Help! How do I get rid of the fruit flies that came from the strawberries in my newly started compost pile?

Question

I realize now that I should not put sweet fruits in there .... because of the fruit flies it attracts. But how do I get rid of them now???? Thanks!

Answer 1

Whatever you do, don't use a product that will ruin your compost. I'm not sure the fruit flies will be harmful, sometimes the solution can be worse than the problem.  When I take the veggies to the composter, if I bang my dish on the compost box to get it properly emptied, I usually end up stirring up some little flies, probably fruit flies. I haven't paid much attention to them, but - and I should have warned you about that - if your compost box is too close to the house, and if it is affecting your living area, I suggest you inquire at a gardening store if there is some way that you can get rid of them without ruining the compost.

Another idea, since you have just started, is moving the compost box further away.  In our experience, however, the little flies stay right in the compost box or extremely close ot it. They don't affect any other area.

Edit:

A friend sitting near me just mentioned that they keep a composter right on their veranda, that they have fruit flies in it which they see when they take the lid off, but that they really aren't a bother.

Answer 2

Apple cider vinegar mixed with dish-washing detergent in an open container works great inside a house, and it may work outside as well. Check out your local hardware store for a Pyrethrin spray (kills flies, ticks, lice, etc) or you could hang those old flypaper rolls (ugly but effective)..

This website has great advice:

http://www.catalogs.com/info/garden-yard...