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What Do You Do to With Pests?

From the lens What You Must Know About Fruit Flies.....

I hope this lens has been helpful. Please ad information that you have. Oh, and comments on the lens always welcome. Stars are loved!

  • Auntiekatkat Mar 24, 2012 @ 8:28 pm | delete
    Try and remove them without killing them. Too many years of living with Jains who wear a mask all the time so they do not kill insects
  • infiniti99 Mar 16, 2012 @ 7:44 am | delete
    Thank you the situation will be resolved I've made my trap and I'm heading out for the day.
  • Rob3 Feb 27, 2012 @ 5:37 am | delete
    I really enjoyed this lens. Takes me back to my winemaking days, where these pesky little things were attracted to the carbon dioxide of the fermenting wine. If they ever got past the airlock, you could end up with vinegar!
  • naheedahsan Feb 4, 2012 @ 4:40 am | delete
    Interesting lens!
  • DeannaDiaz Jan 30, 2012 @ 2:47 pm | delete
    Ugh...I hate fruit flies! Like your lens, on the other hand!
  • Tipi Jan 13, 2012 @ 9:26 pm | delete
    Returning with a bit of angel dust...it just may help control those pesky fruit flies!
  • Tipi Jan 13, 2012 @ 9:26 pm | delete
    Returning with a bit of angel dust...it just may help control those pesky fruit flies!
  • Wordwinder Dec 29, 2011 @ 11:32 pm | delete
    The mention of fruit fly immediately brings to mind my biology lessons of long ago about they being the prefered organism for researches in genetics and developmental biology. Learnt more about their way of life in this interesting lens.
  • Pennyseeker Oct 13, 2011 @ 1:40 pm | delete
    Interesting lens!
  • cffutah Sep 29, 2011 @ 8:24 pm | delete
    great lens! I liked it and your poll questions! If you like browsing as I do, mine has a great educational topic with poll questions for my readers to enjoy.
  • Winter52 Sep 24, 2011 @ 11:22 am | delete
    I learned a ton about these little guys and I'm one of those who trapped them every day and then turned them loose lol!
  • squidoolover76 Sep 14, 2011 @ 10:52 am | delete
    A very wonderful lens about fruit flies,thanks
  • Adinantiquejewelry Aug 31, 2011 @ 1:46 am | delete
    Very informative and well written lens. Thanks for sharing the knowledge.
  • RhondaSueDavis Aug 26, 2011 @ 8:54 pm | delete
    We get these in the warmer months from the bananas we bring home. Very helpful lens, I find bugs facinating, but don't like to share the kitchen with them. Many illnesses can be caused by flies getting onto food and water sitting out. May I feature your lens on my home environomics and home ergonomics lenses? This would add well to them.
  • pawpaw911 Aug 26, 2011 @ 7:45 am | delete
    Can't stand the little B%&*ards, but they are interesting creatures. I know they are used to feed poison dart frogs in captivity. Nice lens.
  • sousababy Aug 26, 2011 @ 7:02 am | delete
    Very well done . . good to see a purple star on this one. (I admit, when a fruit fly gets in my wine, I pour it down the sink).
  • LaraineRose Aug 20, 2011 @ 12:54 am | delete
    Love "Fruit Flies Are Social Animals." You have put a lot of research into this lens and I "liked" it.
  • CCGAL Aug 4, 2011 @ 2:39 pm | delete
    I've never found fruitflies to be much of a bother, to be honest. On the rare occasion I get some, it's always because I've left fruit or veg on the counter a little too long, but removing the offending no-longer-edible item and wiping the counter down has always been sufficient to remove them from my kitchen.

    I once had the opportunity to contribute some back yard fallen rotting apples to a researcher who drove from the University of California at Davis all the way up to Crescent City, CA. I worked at the Cooperative Extension there and the researcher needed some fruit flies from that area. I don't know what the research was, but he was kind enough to teach me a lot about fruit flies and how they are so beneficial for researchers because of their short life cycle.

    I enjoyed this lens a lot, by the way. Nice job!
  • Graceonline Aug 1, 2011 @ 10:59 am | delete
    Useful page. I can see why it is so popular. Next time I discover I've brought some of the buggers home, you can bet I'll be back for your cleaning recipes, though I've never had to resort to killing them in the past, luckily.
  • Russia33 Jul 29, 2011 @ 9:18 pm | delete
    Very Informative lens, great job! I hate those pesky fruit flies...
  • jessicahoward Jul 25, 2011 @ 4:12 am | delete
    nice lens..........
  • CastleRoy Jun 25, 2011 @ 4:32 pm | delete
    My husband has these at has job everyone leaving stuff in there desks I swear he brings them home with him not they until he gets home lol great lens
  • aesta1 Jun 25, 2011 @ 10:00 am | delete
    When I have lots of fruits, they often come but they just stay around the fruits. When the fruits are gone, they are gone as well. They can be annoying when there are lots of them. Thanks for the vinegar tip.
  • whirlwind Jun 11, 2011 @ 2:42 pm | delete
    Hello Margo_Arrowsmith. I like your lens "What You Must Know About Fruit Flies..." Very informative; Thank you especially for sharing the information about vinegar attracting the flies.
  • blackspanielgallery Jun 2, 2011 @ 4:25 pm | delete
    Nice lens.
  • efriedman May 29, 2011 @ 2:25 am | delete
    Interesting. I'm glad you called attention to their role in scientific research in genetics.
  • dellgirl May 28, 2011 @ 9:00 pm | delete
    Very helpful and so good to know, thanks for making this lens and sharing this information. I usually get the little pests when we over do it on fruit buying.
  • mattseefood Apr 28, 2011 @ 8:55 pm | delete
    We always had a lot of flies in here :( Great lens!
  • MaxReily Apr 18, 2011 @ 2:21 pm | delete
    This is a very interesting lens! Informative, too. I'm not visited by fruit flies unless I happen to have overly ripe bananas on the counter, so they're not a huge problem. For larger pests--mice, for example, I just have to really hope they don't find their way in, since I can't. bear to kill them. I've used live traps, but then what? Luckily, with two dogs and a cat in residence, none have ventured into the house I moved into two years ago-- and I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
  • bjslapidary Apr 13, 2011 @ 11:52 am | delete
    Very interesting lens. Fruit flies are so annoying. Thanks for the info.
  • BarbRad Mar 17, 2011 @ 10:59 pm | delete
    Just stopping by again to bless this lens. Happy St. Patrick's Day.
  • WeddingZazzle Mar 17, 2011 @ 9:09 pm | delete
    Blessed by a SquidAngel :)
  • ChrisDay Mar 16, 2011 @ 2:37 pm | delete
    Chemicals are NOT the answer, IMO.
  • ChrisDay Mar 16, 2011 @ 2:37 pm | delete
    If something is becoming a real pest, it MAY be because we are providing too good a habitat for it. We need to study each 'pest' to learn how not to encourage it.
  • HSSchulte Mar 7, 2011 @ 1:30 pm | delete
    I love fresh fruit. In the summer, I breed fruit flies, but not intentionally. Thanks for the tips!
  • Shelly Feb 19, 2011 @ 9:56 pm | delete
    Enjoyable and informative! I've created my own traps with those soft plastic bags in the fresh foods and meat sections of the grocery store. I put bait in side and then put twists in the bag so they would find their way in but not out. You are right about creating a breeding ground. I like your vinegar and dish soap idea. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
  • SereneSea Feb 18, 2011 @ 1:37 am | delete
    Pests and insects are part and parcels of life, how nice this world would be without them.
  • 7Suze7 Feb 17, 2011 @ 10:17 pm | delete
    Beautiful pictures, really
  • LaraineRose Feb 17, 2011 @ 6:01 am | delete
    I enjoyed this lens, packed full of interesting and helpful information!
  • ideadesigns Feb 15, 2011 @ 9:03 am | delete
    This is a very helpful lens. I used a jar of apple cider vinegar and would shut the lid on them when I'd come by. This would help to get them into the liquid. Something about it they like. You have great ideas here and so much great information. :)
  • vallain Feb 13, 2011 @ 8:51 am | delete
    Wonderful information, as I'm sometimes bothered by these pesky little critters when I have fruit out of the refrigerator.
    Blessed and featured in the Best Insect Webpages on Squidoo.
  • prosperity66 Feb 12, 2011 @ 4:36 am | delete
    Never seen such flies but pests in general are a real problem when one lives in the countryside... What do I do? Well, I try to keep the house as clean as possible and all windows have a mosquito net; that's all I can do, particularly sinceI don't wish to poison myself and my family with chemicals, lol.
  • photofk3 Feb 11, 2011 @ 11:49 am | delete
    I learn something new every day. I didn't know that fruit flies are a foe of disease. Thanks you for sharing this.
  • awelldressedbullet Jan 17, 2011 @ 4:25 pm | delete
    If I ever have fruit flies, I'm coming here for help! A very informative and interestng lens, nicely done.
  • dannystaple Jan 15, 2011 @ 7:27 am | delete
    I've not really had a problem with fruit flies, but I battled with other pests when I had an infestation around indoor grown tomatoes, and I know how tough the little monsters can be. Just when you think you've got rid of a generation and cool off, the next one can come - unless you keep with the pest control for a full 10 days, or (as I did), introduce something that kills the eggs. Anyway - I am going to add this on my Organic Food Plant Pest and Parasite Control lens.
  • wilddove6 Jan 12, 2011 @ 11:10 pm | delete
    What fun! And I learned something too!
    That's always a bonus!
  • FoxMusic Jan 4, 2011 @ 6:19 pm | delete
    Great Lens
  • EliminateFruitFlies Dec 30, 2010 @ 1:04 am | delete
    Great lens, very thorough research :) it's true that you can't use the same trap to catch fruit flies all week or they'll just keep breeding. I made that mistake once *lol*
  • jonart Dec 24, 2010 @ 12:26 am | delete
    I've always been curious about these little guys.....we seem to get lots of them, once a year. Great lens! :)
  • insolvelipe Dec 20, 2010 @ 7:18 pm | delete
    I enjoyed this Squidoo Lens very much, the photos help support the content of the lens.
  • livingfrontiers Dec 20, 2010 @ 5:43 pm | delete
    pests can be handled in humane and effective ways by doing research. Your research here is most helpful! angel blessings!
  • Jewelsofawe Dec 17, 2010 @ 9:10 pm | delete
    Thanks for visiting my new lenses. It has been a while since I made new ones and now I am on a roll. This is an excellent lens. I hope I never have a problem with fruit flies!
  • Swisstoons Dec 13, 2010 @ 10:12 pm | delete
    Over the years, I've occasionally found a fruit fly...maybe two or three...hovering over the fruit bowl. Aside from polishing off the fruit and putting anything that remained down the disposal, I can't recall anything special that I did to get rid of them, except perhaps whacking them with the palms of my hands. They didn't seem to hang around after the object of their attraction disappeared. Thumbs up on this interesting lens.
  • tvyps Dec 13, 2010 @ 2:10 pm | delete
    This will be useful info coming up!! I have a friend who was in pest control and he obtained a contract after another was fired because he couldn't get rid of these things in a medical building. Turns out, they just cycle and my friend was hired at the end of the cycle and they started dying out. He got a huge contract from this and this goes to show you that all pests are not bad! ha!
  • tssfacts Dec 11, 2010 @ 7:00 am | delete
    I found when I started juicing (veggies and fruits) they came out of no where. I had read to use a vinegar solution would take care of the flying one. It did over several days. Of course a general clean up was needed too. I find that garbage disposal are a good breeding ground also. So be sure to clean that too.
  • hotbrain Dec 9, 2010 @ 1:21 pm | delete
    This is an excellent lens on a common problem! Angel blessed :)
  • Ladymermaid Dec 7, 2010 @ 9:15 pm | delete
    Gives me a chill just thinking about this little guys. They can really get annoying toward the end of the summer. Very ingeniously displayed :)
  • Asinka Dec 7, 2010 @ 1:01 pm | delete
    You write so well :). I had no idea about dealing with fruit flies except for killing them with a fly swatter. But now I have so many ideas from you.
    Thanks for visiting my lens, liking it and leaving a note. Really appreciate it, joined your fan club :).
  • Irenemaria Dec 3, 2010 @ 2:09 am | delete
    vinegar, dishwash liquid and some sweet juice - they drown
  • darciefrench Dec 1, 2010 @ 10:54 am | delete
    Admire them, for the most part. I don't like house flies- but spiders are good for keeping those under control too. We don't have any poisonous spiders in the area so they make handy helpers with the peskier fellows.
  • sousababy Nov 30, 2010 @ 8:57 pm | delete
    Oh, I don't really like any insects in the house. Thanks for all the helpful tips...I'll try to do a better job at prevention.
  • GonnaFly Nov 29, 2010 @ 12:24 am | delete
    I'm not really fond of them in the garden either! Thanks for the tips.
  • jonart Nov 28, 2010 @ 12:05 am | delete
    We had an infestation about a year ago and the culprit was a partially eaten nectarine that was in a zip lock bag that wasn't sealed all the way. Great lens.
  • Momsbusy247 Nov 26, 2010 @ 2:56 pm | delete
    This was a very informative lens, I learned a lot here, especially the part where I am actually creating a breeding ground with my homemade remedies to eliminate them, geesh!
  • lizziebeth Nov 21, 2010 @ 12:04 pm | delete
    I try to catch pests and then let them go whenever possible. Some flypaper sometimes helps me too. I have learned a lot about fruit flies here! Thanks.
  • LotusPetalYoga Nov 18, 2010 @ 8:41 am | delete
    We use fruit flies in my biology class, first at the start of the year for a scientific method investigation and then for genetics. They are super easy to breed and interesting to look at under the dissecting scope. its not too much fun when they escape and fly around the classroom though! They are not much of a problem here, generally, I think the colder winters and lack of humidity keeps their numbers way down, we never have them in the kitchen or anything at home. Thanks for the great lens.
  • hlkljgk Nov 16, 2010 @ 8:41 pm | delete
    i was recently searching info about how fruit flies appear in you home in the first place. great lens.
  • Jack2205 Nov 16, 2010 @ 6:54 pm | delete
    Very interesting and informative. Blessed by a Squid Angel.
  • Ecolicious Nov 12, 2010 @ 2:39 pm | delete
    opps just realized the comment I wrote above was meant to go here. so sorry about that
  • ViolinStudent Nov 9, 2010 @ 7:12 am | delete
    I never thought I'd see a lens about fruit flies. Very informative. Thanks for the information!
    -Art Haule
  • Brookelorren Nov 6, 2010 @ 3:53 pm | delete
    Now if you could only do a lens like this on weevils... good job!
  • CelebStyle Nov 6, 2010 @ 3:46 pm | delete
    informative!
  • JohannTheDog Nov 6, 2010 @ 7:30 am | delete
    Very interesting!!! So glad to know they don't carry disease!
  • EditionH Nov 4, 2010 @ 9:25 am | delete
    Wow, that is clear text on fruit flies..great content!
  • BarbRad Nov 2, 2010 @ 3:14 pm | delete
    I haven't ever had an infestation that didn't disappear when I removed the offending fruit. But I also allow a few Daddy-longlegs spiders to live near my kitchen ceilings over places that attract small flies. The ones I have the most trouble with are those attracted to light that swarm in if we come in a door at night.
  • SueM11 Oct 30, 2010 @ 3:02 am | delete
    Your experience with the fruit flies made me shudder. I had a bad experience with maggots when my fridge was shut down for a week so I can imagine how gross it was, ugh!!!
  • SukoMiabals Oct 28, 2010 @ 11:34 pm | delete
    So much information! Thank you.
  • rachsue Oct 27, 2010 @ 1:36 pm | delete
    WOw, I had no idea. What an interesting lens. We all have had our issues with fruit flies and I never did understand where they came from or why they even came out to play. Thank you for all the information!! Great Lens
  • partybuzz Oct 18, 2010 @ 7:20 pm | delete
    Thanks for this great information. When I worked at Kroger in the Deli/Bakery we had an awful problem with fruit flies getting in the danish case. I guess they liked the fruit filled danish. We used vinigar in a bowl, but not a trap, which probably made matters worse. I like the trap idea.
  • sheilamarie Oct 13, 2010 @ 10:47 pm | delete
    Lots of info. Thanks!
  • my_never_bored_hands Sep 20, 2010 @ 12:37 pm | delete
    Very interesting info you've collected here in your lens, thanks. Thumbs up.
  • alteredkat Sep 12, 2010 @ 8:31 am | delete
    I have one of these pesky little critters in my kitchen now...and I can't seem to catch him...I HATE fruit flies...
  • Tipi Sep 10, 2010 @ 12:25 pm | delete
    Oh those fruit flies can be such pests. I hate it when they fly up my nose. Would love to kill them all, but I know they have their purpose too. Good info!
  • skiesgreen Aug 4, 2010 @ 7:41 pm | delete
    Did not realise that this is a LOTD. Congrats and it is now also featured on Lenses That Shine.
  • skiesgreen Aug 4, 2010 @ 7:26 pm | delete
    This is a great informative lens. Thank you. *-*Blessed*-* and featured on Sprinkled with Stardust and also on Save Planet Earth
  • Julia Burdington Jul 27, 2010 @ 10:49 pm | delete
    Thanks for all that helpful info.
    It was very interesting to learn about fruit flies.!!!!!
  • Raye Jul 17, 2010 @ 8:26 pm | delete
    Great lens thanks for the help
  • AndyPo Jun 28, 2010 @ 3:57 am | delete
    Very interesting lens. I don't think we have such a problem with Fruit Flies here in the U.K. (probably different varieties live here)
  • MartinPrestovic Jun 13, 2010 @ 5:30 pm | delete
    Very informative lens! I don't like flies or anything small and annoying flying around my kitchen and bothering me when I am cooking. I am a bit of an OC when it comes to cleanliness inside the house so thank God, no place for flies to breed.
  • OhMe Sep 3, 2009 @ 3:20 pm | delete
    I can just visualize your opening that refridgerator door. Yuk. We usually just sit out a glass of water with vinegar and they are drawn to it but your funnel directions sure sound interesting. Great lens.
  • Treasures-By-Brenda Aug 28, 2009 @ 6:47 pm | delete
    Excellent lens; blessed! We have had fruit flies occasionally when fruit has been overripe. Fortunately, we've never had any problem getting rid of them.
  • unsinkablewoman Oct 17, 2008 @ 6:09 pm | delete
    Very Good Information, 5*
    I Dont Buy A Lot of Fruit But When I Do It's In The Fridge We Like It Cold So Not Much Of A Problem, Also Only Buy Small Amounts So It Will Be Eaten In Short Amount Time
  • OldGrampa Oct 7, 2008 @ 2:48 pm | delete
    Nice lens, we are having some trouble here with those annoying fruit flies. Theres a drosophila in my soup!
  • JaguarJulie Oct 6, 2008 @ 5:13 pm | delete
    Margo -- I believe that you are RIGHT that they spontaneously come to life from nothing! We've got a few in our kitchen since hubby was away and left his bananas to ripen. ;)
  • Margo_Arrowsmith Sep 9, 2008 @ 12:42 pm | delete
    Truthfully, while science might argue this, Julie, I swear they spontaneously come to life from nothing!
  • JaguarJulie Sep 9, 2008 @ 10:24 am | delete
    OMG, "They feed on and lay their eggs in fruit." Isn't it interesting HOW they have a nose for new fruit and vegetables in the house? We've got 3 ripe bananas sitting on the kitchen counter awaiting hubby's return from his business trip. Yep, those buggy fruit flies are there too. Did they come home from the store or flew in through an open door or spontaneously-arrived?
  • Evelyn_Saenz Sep 7, 2008 @ 5:09 am | delete
    Old Black Fly and the Fireflies stopped by to visit the Fruitflies and were glad to hear that your home was only uninviting rather than deadly. They are therefore leaving you 5 stars and favoring your lens and promise to stay outside of your home if they come to visit.

by

Margo_Arrowsmith

Margo Arrowsmith received the "Lens of the Day" Twice

Arrowsmith Printing 9/22/08
Macular Degeneration: the Blindness You Can Prevent 4/5/11

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