Fruitflies in my car!! archived

For the last few days I've noticed a few fruitflies in my car...bumping around the inside of the windshield. This evening I got in and there must have been a dozen. It seems they are coming from the top of the windshield, and I wonder if some m-fer could've gotten in and laid eggs in the window seal.

Please help - I am getting seriously skeeved out.

angelak???

did u look under the seats or in the trunk

Is Brett randomly tossing bananas at cars again?

Posted By: Vacanculodid u look under the seats or in the trunk

for what? :gagging:

Posted By: debby
angelak???

Well, I raise about 11 species deliberately in the lab. Unfortunately, I don't have much experience with wild flies. Although I tried to set some traps last month to capture some without any luck.

However, I doubt the eggs and larva would survive in the window seal. Vac and Calli are on the right track. Look for some rotting food source somewhere in the car. Chances are though, the source will dry up soon enough and not be suitable for development. The food source needs to be moisty.

fruit, something that does not belong.

where's that vomit emoticon when you need it?

so there's no magic trap?

You could try a regular flytrap-sticky-tape-thing if you wanted. I tried building some traps that would trap them alive.

It's the miracle of life going on right in your car! Don't be skeeved, be amazed!

put some wine in a cup
cover it with plastic wrap and poke some hole with a tooth pick

put some more wine in a cup and drink up

I am amazingly skeeved. I was smacking the windshield while I was driving (stick-shift, mind you).

Are you sure they are fruit flies? If it's rotting meat that's the food source, it probably some other type of fly. Any chicken nuggets slip under the seat?

Gevalt. They sure look like the drosphila I remember from bio. Do baby rotten-meat flies look like that, too?

There are some small flies that you might mistake for fruit flies. Especially if you were swinging at them while driving. Don't know how close you got. Put up a tape trap and I'll try to ID them.

Posted By: debbyDo baby rotten-meat flies look like that, too?

There are no baby flies. They emerge from the pupal case as adults, ready to rock and roll (i.e. mate) after about 24 hours, depending on the species.

they are really small and brownish with translucent wings, and just kind of hover and freak me out.

Think of them as really small, brownish butterflies. Same general idea. Catch a couple and I'll give it a shot.

They are not going to bite you or lay eggs on you, so not to worry.

And who can identify the reddish ones, one of which I just swatted away from my screen? (Seemed like a fruit fly to me, no fruit available to them.)

There are about 100,000 known species of flies.

I just dealt with some fruitflies at home. On the porch (basically an uninsullated room) I hung some good old fashioned fly paper. Got about 20 there. Then in the kitchen I followed a recipe I found online. Equal parts water and apple cider vinegar in a cup/bowl and a bit of liquid soap. Caught another dozen here. No more fruit flies.

Try either in your car, but probably not while driving.

That's what I was looking for, graham! I knew there was some folk-remedy.

I already sprayed Raid in the car - I expect it will be a gas chamber by morning.

Ahem.

Posted By: angelakYou could try a regular flytrap-sticky-tape-thing if you wanted.

Tee-hee. I was entertaining kitchen sink remedies...till I pulled out the poison.

But seriously, it's getting hot now and the food does have to be moist. It will probably dry up really soon. Problem solved.

If I did that every time I went to work, I'd be in big trouble!

Debby, Look in the car for forgotten empty soda cans. Seriously, they breed there.

Every year when it gets warm we get fruit flies in the bathroom. Drives me CRAZY. I have no idea what brings them there :wall:

I am trying the home made recipe posted above.

Fruit flies love apple cider vinegar. Use one of those small plastic containers you get at Chinese take-out joints. Pour some vinegar into the container. Take the top and punch holes in it. Apply top to container. The flies are drawn to the vinegar through the holes and then drown. Just leave it in your car when you're not using it.

Hey Pippi, there is a sign announcing a new baby on Coudert in south orange and guess what the baby's name is?

Posted By: crazy_quilterHey Pippi, there is a sign announcing a new baby on Coudert in south orange and guess what the baby's name is?

Fruit fly?
:wink:

(Seriously??? COOL!!!!)