Need help getting rid of fruit flies

I have been having major problems with fruit flies this year. They are loving my crested gecko food and snake cages for some reason. I am only around on weekends to clean and my sister changes the CGD during the week for me. Is there anything I can do to get rid of them? They are really starting to piss my stepfather off and I'm tired of listening to him complain. Also I feel it might be important to add the flies moved into the snake cages after I finally convinced my sister that no I was not feeding the cresties fruit fly eggs they are fed a fruit smoothie. She wasn't taking the job I am paying her to do seriously until she learned not doing what I asked was making the problem worse.

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apple cider vinegar...in a cup. dash of lemon juice.

google has some suggestions, and mostly my wife got them from there.

only leave CGD in overnight for one night. I use CGD for two consecutive nights, but if you let yourself not be 100% optimum with CGD use and throw it out, you'll reduce your fruit flies' food source.

Keep your snake and gecko cages squeaky clean.

Those are two of the best proactive options out there for preventing them from reproducing in large numbers. Remove food sources and shelter.

fruit fly trap:

get some kind of bottle

put a little wine, vinegar, even just some apple in the bottom,
make a cone out of paper with a tiny opening
tape to bottle with small part in bottle
watch the fruit flies get stuck


I think proventamite might kill them... anyone had experience?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Capray

fruit fly trap:

get some kind of bottle

put a little wine, vinegar, even just some apple in the bottom,
make a cone out of paper with a tiny opening
tape to bottle with small part in bottle
watch the fruit flies get stuck

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Heh, I came here to say just this.... I sense drosophila work. ;)

Also, anything banana. Bastards be nutty about bananas. ....fruit in general though, hence your current predicament.

¿que es "drosophila"?

My Recipe : Coke, vinegar, a squirt of dish soap and a little water. The dish soap will break the surface tension of the water so they fall in and die. That's what the other recipes are missing and it is important!
Or Beer with some dish soap- They have their favorites so try a few different ones.

Put it in Non Spillable! cups and place around the CG cage and wherever they are congregating.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mainbutter

only leave CGD in overnight for one night. I use CGD for two consecutive nights, but if you let yourself not be 100% optimum with CGD use and throw it out, you'll reduce your fruit flies' food source.

Keep your snake and gecko cages squeaky clean.

Those are two of the best proactive options out there for preventing them from reproducing in large numbers. Remove food sources and shelter.

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That is what I would normally do if I was around my reptiles every day. My sister refuses to change out the CGD every night and it's a 2 hour one way drive for me to do it. The same with cage cleaning. I only get up there on weekends to do a massive cleaning and snake feeding. This is only a temporary situation that was only supposed to last 6 months, but I should hopefully have a full time position again soon and my own apartment. :please:

My stepfather doesn't want to listen to me when I tell him I never had a problem with fruit flies when I was in WI because I could take care of things much better. :rolleyes:

I'm going to have to try the fruit fly traps for now.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Capray

¿que es "drosophila"?

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Means fruit flies. Its the latin name.

Like bp= pythonus regius (or however you spell it lol)

The ones around your snake cages at least are most likely NOT fruit flies but Phorid flies, I have problems with these from time to time and it's hard to completely eliminate them in any room containing animals and their waste. Here is a little URL with more info.

http://www.publichealth.lacounty.gov...horidFlies.pdf

Any farm supply store will sell fly traps or fly baits, some of them can be strong smelling though so use the ones that are suitable for inside use.