Since we have started harvesting our fruits and vegetables, gnats and fruitflies have increased around the kitchen to the hundreds at times. We have tried fly tapes and moving the produce out and they still hung around, just moved to my worm bins until the new produce arrived. My solution is a saucer with white vinegar, olive oil and honey mixed in equal parts. 12 hours after setting the bait saucers in the kitchen and by the worm ranch, I count less than 20 still flying and both saucers are so packed with dead or dying flies, they look like a beach during spring break.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), June 29, 2001

Answers

One thing that works is to line a tall can with a bread bag. Drop a banana peel down in there, and allow it to stay open all night. Next morning, quickly close the bag before any fruit flies escape. Tie tightly till the flies die or burn it.

-- daffodyllady (daffodyllady@yahoo.com), June 29, 2001.

Jay, Thank you, thank you, thank you! This recipe works, folks! We've tried everything and were desperate to get rid of the little critters. Over a period of a day, all of them ended up stuck in the bait. I wonder if this will get rid of whiteflies in the greenhouse? You can bet that I'm going to find out!

-- john james (jjames@n-jcenter.com), July 02, 2001.

Glad to know it worked for you too. Our house is now gnat free. I look forward to hearing about the whitefly application.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), July 03, 2001.

An ideal way of getting rid of fruit flies in the house and around compost is to use one of the Droseras (sundews). carnivorous plants. With their sticky substance on the tentacles, fruit flies land on them regularly and are absorbed and digested by the plant.

Kim www.tristanscps.com

-- Kim Magnuson (keembo@hotmail.com), August 17, 2001.