skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

no more fruit flies on the garden produce

12 years ago

I have been picking pounds of tomatoes this past month, but I hate the fruit flies. I wash the tomatoes in a sink of cold water when I bring them in, but I still get the flies.

My younger son was visiting, and he found the answer for me. Pour a little apple cider vinegar in a small bowl or bottle cap. Add one or two drops of liquid dish soap. The soap breaks the surface tension of the liquid so that when the fruit flies land to enjoy some, they sink in and drown rather than float on the surface, which they expected to do.

This post was edited by sheilajoyce on Sat, Aug 16, 14 at 18:15

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (4)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
I use a bowl with half water/half ACV with the dish soap. Works like a charm. I also wrap my tomatoes loosely with newspaper when storing them on the counter; that really helps, too. I don't wash them until I use them.
jim_1 (Zone 5B)
12 years ago
Growing up in the 1950s in Ohio, my mother said that fruit flies were part of gardening. Accept them.

I recall all the canning and freezing that we did. She even made applesauce! We had about half an acre with all kinds of fruits and berries and vegetables. One of my first 'jobs' was, along with my sister, delivering fresh produce up and down the block to our neighbors. They would call in their order and Sally and I would collect the money upon delivery. From sweet corn to strawberries, pears and plums to carrots, we delivered them.
Related Discussions
Fruit Flies
Q
Comments (28)
There's no need to get rid of all of the soil, march. Gently shake off all that you can and repot. Who said that fungus gnats are worse in the dry winter air? Moisture is what kicks them into high gear....moist potting soil. Misting at night will accomplish nothing, I am afraid. It doesn't water your plant, it doesn't raise humidity around your plants for more than it takes for the foliage to dry, and it may encourage foliage diseases. Respiration occurs all the time in living organisms. It's easy to think of photosynthesis occuring in the daylight, so respiration must happen in the dark, but it's not the case. In most plants, the stomata close at night. In most plants they are open during the day to expel O2 and water vapor and to access CO2 from the air. Much of the CO2 generated by respiration is stored within the plant and used for the photosynthesis process, also. Stomates will also close (besides at night) during periods of high temperatures when the plant cannot take up enough water fast enough to maintain turgidity within the cells. Turgid stomatal guard cells are open. Stomata may also close when the plant gets rained on or misted. One more reason NOT to mist your plants on a regular basis.
...See More
Fruit Flies in My Potted Strawberry Plants
Q
Comments (11)
I think I am having this problem too. I bought some strawberry plants at the farmer's market about a month ago. I've been watering them about once a week. One was a little brown around the edges of a leaf, then it started to look brown around the base of the plant. Then I noticed a couple little flies buzzing around yesterday - tiny, gnat-sized flies. I also noticed the little flowers that were on one of the plants have darkened and withered. Today there are two-three times as many flies. I want to get rid of them! I am such a novice ... I do not understand all the things you guys have said here - mosquito dunk? gnatrol? I was planning to repot these guys this weekend, but now I am afraid all is lost (although the leaves still look mostly decent, like the picture above). I don't even know where to start! Is Palmolive an acceptable dish soap to spray them with? How much would I put into how much water? I am a very capable person, but I have never successfully maintained a plant for longer than a few months and I am intimidated - but determined to figure it out! Thanks, ~KJ
...See More
What are these small white flies - not fruit fly or fungus gnat
Q
Comments (3)
Sadly, my digital camera is busted. I was hoping the description would seem familiar to someone... guess not? If I can lay hands on a camera from a friend, I'll see if I can post an image.
...See More
Tons of blooms late in season can I produce more fruit
Q
Comments (6)
Having the tomato plants in a 30 gal. pot makes a difference. I'd mobilize that pot so that you can move it into a garage every evening and roll it back out into the sun at mid morning. This may be more work than you want to do but this is only the beginning. In a few weeks you will not have as much sunshine and the fruits will develop more slowly. Many of them may be disfigured by the cool weather during polination and you should cull those to help put more energy into desirable fruits. Plant foliar diseases will also take their toll on your plants in the more humid fall weather. More and more of your time may be devoted to caring to dying plants. I'm going through this with greenhouses so I emphathize with you. Usually around Thanksgiving you get involved with other seasonal distractions and the plants just don't fit in with your plans. But, don't dispair. Seed catalogs are in the mail by then and you can begin planning for an early crop for '08. Take a few notes now of things you would do differently next year.
...See More
Jasdip
12 years ago
Grrrrr, hubby cut a cantaloupe earlier this week and left the rinds in the kitchen garbage, to take out the next morning.

I opened the cupboard the next morning to put something in the trash and out came a flurry of fruit flies! He felt bad, since he has put watermelon rinds in overnight with no problems.

Years ago when I fed the worms more food than they could keep up with I would get fruit flies. I don't get them anymore, as I freeze all the food before feeding, to kill any eggs.

A small jar with cider vinegar and a drop of dishwashing liquid always works for me.

Earlier this week I saw a segment on tv where the lady said to put a piece of fruit in a dish, cover with plastic wrap and puncture just one hole. They fly will get in and won't find his way out. I tried that, as I had one lone fruit fly that I couldn't catch/trap. I watched him hang out on the piece of pineapple, then he would disappear. A little while later he went in again, and again, he wasn't there. I figure he was flying in and out of that hole just to feed. LOL
joyfulguy
12 years ago
Thanks, Jasdip, for the idea ...

... using a Freezer to Forestall Fruit Flies!

(That idea should fly ... in the Household Hints section).

o j

Related Stories

MOST POPULAR How to Get Rid of Those Pesky Summer Fruit Flies

By Mitchell Parker

Learn what fruit flies are, how to prevent them and how to get rid of them in your home

GARDENING GUIDES Great Design Plant: Grow Blueberries for Their Fruit and More

By Ellen Sousa/Turkey Hill Brook Farm

Eastern gardeners should consider growing blueberry plants for their delicious fruits, bee-friendly spring blooms and brilliant fall foliage

FALL GARDENING 5 Fall Fruits You Can Grow in Containers

Brighten your porch or patio with a potted pomegranate, kumquat, blueberry bush or another great fall fruit

EDIBLE GARDENS How to Grow 10 Favorite Fruit Trees at Home

By Marianne Lipanovich

Plant a mini orchard in fall, winter or early spring to enjoy fresh-off-the-tree fruit the following year

GARDENING AND LANDSCAPING Crazy for Fruit Trees

By Marianne Lipanovich

Whether a single citrus or a mini apple orchard, even the smallest landscape space can bear deliriously delicious fruit

FARM YOUR YARD If You Have Room for Only One Fruit Tree ...

Juice up a small garden with one of these easier-care or worth-the-effort fruit trees for a mild climate

FRONT YARD IDEAS Welcome Edibles Into the Front Yard for Fresh Food and More

By Abundant City

Give your front yard design a boost and maybe even make new friends by growing fruits and vegetables

LANDSCAPE DESIGN Natural Swimming Pools: More Beauty, No Chemicals

By Falon Mihalic

Keep your skin and the environment healthy with a pool that cleans itself, naturally

GARDENING GUIDES Backyard Birds: Orioles Return After Spending Winter in the Tropics

By Habitat Network

These colorful songbirds prefer woodlands and forest edges, but they’ll visit yards with fruit-producing trees and shrubs

DECORATING GUIDES More Is More: The 10 Tenets of Maximalist Style

By Karen Wilson

Ready to join the school of over-the-top design? Learn how to embrace excess in your interiors

Sponsored

More Discussions

Postpartum psychosis & the Lindsay Clancy trial

136

AI and recipe salvaging

28

Tuesday's Daily Quiz

4

I'll show you mine/ysmy - T 9/8

20

Smile Today 9/9/26

4