Sigh ... ... ... ...
Seems DH can't handle the little fruit/drain flies. His solution is bomb the house. My solution takes longer, but isn't going to kill me off either. So ... this morning, I began making some little traps to catch the little bleeps. I have drain cleaner cleaned the drains. I have picked up and zip baggied all the used plastic utensils and rotten fruit that I didn't use in the traps. We shall see!
Of course, I am shot. I am not cut out for much kitchen duty anymore and most of my good time has been used on the blueberries and my little cuttings. Things got kind of carried away in the kitchen. I still have to vacuum out the kitchen cabinet - flour bugs - I haven't been baking much and the flour became a hatchery. The new flour is stored in the refrigerator - a small 2# bag this time. I have kinda been waiting for him to do that, but I can see he's not going to touch that. I hope I can get it all sucked up. They ate holes in the bag! (Got them in the powdered sugar too - time to throw it out anyway, haven't made frosting in a very long time.) It disturbs me that things come to us from the store with the bug eggs already in the food. I guess the food police allow so many parts per - in each batch. EW! I have even opened packages of stuff like stuffing mix etc. that's not out of date and there they are.
Ready to start supper yet? Look carefully, checking dates is not the end all. Mwhahahaha!
Update!
I opened the pantry where I keep my heavy glass pans etc. that I don't use anymore. Hmm, do you remember my last 'helper' the one that put stuff away so well? There inside (after a huge swarm of those pesky flies escaped) was a bag of foul smelling soup that used to be potatoes. (I think) My nose must be shot, or got used to the smell gradually. As soon as I moved it. She had tucked said whatever inside my roasting pan. I had always wanted a helper before I finally got one, proves one should really and truly be careful what they wish for!
Ewwwww don't like bugs. But yes. That last forgotten potato will do it everytime. And then they are everywhere At least your getting it done.
ReplyDeleteMy garbage can will reek after a week with that in there. At least it's outside!
DeleteMostly just little roaches in here.
ReplyDeleteRoaches are the worst with their wiggling antenna, double yuk!
DeleteDarn all those pests...at least you discovered the potato remains and that should help clear out the flies. Because we are so slow to use flour and flour based products with just the two of us, I invested in some big jars. I keep flour products sealed up in glass jars now to avoid anything getting into it.
ReplyDeleteJars don't work for very long, the eggs are already in the flour when you buy it and they hatch after a while.
DeleteI've never had fruit flies in my drains, that would creep me out too. Getting rid of the potatoes will probably take care of the problem...they breed so fast, though, you'll have to be diligent for a good week before breathing easy. There's always something isn't there.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I give it a week and they should be gone.
DeleteIf it isn't one thing, it's two.
I am ashamed to admit, I kind of like setting those fruit fly traps and watching those pests getting caught.
ReplyDeleteDon't tell anyone, I like seeing the bleeps get caught too!
Deletei hope you can eradicate them without further chemicals. i get them sometimes if i keep bananas on the counter. and flour bugs really bug me!
ReplyDeleteBest fly killer so far is my fist on a baggie full of ripe banana and a bunch of those flies. They are tough little things!
DeleteOh no! NONONONONONO!!! It does sound as if you have an infestation of pantry moth. (flour bugs)
ReplyDeleteif they've eaten their way out of the bags, they've probably cocooned, hatched and flown around laying eggs everywhere.
My daughter had and infestation ages ago and there are still cocoons hatching now. Not just in her kitchen. Hers arrived via a bag of breadcrumbs and she didn't realise what the little flittering things were until I visited one day and they were already through the house. Now I visit twice a month and check everything, and set those sticky pheromone traps to catch the males to prevent breeding.
I'd be very much inclined to go with the 'bombing' treatment and repeat it in a few months.
Unless the 'flies' are just those little midgie things that appear around over ripe fruit.
Which I doubt since you've had a flour bag with holes in it and other things with bugs too.
Ummmm, I've just read your last paragraph, how did I miss it? Anyway, those pesky flies from the rotten potatoes are just as awful and annoying as the flour bugs (weevils) hatching and flittering about which I now realise you may not have. Not the moth version anyway, just weevils.
ReplyDeleteI should stop here....
Yep, just weevils AND fruit flies. Husband has been chief cook for about a year now ...
DeleteFruit flies come around for anything and everything. So annoying. If my son and his fiance' leave a wine glass on the counter and don't rinse it. Fruit flies. Bananas. Fruit flies. Ugh. I like your method rather than DH's. Yes. It's annoying having those lit'l buggers but ya' know what's even more annoying? Not being able to breathe after you've had your house bombed. (Or any other time) - One bad potato will ruin a whole stinkin' bag. So gross. That's one of my most dreaded things. - I wonder if the flour and sugar were kept in a glass container if they wouldn't get the bugs. I don't know. Just asking. I have all of my baking products in glass containers.
ReplyDeleteThey were both pretty old, I haven't baked much in the last two years. The bugs probably came in them, you could see the castings from the larvae. The powdered sugar shouldn't have had anything, but ... it was still in the sealed plastic bag. I think if you use the products up within a reasonable time, it's not a problem. You don't really see those tiny eggs. We would be surprised if we knew all the things we ate that we had no clue about.
DeleteIf you really want to know about the glass jars - store them in a regular cupboard for a couple of years ... You will have your answer.
DeleteI cleaned out the bottom of my closet and found a big bag I used to take to the ranch. I found all kind of things I thought I just might need. One seemed to be some kind of snack that had turned to black soot. Have no idea what is was. Yuck!
ReplyDeleteOur yellow jacket return...Coffee is on
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that. We have them here too, Ouch!
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