paerabol All American 17118 Posts user info edit post |
Somehow I have been plagued with a hoard of fruit flies, hundreds of them. Not sure where they came from or what attracted them, there's no food left out or anything, and other than the occasional slobbish phase I keep a clean house. Maybe a grape rolled up under the stove at some point? Even still you'd have a hard time convincing me that that supports a colony of this magnitude.
Anyway, I have been consumed with ridding myself of them. My first attempts at sneaking up and surprising groups of them with the apocalyptic vortex at end of my vacuum hose proved only mildly successful. I got a little smarter and cut a piece of cantaloupe to attract them, waited until they grouped on it, then hit them with the vacuum. This was a slightly better method, but still largely inadequate.
Then came the genius. A friend informed me that fruit flies can not fly directly vertical. Another friend clued me in to the fact that they're attracted to light beer. Using this information I devised a trap: I sacrificed an ounce or so of PBR to the bottom of a tall, untapered glass. I made a funnel out of paper with the small opening just large enough for a fruit fly to crawl through. I lowered the funnel into the glass so that the tip was just above the surface of the beer, and sealed the top to the rim of the glass with tape.
BINGO. Within a half-hour about 100 of those little shits were trapped inside, some had drowned and some were crawling around on the outside of the funnel. I waited a little longer, then used a knife to pry open the seal at the top of the funnel...where awaited the angel of death, aka the Eureka.
Will update with final result and analysis
$1 12/17/2008 11:12:03 PM |
slingblade All American 12133 Posts user info edit post |
I will post in your thread. 12/17/2008 11:12:48 PM |
d7freestyler Sup, Brahms 23935 Posts user info edit post |
spectacularrrrrrrrr!!
12/17/2008 11:15:17 PM |
Kurtis636 All American 14984 Posts user info edit post |
Finally putting that NCSU education to good use! 12/17/2008 11:16:10 PM |
slingblade All American 12133 Posts user info edit post |
summary:
I have a shitload of fruit flies in my house. First I tried getting them with a vacuum.
Then I said "Come on guys, we're in our 20's."
So I used light beer. 12/17/2008 11:16:28 PM |
ncsu_ot_usmc All American 1608 Posts user info edit post |
plz post pics 12/17/2008 11:17:23 PM |
MovieGuru23 All American 1283 Posts user info edit post |
Or you could have just googled it and clicked on the first site.
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Rid-of-Fruit-Flies
Quote : | " Make a funnel trap:
Make a cone out of the sheet of paper (like a funnel). Tape the outside of the cone so that it stays in place. Check that the cone fits snugly into a glass or cup. Cut off the tip of the cone so that you now have a funnel. Pour a small amount of cider vinegar into the glass or cup. (Rum mixed with orange juice also works very well - additionally, a half teaspoon of baker's yeast in water can also suffice) Insert the funnel into the glass or cup, but don't let the bottom of the funnel touch the liquid. Tape the funnel in two or three places from the outside so that there is no gap between the glass and the cone. Place your newly created trap on a flat surface. The flies will be attracted by the smell of the fruity vinegar and fly into the cone. The flies will slip down the cone and will either land in the vinegar and drown or will be trapped and not able to get back out. If you leave the trap overnight, the trapped fruit flies will eventually fall into the vinegar and drown. " |
12/17/2008 11:18:40 PM |
d7freestyler Sup, Brahms 23935 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "FRUIT
FLY
CARNAGE!" |
12/17/2008 11:18:41 PM |
DiscGolfer All American 2710 Posts user info edit post |
hope you took pics
if not gtfo 12/17/2008 11:19:52 PM |
slingblade All American 12133 Posts user info edit post |
I like 3 best:
Quote : | "Make a plastic zip lock bag trap:
Place a few slices of an apple inside a zip lock bag Leave an inch open to allow pests to enter. The little pests will soon be on and surrounding the apple. Zip the bag closed and crush each one with your fingertips. " |
12/17/2008 11:21:51 PM |
JTMONEYNCSU All American 24529 Posts user info edit post |
i was plagued by these guys a couple months ago, i just sprayed them with bathroom cleaner and they all died, simple as that. 12/17/2008 11:25:37 PM |
Chief All American 3402 Posts user info edit post |
S its basically the same thing as those hanging japanese beetle traps? 12/17/2008 11:26:29 PM |
BIGcementpon Status Name 11318 Posts user info edit post |
Before I leave work they always sit out a small glass of beer and soap. I've seen it work for Lauren before. But the funnel is a nice idea. 12/17/2008 11:37:52 PM |
paerabol All American 17118 Posts user info edit post |
hah never even looked at google
anyway, pics
The problem:
The solution:
The demise:
*the tape around the bottom of the funnel is sticky-side-out and was to hopefully catch any of the trapped flies that stumbled upon the point of entry. I was hoping they'd stick to it instead of accidentally crawling out. They don't stick but an insignificant amount, if any, actually ever crawl out
$1
[Edited on December 18, 2008 at 12:02 AM. Reason : asdf] 12/17/2008 11:48:42 PM |
BIGcementpon Status Name 11318 Posts user info edit post |
haha, that's awesome 12/18/2008 12:06:49 AM |
sawahash All American 35321 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "I sacrificed an ounce or so of PBR" |
12/18/2008 12:08:20 AM |
ncsu_ot_usmc All American 1608 Posts user info edit post |
nice but I was expecting more flys
[Edited on December 18, 2008 at 12:09 AM. Reason : a] 12/18/2008 12:09:00 AM |
Big Business Suspended 9099 Posts user info edit post |
nah bro, thats 100% green renewable technology. that PBR is still good
I'm Big Business and i approved this message. 12/18/2008 12:09:33 AM |
slingblade All American 12133 Posts user info edit post |
$1 12/18/2008 12:10:01 AM |
StoneGuy All American 1391 Posts user info edit post |
Fruit flies are THE WORST... I was plagued a couple months back... most unpleasant!
Congratulations on your successful attempt at getting rid of them. 12/18/2008 12:12:01 AM |
d7freestyler Sup, Brahms 23935 Posts user info edit post |
that's a nice vacuum cleaner. 12/18/2008 12:13:13 AM |
paerabol All American 17118 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "nice but I was expecting more flys" |
I snapped those pics right after I sucked the first batch out of the trap, the thunderous rumble from the vacuum always scatters them around the house. But have no fear for I have built it...and they will come.
$112/18/2008 12:13:29 AM |
slingblade All American 12133 Posts user info edit post |
A fly was very close to being called a land, because that's what it does half the time.
$1
[Edited on December 18, 2008 at 12:15 AM. Reason : .] 12/18/2008 12:14:46 AM |
paerabol All American 17118 Posts user info edit post |
this is working beautifully
$1 12/18/2008 3:37:02 AM |
BigHitSunday Dick Danger 51059 Posts user info edit post |
cute
now how will you actually rid yourself of the problem?
unless you like devising schemes like this 12/18/2008 7:56:30 AM |
surfer_boy6 All American 2071 Posts user info edit post |
The cup trick works even better when you put it in the microwave and fry those suckers. It takes about 2 seconds and they start dropping. 12/18/2008 8:15:16 AM |
Mr E Nigma All American 5450 Posts user info edit post |
when I had that problem, I put a fresh banana in the oven and left the door open over night. when i came back in the morning, that fucker was covered in fruit flies....so i closed the oven door and went Adolf on those bastards. No more fruit flies. 12/18/2008 8:15:32 AM |
BigMan157 no u 103353 Posts user info edit post |
my favorite part was how you laid on the floor specifically to get a dramatic shot of your vacuum
[Edited on December 18, 2008 at 8:28 AM. Reason : also its gonna be gross when you have to clean out the canister] 12/18/2008 8:27:43 AM |
Hurley Suspended 7284 Posts user info edit post |
POM?
dude. 12/18/2008 8:28:44 AM |
icanread2 All American 1450 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "Quote : "I sacrificed an ounce or so of PBR"
" |
x2
[Edited on December 18, 2008 at 8:51 AM. Reason : ]12/18/2008 8:50:40 AM |
IRSeriousCat All American 6092 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "i was plagued by these guys a couple months ago, i just sprayed them with bathroom cleaner and they all died, simple as that." |
i had a similar situation and used a similar solution. the trouble was eggs were laid when i was killing the actual flies so new ones would appear later on. however i eventually read online that fruit flies mate daily and that it takes them 30 minutes to do so. i just hung out in the kitchen until i saw them prepare their mating ritual (the guy sits out with wings vibrating which creates a noise that attracts the females) and i sprayed every female that came near or clapped them in my hands. once the ones that were flying to the ones vibrating were all gone i then went for the males.12/18/2008 9:32:10 AM |
jackleg All American 170957 Posts user info edit post |
$1 12/18/2008 12:55:00 PM |
Thecycle23 All American 5913 Posts user info edit post |
This thread should not have been NEAR as entertaining as it actually was.
12/18/2008 1:00:18 PM |
Fareako Shitter Pilot 10238 Posts user info edit post |
Quote : | "I sacrificed an ounce or so of PBR" |
I'm sorry for your loss *312/18/2008 1:55:19 PM |
XSMP All American 16674 Posts user info edit post |
12/18/2008 1:58:07 PM |
sawahash All American 35321 Posts user info edit post |
Just remember, you will NEVER get that PBR back again! It's heart breaking 12/18/2008 2:01:19 PM |
FykalJpn All American 17209 Posts user info edit post |
the obvious solution is a flamethrower 12/18/2008 2:53:33 PM |
paerabol All American 17118 Posts user info edit post |
A flame thrower would be amazing, but like the bug killer solution it's too easy. I do indeed enjoy inventing little traps. I'm watching my buddy's kitten for a few days and she's having a blast catching the little fuckers. There are only a few left flying around anyway, eventually they too shall die. Then I just have to wait for the eggs to hatch
$1 12/18/2008 3:49:28 PM |
DivaBaby19 Davidbaby19 45208 Posts user info edit post |
12/18/2008 3:55:38 PM |
paerabol All American 17118 Posts user info edit post |
^ speakin' of fly...
$1 12/18/2008 4:30:04 PM |
DivaBaby19 Davidbaby19 45208 Posts user info edit post |
haaaay boo
I'm still waiting to braid yo hair 12/18/2008 4:31:06 PM |
BubbleBobble :3 114227 Posts user info edit post |
they like grape juice, with a little bit of banana in the bottom too! or if you have bread yeast, fix some of that up into peanut butter consistency and put it in the bottom of the trap.
i used to work in scientific research. animal of choice: fruit flies cause they make lots of babies real quick. and to kill them, you can put them to sleep with CO2, and then dump them into jars of ethanol. then they die happy.
I'VE KILLED MILLIONS I TELL YOU!!!
[Edited on December 18, 2008 at 5:45 PM. Reason : m] 12/18/2008 5:44:14 PM |
paerabol All American 17118 Posts user info edit post |
yeah I did my time with fruit fly genetics in high school...i'd have been fine if i never saw another after that
though it is kinda funny that i keep noticing the differences in their phenotype and trying to do little punnet squares in my head
right before i smite them
$1 12/18/2008 5:52:33 PM |
Flying Tiger All American 2341 Posts user info edit post |
Epic win. 12/18/2008 7:09:54 PM |
slingblade All American 12133 Posts user info edit post |
$1 12/18/2008 7:31:27 PM |
ReceiveDeath INEED2 GET HIRITENOW 70263 Posts user info edit post |
$1 12/19/2008 12:17:39 AM |
DiscGolfer All American 2710 Posts user info edit post |
nice to finally see pics.
$2 12/19/2008 12:21:37 AM |
nicklepickle All American 11693 Posts user info edit post |
there were a bunch of fruit flies at pbs last night, and cup a joe, maybe its the weather 12/19/2008 10:38:05 AM |
paerabol All American 17118 Posts user info edit post |
Nearly a month after making this thread, they have not returned. I am victorious.
$1 1/8/2009 6:31:03 AM |
hypaone All American 11084 Posts user info edit post |
ytmnd 1/8/2009 6:55:38 AM |