Fruit flies and ants EVERYWHERE! HELLLP!!

Question

My house is being taken over by ants and small tiny little red flies- I think they're fruit flies. There are HUNDREDS of them in my kitchen! I have scrubbed EVERYTHING down with bleach-floors, cupboards, inside cupboards, sink, washing machine and dishwasher, stove, fridge both inside and out, garbage can, recycling bins, I re-washed all dishes/pots/pans/tupperware

I even bought all airtight food storage containers and put EVERY bit of food possible into them in the cupboards and fridge- no open packages or food ANYWHERE in the house. I even did the same cleaning routine in all the rooms of our house. Everything is soooo clean you could eat off any surface in the house. Yet, we still have a major ant issue- and the flies are makign me nuts- when you walk into the kitchen they're like a cloud. They even sit on our clean laundry, which makes me NUTTY. You can't leave your plate of food at dinner for even 2 seconds or it has at least 50 flies on it. I don't let food of any kind sit out at all, so there is no food they are getting into. I even emptied all our closets, steam cleaned upholstry and everything...

I also made sure all the doors have no space around them for the flies to come in. I know they came into the house somehow- and now Ic an't get them OUT of the house.

How can I get rid of them in a safe way? We have 2 kids, 3 cats and a dog- and nowhere to goto leave the house to spray or anything extreme.

And about the pet food- the flies and ants don't seem to bother with it at all. I have watched and they don't go near it. I also wash and put away the bowls as soon as they are done eating.

Answer 1

I heard this remedy on the radio a few weeks ago, tried it out, and it works...for the fruit fly/gnat things anyway.

Pour about 2" of apple cider vinegar into a container (cup, bowl, whatever is handy) and put in a few drops of dishwashing liquid (Palmolive, Joy, Dawn, etc.) stir it up and let it set.  

Slowly but surely they were drawn to the mixture - it must have been the sweet smell of the vinegar that drew them and the dish soap killed them.  

I would make up several containers of it since you have so many.  It might take a few days, but it works.  I checked mine and each time I looked, there was another one in the cup.  

As far as the ants go, about 15 yrs ago I had spilled some Avon Skin So Soft bath oil and it killed some ants.  I don't know if it will work for you, but you might try it.

Answer 2

Are you sure that they are fruit flies, kinda sounds like termites in swarming season?

I'd call Terminix, it's like $80 bucks a quarter for pest control, they'll def be able to get rid of the ants...not sure about the flies though.

Answer 3

Definatly call an exterminator!!

i cant imagine living that long and doing all that with all those bugs without calling the pest control!!!

CALL AS SOON AS YOU CAN!! and say its urgent and they need to come out tomorrow!!

Answer 4

For the flies, try putting a funnel on top of a jar with something sweet in it.  They can figure out how to get in, but are too stupid to figure out how to get out.  You can just throw them out, or whatever.  You could also try spraying outside the parameter of the house with some kind of chemical in case there is something there you missed.  It shouldn't bother the pets or the kids since it's outside.

Answer 5

I wish I had an answer for you - it sounds like they are somehow in your walls or do you have plants?  If you have plants you can get tiny gnats that are fairly easy to get rid of if you repot and rinse off the plants.  What you have sounds excessive.  The best thing to do is to call an exterminator who can assess the situation and treat your house so that you don't have to worry about these pests.

Answer 6

call an extormenator

Answer 7

bomb the house with bug poision

Answer 8

Call the American Pest Control!

Answer 9

i get fruit flies too sometimes

i make a torch from a lighter and a can of hairspray.. and cook those lil suckers..

there are ant sprays you can buy at the store for cheaper than an exterminator. just make sure you read the label and get the one that lasts for up to 4 weeks.

spray every possible entry way into your house.. windows and all.  

Answer 10

wow. this is interesting. YOU did everything you possibly can. the only thing i can tell you is to call an exterminator

Answer 11

Throw SevnDust all underneath your house.  That stuff works wonders!

Answer 12

Something in your house is drawing them to it. Find out what it is and get rid of it.

They dont stay where there is no food.

You get rid of their food and they disappear almost instantly