap makes them not get up out of the fluid. The jar smells of vinegar if you really sniff it, but it is otherwise very uninvasive to have eg in the kitchen. And not any poison that makes your spice plants unsafe for eating.

Karhunkoski · Post by **Karhunkoski** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 5:55 am

And if you make homemade wine, make sure these flies don't get through your airlock.

Rosamunda · Post by **Rosamunda** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 8:00 am

KauniitaUnia wrote:Hmmm, the only fruit I have is bananas and they are in the fridge so they must be tough cookies!

Why do you put bananas in the fridge? Your fridge is probably about 4-6 deg. Celsius.
Bananas go brown when exposed to cold temperatures. Wikipedia:

In the current world marketing system, bananas are grown in the tropics. The fruit therefore has to be transported over long distances and storage is necessary. To gain maximum life, bunches are harvested before the fruit is fully mature. The fruit is carefully handled, transported quickly to the seaboard, cooled, and shipped under sophisticated refrigeration. The basis of this procedure is to prevent the bananas producing ethylene which is the natural ripening agent of the fruit. This sophisticated technology allows storage and transport for 3–4 weeks at 13 degrees Celsius. On arrival at the destination, the bananas are held at about 17 degrees Celsius and treated with a low concentration of ethylene. After a few days, the fruit has begun to ripen and it is distributed for retail sale. It is important to note that unripe bananas can not be held in the home refrigerator as they suffer from the cold.

Upphew · Post by **Upphew** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:01 am

penelope wrote:Why do you put bananas in the fridge? Your fridge is probably about 4-6 deg. Celsius.
Bananas go brown when exposed to cold temperatures. Wikipedia:

After a few days, the fruit has begun to ripen and it is distributed for retail sale. It is important to note that unripe bananas can not be held in the home refrigerator as they suffer from the cold.

After a few days, the fruit has begun to ripen and it is distributed for retail sale. It is important to note that unripe bananas can not be held in the home refrigerator as they suffer from the cold.

So I would guess, that the green ones might suffer from the cold.

http://www.answerbag.com/articles/How-t ... 7f63312133

panda_123 · Post by **panda_123** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 6:03 pm

Another option to trap the flies:

have a bowl or jar filled with dark vinegar and a teaspoon of brown sugar at the bottom - tightly seal the jar with plastic cling wrap and poke a few small holes (fork is best) and put it in your kitchen. Honey works too - as it's sticky and they get stuck.

KauniitaUnia · Post by **KauniitaUnia** » Mon Aug 31, 2009 9:08 pm

1. The jar thing works - 20 ish flies caught whilst I was at work

. Found some in my vinegar, and had chips with vinegar yesterday

.
2. Interesting on the bananas.
3. I am never bringing fruit or vegatables into my apartment ever, ever again

Thanks for the help everybody

Pursuivant · Post by **Pursuivant** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:34 am

OK, peoples I give you simple instructions:

a) get a bowl, teaplate, saucer, dip cup
b) put a dab of "fiary" or other soap in it
c) fill it with juice or beer or a dab of honey with water...

Idea of the flycaust: flies can land on liquids and surf due to the friction. soap = no friction. bugs die.

I have an open window, a rotting cabbage and a load of dead flies...

AldenG · Post by **AldenG** » Tue Sep 01, 2009 1:43 am

Pursuivant wrote: I have an open window, a rotting cabbage and a load of dead flies...

And an interesting hobby, I guess.

Bavarian · Post by **Bavarian** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 3:15 pm

HS article on fruit flies.

Thankfully we don't get them much in this part of the US; instead we get ladybugs, which congregate around the edges of windows.

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