Well      03/27/2019

There are small midges in the apartment. Why do flowers get midges? Chemical insect repellents: which ones to choose and how to use

Olga Nikitina


Reading time: 5 minutes

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Who among us has not encountered this problem? Midges appear suddenly in an apartment and are very annoying, annoying the residents with their presence. Some species - and there are a lot of them - can even bite. But the good news is that the methods of dealing with them are the same, and you don’t have to read a bunch of literature in order to determine which of their representatives you are fighting with.

Where do small midges come from in an apartment?

The very first thing to do is to establish the cause of the appearance of midges. Only after this can you begin effective fight with them in the apartment.

Where they can come from is a mystery to many, because outside the window it can be any time of the year. The windows and doors are closed in winter, that is, there is simply nowhere for midges to fly in.

We list the main reasons for the appearance of these unwanted guests in your home:

Biologists say one of the most common reasons for the appearance of midges in an apartment is dirty fruits or vegetables brought home from the garden or store.

Long before they appear on your table, eggs were laid on the fruits, which are in a state of rest, remission, waiting for the fruit to begin to deteriorate and rot.

This is where their finest hour comes, because this is the main food for midges. Larvae emerge from the eggs, which very quickly turn into midges.

Their lifespan is very short, only about a day. But in the presence of an abundant nutrient medium, for example, rotting fruit, they multiply very intensively, which leads to the rapid filling of the room with these insects if measures to eliminate the outbreak were not taken in time.

A very common and widespread reason for the appearance of midges is also insufficient hygiene of the trash can and irregular garbage disposal.

There may be eggs in the leftover food lying in the garbage, and when rotting begins, they begin to wake up.

You should also remember about such a place in the house as a living corner

There is always organic matter with traces of rotting there. For example, an aquarium with abundant algae growth and water that has not been changed for a long time, or a cage with a rabbit or other animal. Such places should always be clean so that insects do not have the opportunity to feed there and lay eggs.

Indoor plants can also cause abundant reproduction of midges

Especially if such a folk method of fertilization as tea leaves is used. Midges are very fond of tea and its remains.

Also, the cause may be high humidity in and around the pots, associated with abundant watering of indoor plants.

Well, the most mysterious place where midges appear, when it seems that everything around is simply licked and perfectly clean, is the water supply and sewage system

Pieces of food falling into the sewer can get stuck in the siphons of sinks and toilets and continue to rot there. This provokes the constant and uncontrollable appearance of midges throughout the house.

From all of the above, we can conclude that midges appear in the house precisely because of problems with the hygiene of the room and its communications.

Midges enter the house only with the help of a person who personally brings them into the house. Their further life and development depends on the cleanliness of the room in which they find themselves.

7 ways to get rid of small midges

To fight with house flies makes sense only when the cause and place of their occurrence are precisely determined. In all other cases, all attempts to get rid of uninvited guests will fail.

Let's try to describe below the main ways to combat midges:

  • The first step is to conduct a full-scale audit of all vegetables and fruits stored in the house

If the inspection reveals spoiled fruits, you should immediately get rid of them and put the good ones in the refrigerator.

It’s also worth looking into the cereals and pouring them in. Check that there is no dampness in the places where they are stored and that the bulk products themselves do not have any traces of spoilage. After checking, seal the cereals hermetically in a dry, clean container.

  • Thoroughly clean the sink and washbasin

For this you can use different modern means to remove blockages in siphons and pipes.
If they are not at hand, then you can resort to the old folk way. Pour baking soda into the neck of the sink and extinguish it with vinegar. When the reaction takes place, which is accompanied by intense hissing, rinse with plenty of running water.

It should also be taken into account that dismantling siphons for cleaning at least once a year will have a very positive effect on the hygiene of the room.

  • In pots with indoor plants some manipulations should also be done

For example, a few matches stuck into the ground with the sulfur heads downwards help to get rid of midges. You should also, if possible, reduce the intensity of watering in order to get rid of dampness and rotting of the plant root system. You can also sprinkle some ground pepper on the ground.

  • Pets' habitats and feeding areas must be kept clean

Change the fillers in a timely manner, preventing them from rotting and rinse the feeding dishes.

  • Traps also help a lot

It is made very simply. To do this you need an empty plastic bottle. You need to cut off the neck from it so that you get a funnel. Then we insert it into the cut part with the spout down and secure it with tape. At the bottom of the bottle you need to put something that would serve as bait. A piece of rotten fruit or a spoonful of jam. A small amount of beer works well. Midges fly into a narrow neck based on the smell, but cannot get back out. Such traps must be disposed of without disassembling them by filling them with water detergent.

  • Geranium will help greatly in the fight against midges.

This flower should be grown on windowsills in residential areas. Many insects, including midges, cannot stand its smell. By the way, geranium is also good at saving the house from moths.

  • Sticky tapes are also good for getting rid of midges.

They should be hung not only in open space, but also in the middle of cabinets.

But this method will be effective only when the causes of the appearance of midges are established and actions are taken to eliminate these causes.

Prevention rules - how to prevent midges from appearing in your apartment in the future?

Preventing the appearance of midges in your home is very simple and clear. This -

  • Compliance with hygiene rules for residential premises.
  • Regular cleaning and trash removal.
  • Regular cleaning of the trash can.
  • cleaning siphons.
  • Timely discarding of food that has begun to spoil.

Also, pungent and persistent odors are good for preventing midges. For example, the smell of garlic or geranium, camphor or incense, if they do not prevent the appearance of midges 100%, will significantly reduce the risk of their appearance.

These measures are guaranteed to rid your home of annoying, uninvited guests.

There are almost two thousand varieties of midges; fruit flies - fruit or food midges - usually appear in houses and apartments. These are very small insects that reproduce instantly. They do not harm human health, but can spoil food. Typically, these midges are brown in color, but sometimes orange and black individuals can be seen.

Fruit left on the table can attract midges

In order for the fight against to be successful, it is imperative to understand where the midge comes from. The sources are very diverse:

  1. Overripe and rotten fruits and berries. Adults leave eggs on them, and when the food ends up in comfortable conditions, insects begin to actively develop.
  2. The trash can and all waste in hard-to-reach places - an apple core under a cabinet, leftover food, a dirty bottle - attract a huge number of midges.
  3. Sink drain - even if the sink is sparkling clean, various waste inevitably accumulates in the depths of the drain. If they are not removed regularly, a suitable breeding ground for pests is created.
  4. Neighbors - midges can appear from unscrupulous owners of nearby apartments.
  5. Indoor flowers - if the soil constantly remains wet, insects easily settle in it and infest the home.

Preventing its occurrence is quite simple: vegetables and fruits from the market should be doused hot water and then dry. Among the main preventive measures are:

  • Throw away soft berries and fruits that are starting to spoil in a timely manner;
  • do not leave perishable foods on the table: strawberries, sliced ​​watermelon, pineapples;
  • place all food in the refrigerator overnight;
  • do not store onions, potatoes, carrots and other vegetables prepared for the winter in a warm place;
  • Throw away trash promptly and wash the container with a disinfectant.

Do not leave rotten vegetables and fruits in the kitchen

If there are plants in the kitchen, loosen the soil, remove all fallen leaves, and thoroughly wipe the pots. When the midges are already infested, it is better to replace the soil and treat the leaves with a solution of potassium permanganate. If there are animals in the house, change their water every day, and always put their food in a container. Be sure to clean the refrigerator and throw away any spoiled food.

How to get rid of onion midge

Midges can often be seen in onions. The main reason is its improper storage, when the vegetable is sent into a sealed package or bag - there they quickly become damp and rot. Immediately after detecting insects, it is necessary to sort the vegetables and throw out all rotten ones. One of the options to defeat midges is pine needles or cotton wool treated with essential oil. It should be placed next to the onion. If there are a lot of insects, use specialized pest traps.

One of the common problems is midges in cereals. Their eggs and larvae can get into it at the packaging stage, and if the product is sold by weight - at the market or in a store. The first stage of the fight is to identify all pest habitats and get rid of bad products. It is impossible to sort through and completely clean them, since insect eggs are very difficult to notice.

Bugs and larvae in flour

The place where spoiled cereals are stored should be disinfected to destroy pest larvae. Helps prevent re-infection Bay leaf or garlic - they need to be placed in containers with cereal. Another way is to store food in the freezer.

After midges are detected, it is necessary to carry out a comprehensive cleaning of the entire area. The source of pest spread may be in a tiny crack where, for example, a piece of apple ends up. Wash the stove thoroughly, including all its walls. The oven can be steam treated: place a frying pan with water and detergent inside, heat to one hundred degrees and leave for thirty minutes. As a result, the burnt residue can be easily removed with a wet cloth.

Carry out a comprehensive kitchen cleaning

Don't forget the microwave. If there is a lot of fat in it, prepare a solution citric acid and heat it for ten minutes by turning on maximum power. When the device has cooled down, wipe it with a sponge. All hard to reach places In the kitchen, scrub with a brush and mop the floors, paying close attention to the area under the sink.

One way to eliminate midges is store-bought products. But most of these drugs contain chemical substances, which can cause allergic reactions and other serious consequences. The most popular aerosols are Reid and Dichlorvos. To kill insects that live in flower pots, use Aktar or Grom-2.

Midges can be destroyed using specialized sprays

If you poison a midge chemicals, there should be no people or animals left in the room. After treatment, all rooms should be well ventilated. Alternative way– various incense or essential oils. They effectively fight insects and fill your home with enchanting aromas.

An effective way to solve a problem. You can make traps yourself, even without special skills:

Adhesive tape is very effective in the kitchen against flies.

One of the most effective traps is sticky fly tape. Its effect can be enhanced with wine. Insects will instantly flock to their favorite scent. There are other options:

  • a special house that attracts and destroys midges;
  • expensive baits made in the form of fruit and impregnated with insecticide.

One of best options, how to remove midges from an apartment. Homemade recipes are easy to use and do not harm your health. But first do the following:

  • Treat all drain holes with boiling water;
  • pour vinegar into the sink, add baking soda, when the reaction is over, rinse with water;
  • Sort through all the cereals, throw spoiled ones in the trash bin;
  • fumigate the room with incense.

Midges are afraid of the smell of incense

Some housewives fight midges with a vacuum cleaner. You can simply suck up the insects and then clean the bag away from your home. Among the others effective means you can note:

  1. Horseradish - the smell of this plant is good at repelling midges. Cut fresh raw materials into pieces and place them throughout the kitchen, open the windows - pests will quickly fly away from your home.
  2. Camphor, tobacco, juniper - excellent remedy against uninvited guests. Tobacco and pine needles can be set on fire in a suitable container. Camphor is heated in a frying pan.
  3. Vinegar with water and soap - if you can’t smoke out the midges, try luring them into a trap. To do this, mix water, vinegar and sugar in a jar, pour in liquid soap. Cover the neck with film and make several holes in it. Insects will fly in and die.
  4. Wheatgrass decoction - you can wipe all surfaces in the kitchen with it or spray them with a spray bottle.
  5. Essential oils - midges do not like the smell of lavender, cloves and lemon. Use any of them and forget about the hated pests.
  6. Vanilla - place its pods in the kitchen. Alternative option– a vanillin solution that can be sprayed instead of the usual air freshener.
  7. Garlic – chop a clove, pour boiling water over it and leave for a couple of hours. Water the plants in whose pots midges are found with the prepared solution.
  8. Geranium - midges cannot stand its smell. Therefore, place this plant in the kitchen and other rooms.

Prevention

The best prevention of midges is cleanliness. It is advisable to store all products, juice and jam packaging in the refrigerator. Empty the trash can regularly and then wash it with soapy water or vinegar.

Periodically check the condition water pipes, do not leave wet rags and dirty dishes in the sink, quickly get rid of spoiled food. To prevent midges from appearing again, follow simple rules:

  • dispose of rubbish in a timely manner;
  • do not leave half-eaten dishes on the table;
  • store perishable foods and cereals in containers;
  • wash dishes immediately after eating;
  • wet clean the kitchen every week;
  • Water your house plants moderately and sprinkle the soil with sand.

These tips will help prevent the spread of midges. And if they already exist, you can easily deal with them using folk remedies or store-bought pest control products. The reasons for the appearance of midges in the kitchen are varied and affect the choice of control method. In some cases, they give a positive result folk recipes, in others you have to resort to professional means.

Drosophila (fruit, fruit) flies can hardly be called a direct enemy of man. They do not directly harm people’s health and lives. Rather, they are the enemies of fruits and vegetables, food warehouses, shops and inexpensive cafes. However, they can seriously annoy any connoisseur of country holidays and even city dwellers. Anyone who has encountered these small, strange insects knows that it is not so easy to get them to leave the house. Firstly, it is never clear where they come from! Secondly, to completely destroy fruit flies, you need to use a whole system of methods and means. And many people feel sorry for wasting their time and energy on this “system”. So they live for many months and even years side by side with fruit flies. Today we’ll talk about how to get rid of midges in an apartment.

Our portal knows how to save strength in this fight and achieve complete liberation from insects. We will tell you not only about preventive methods known to many, but also select the best traps for fruit midges!

How to distinguish fruit flies from other midges?

People often do not know how to distinguish fruit midges from sewer midges, biting forest midges, “fungus gnats” and other insects. Some even believe that these are all the same creatures. In fact, there is a difference. It lies in the degree of danger of insects, their habitats, the rate of reproduction, as well as the “favorite dishes” of these creatures:

  1. If flies are flying out of your kitchen or bathroom sink, then these are sewer flies (flies). They appear “fluffy” due to the dark hairs with which their bodies and wings are densely covered. For details on getting rid of these flies, read the material “How to destroy sewer flies: 6 best remedies.”
  2. If you notice that Small flies are swarming in your indoor flowers, and the plants themselves began to wither, due to fungus gnats! They need to be destroyed as soon as possible - find out why and how to do it correctly in our instructions “How to get rid of fungus gnats in 5 steps”.
  3. If any insects fly out of your wardrobe or from kitchen cabinets - unfortunately, this is a dressing room (room) or food moth. These pests can cause much more damage than a spoiled mood. We have already encountered this problem and analyzed it in detail. best methods and means of getting rid of moths.
  4. Some annoying midges try to get into your eyes or have already bitten you at home - and was it painful? If these are not mosquitoes, and there is a body of water near your house, then these are probably isolated midges that flew into your house from the street, and there is nothing to be afraid of. But if they continue to attack your home, then it's time for an intensified fight - choose the best means in our review "How to get rid of midges: the best traps, sprays and other means"
  5. If flies have settled and multiply on spoiled fruits and vegetables, fly over fermented alcohol or sweets, then this is exactly Drosophila - fruit flies, also otherwise called fruit. We will tell you in detail about getting rid of them in this material.

The fruit midge is one of the most harmless creatures on this list. It is classified as an insect that is not dangerous to humans. It's just that she multiplies too quickly. And also, it gradually spoils fruit plants and homemade food supplies... So we still won’t be “friends” with her. We will fight and for this we will get to know the “fruit tree” better.

So, by “fruit flies” we mean dozens of species of insects that have similar qualities. This is a small midge, the size of an individual is from 1 to 3 mm. It can be recognized by its oval, bulbous body and slow, “drunk” flight. There are many species of fruit flies, ranging in size from one to two millimeters. The color of their “carcasses” can be different: most often they are dark yellow and brown shades. Black and orange midges are a little less common. They have 2 symmetrical neat wings and 6-8 legs.

Drosophila fruit flies lay their larvae only on the feeding surface. Most often these are sweet foods like fruits, vegetables, aromatic cheeses. Most of all they “value” fruits citrus plants. Scientists have recently found out that their eggs there are not touched by the main destroyers of flies - ichneumon wasps. The larvae “travel” through the “delicious house” and turn into adults in 10 days. Before this, they are practically invisible to humans: eggs and larvae quickly disguise themselves as the color of the fruit. And only at the very beginning, whitish “seeds” 0.5 millimeters in size can be seen with the naked eye. By the way, due to inconspicuousness, people more often bring spoiled nursery fruits to their apartment directly from the store. And only then do fruit flies appear in their home. They appear and begin to annoy you.

Are fruit flies dangerous? What do you need to know about them?

Let’s immediately answer the main question about any house flies. NO, fruit flies do not bite humans! They simply have nothing to do with it... Moreover, many experts claim that they cannot tolerate harmful pathogenic substances at all. Although, theoretically, fruit flies can become carriers of infection. But apparently this doesn’t happen often in their lives ( fruit flies They travel little and do not live very long).

Why are fruit flies dangerous for humans?

1. Of course these are enemies food production and public catering outlets. In rooms where a lot of food is stored, especially ripe fruits, flies appear quickly. As a result, food products are physically damaged. In some cases, they are ignored. And sometimes the goods come in complete disrepair. As a result, large transcontinental fruit carriers suffer serious losses every year. Small businesses are also suffering. Owners of restaurants and greengrocers are simply tormented by how to get rid of unattractive insect nests.

2. They harm not only huge warehouses, but also small cellars with products.. Farmers and those who like to stock up for the winter find midges in bags of flour and sugar, in potato storage, as well as on tomatoes and oranges laid out on the verandas. The presence of larvae in these fruits does not bode well for their owners and consumers. The sanitary situation here will deteriorate until the owners get down to business.

3.The midge is simply boring. It flies into the mouth, nose and eyes... stains wallpaper and snow-white curtains... scares guests and small children. In general, this is an unpleasant neighborhood.

4. They do no harm yet the harvest . Gardeners and owners of garden areas near their homes know that midges can easily “undermine” the fruits of your plants outdoors. Twin brothers of domestic fruit flies will also willingly populate your favorite apple trees, tomatoes, eggplants, apricots and peaches with their babies. Perhaps the damage from them will not even be noticed by the human eye and stomach. But who wants to eat fruits stuffed with insect larvae? By the way, to avoid this, you can use natural garden insecticides based on pyrethrum - for example, safe spray "Bona Forte".

The situation is complicated by some species characteristics of these insects.

Do you know that:

  1. Fruit midges are extremely prolific. A female Drosophila leaves almost 20 insects in one ovipositor. Moreover, they begin to reproduce within 8 hours after birth. By the way, experts warn: the larva turns into an adult fly in 8-10 days. This is non-stop.
  2. They lay eggs directly under the skin of ripe or overripe fruits. True, the heroes of this article cannot bite through the too thick “skin”. Therefore, they almost never settle in whole watermelons, melons, etc. They prefer everything “soft”.
  3. "Fruits" are able to lay offspring in decaying organic matter. Therefore, they settle in sinks with clogged drains along with sewer flies. Hence the confusion between these two species.
  4. The midge is born early in the morning. A person is sleeping at this time and may not notice how hordes of insects have appeared from the emptiness in his house.
  5. Taste preferences of fruit flies are democratic completely - usually it's fruit. The Tephritid species alone feeds and breeds on 400 plant species.
  6. They also enter the house through open windows and entrance doors . The midge likes to live in one location, but can still make very serious flights on its weak wings if it is deprived of food. This is the basis for a simple principle in the fight against fruit flies: leave them without a nutrient medium... and they will stupidly fly away!
  7. In nature, there are natural baits for midges. These are manure and lake water, spicy and sweet smells. Flies are even attracted to air fresheners if they smell like orange, lemon or cherry. If insects have not yet appeared in your home, it is better not to overdo it with these odors. Otherwise they will definitely arrive.
  8. Fruit flies are slow but attentive. They capture fast movements well and fly away. Therefore, when hunting midges, move smoothly, like a Japanese ninja.
  9. The midge loves moisture and does not like dry surfaces.. She is almost not afraid of severe frost and loves alcohol.

Now that you know everything about them, it’s time to talk about how to get rid of midges in your apartment. Personally, we believe that fruit gnats do not necessarily need to be killed. They are not opposed to humans, and the harm they cause is accidental. True, to remove them “bloodlessly”, you need to spend more time. But for those who do not have time to wait, there are more radical measures. We'll talk about both of them below.

How to get rid of midges in the kitchen: basic rules

The most important trump card in the fight against fruit flies is cleanliness. The appearance of minor foci of activity of these insects is eliminated once or twice. The main thing is to find the source of their spread and destroy it. But if the midge lives in your house permanently, then you need to resort to a whole extermination system. She combines preventive measures and stripping methods.

Here are a few points that are included in this “system”:

  • Find the source of the spread and destroy it. Don’t skimp on food: just one rotten apple can ruin your entire vegetable store. Moreover, the product must be completely disposed of. Don’t just wash it or throw it in the trash, but take it out of the house right away. It is advisable to ventilate and moisten the “captured area”.
  • To quickly get rid of midges in the kitchen, destroy the nutrient medium, which can become the “new home” of midges. These are food scraps, raw meat, rotten fruits and simply overripe fruits. Do not store food in warm open places. Cover them with at least a plate or thick paper. Clean your sink regularly to remove any remaining organic matter.

  • Any sweetish, sour or wine-like liquid in an open vessel or vessel is the best bait for midges. Wash glasses after drinking juices, plates with leftover honey, and seal wine bottles tightly.
  • After such " spring cleaning" take care of the little things. To get rid of midges, regularly wash the rags you use to wipe dishes and wipe washed fruit. Wash the floor cloth. Keep your kitchen counter free of crumbs, sticky stains, and any dirt. Remember about gas stoves: their surface needs to be scrubbed with special means at least once a week. Take out the trash from your home regularly!!! On the second or third day you already find yourself in the risk zone. Especially in summer.
  • Create natural barriers against midges in your home e. Do not open the window for a long time or hang small mosquito net. Place a fan opposite kitchen table or fruit storage areas. It will blow away and destroy insects. Even with a weak “breeze” they will not be able to land on the “bridgehead”.

How to get rid of midges in an apartment: traditional methods

We also found some “folk methods” on the Internet. Their effectiveness is difficult to verify, so we decided to simply list the most original advice.

  • Vacuum cleaner. Dozens of users love to hunt for midges using a vacuum cleaner. An effective remedy (you feel like a hunter or a killer robot), but ineffective. The next day you will still have to hunt for young midges. Although devices like this portable vacuum cleaner for sucking up midges for ~580₽ they continue to be popular - it’s at least fun, and there will be a few less midges.

  • Spray bottle and humidifiers. More reliable means. Insects really can't fly with wet wings. True, here you will have to correctly adjust the humidification mode. And the dried insects will return to your kitchen again.
  • Ultraviolet and ultrasonic traps. The midge does not fly towards light zappers very readily, but it does fly. But the effect of ultrasound against them has not yet been proven. Personally, we doubt the effectiveness of such remedies.
  • Adhesive tape. To be honest, it is ineffective against midges. They will only fly to Velcro if it smells like their favorite food. Smell strong. Or if you put the appropriate bait nearby - about that.
  • "Home repellents." Various people boast about the effectiveness of the repulsive aromas of horseradish, mint, cloves, laundry soap, vanillin... True, some of these products were included in the list " traditional methods"from the methods of fighting against “biting” midges and mosquitoes. And these are slightly different insects. However, you can try - after all, we are talking about very cheap means

How to Make a Fruit Midge Trap: 3 Best Homemade Traps

Homemade homemade traps Traps for fruit midges are very different from traps for sewer flies, mosquitoes or large flies. We already said that duct tape is a bad option against these creatures. You need to catch them in special ways.

Below we will tell you about the three most popular homemade traps. They all work on a similar principle: insects are attracted to the structure by an attractant, and then they cannot fly out.

1. "Banana trap" for fruit flies. Fruit midge is very similar to minions :). They are also small, yellowish and love bananas very much. This similarity should be taken advantage of. Place banana peel into empty plastic bottle or even a package. Poke holes in the container with a toothpick or a small needle, and then place it closer to the insects’ habitat. In a day or two, a significant part of their population will fly there. But they won’t be able to fly out - in their chaotic flight they simply won’t find any holes. After all, midges fly to the smell of an attractant, but they do not know how to track sources of “fresh air”. A caught midge can be killed or released into the street.

2. Liquid trap. There are several recipes for traps using liquid on the Internet. In the simplest cases, the authors of these developments recommend simply pouring a mixture of syrup and honey, or beer, wine and juices into a deep plate. Very often, just wine vinegar is poured there. Like, insects will land on the “water” and drown in it. But we advise readers to complicate this construction. Pour a mixture of white wine and coriander seeds into a bowl (you can use just wine or balsamic vinegar). Put in the peeled fruit. And cover the top with plastic wrap. It remains only to make holes in it with a fork or a toothpick ... and the liquid trap is ready. Flies will sink faster with such a transparent "ceiling".

3. "Cone trap". First find an empty glass jar and then put something "appetizing" in it. For example, a piece of rotten fruit or a midge's favorite orange. Place a sharp paper cone in the neck of the jar. As a result, insects will again be able to fly into the jar, but will not be able to fly out. The number of the catch and its behavior can be monitored visually.

Choosing a ready-made trap for fruit midges

If you don't want to mess around with sugary and sticky liquids and keep rotting fruit in your house in glass jar, then you should pay attention to branded traps against fruit midges.

For example, on BEAPCO 6-Pack Drop-Ins Fruit Fly Traps. A set of six compact transparent traps designed specifically for fruit flies, which costs from 700₽. If you believe the description of the product, then the action of each trap is enough for about a month. It is easy to calculate that one set in this case should be enough for 6 months of continuous use.

The traps also come with a non-toxic liquid chemical. So it can be replaced with wine or Apple vinegar. The operating principle of BEAPCO combines the advantages of liquid and conical traps: flies fly into a plastic box through a cone-shaped hole, and there is no way back for them. They do not die from poisons - they simply remain trapped. But, unlike bulky “homemade” products, they can be placed throughout the apartment and not be afraid of leaks, overturning or bad odors.

If you believe user reviews, then by the fourth day of use, fruit flies literally fill the trap. One of the users writes: “I set 3 of these traps and after a day 2 of them were completely filled with fruit midges. You can’t even imagine how many there were... After 1-2 weeks, not a single one was flying. In general, it works."

True, a small group of users believe that the branded attractant acts worse than the natural ones. But they like the box itself. Diana writes: “In the first month we didn’t catch anything, although these midges were buzzing everywhere - the trap was empty. But when I poured vinegar into it, these little flyers began to fight over who would fly inside it first. So the container itself is cool.”

Known trap TERRO Fruit Fly Trap T2500 one certainly cannot be accused of the fact that it can, in addition to fruit flies, attract beneficial insects- butterflies and moths will not get into it. The trap is designed specifically for “fruit insects” - it is even designed in the shape of a ripe apple. I would have bitten him! In all respects, TERRO Fruit Fly Trap resembles BEAPCO. The “apple” also closes hermetically, smells nice and stays “alive” for 30 days. It has the same problems and the same advantages. And only the formula of the attractant changes here - it’s just tinted apple cider vinegar.

But these are not all options - fruit flies can be eliminated using sticky traps. But not the usual yellow sticky tapes that we are so accustomed to, but special sticky sheets, which come with an effective bait liquid (usually the same vinegar mixed with other ingredients). Pay attention to the German Aeroxon trap for fruit flies - for only ~490 ₽ you will receive as many as 2 traps that will help eliminate flying flies. On sticky sheets Apples and oranges are depicted for a reason - this way you can additionally attract the attention of fruit gnats!

Some users complain that everything similar traps they just don't work. But maybe it’s not them, but the incorrect definition of the pest? After all, we wrote above that to confuse different types small insects the house is very simple. If the flies are not attracted to the bait in the trap, it is possible that they are simply not fruit flies, but, for example, sewer or “mushroom” flies.

Let's find out what needs to be done if the flies turn out to be not fruit flies at all.

Getting rid of fungus gnats in indoor plants

If you notice small midges in pots with indoor plants, then most likely these are fungus gnats. Here are a few steps to get rid of such pests:

  1. Stop watering your plants- eggs and larvae of fungus gnats can live and develop only in moist soil.
  2. Use chemical or biological insecticides for cultivating soil in pots. You can use chemicals based on bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, permethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin, or natural ones - nematode worms or a special strain of live bacteria B.t.i (Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. israelensis). The latter can be purchased in the form of loose granules or pressed discs.
  3. Buy sticky leaf traps for adult flying fungus gnats.
  4. Adjust your watering schedule to prevent the soil from becoming waterlogged.. Otherwise, this is a direct road to the return of mosquitoes!

If flies fly from the sewer

Well, if your flies have chosen a sink or other parts of the sewer as their home, then clean the bathroom or kitchen, throw out the trash, eliminate sources of standing water and feel free to buy a pipe cleaning gel, like Invade Bio Drain Gel- 1 qt. It contains orange oil and bacteria that dissolve living organic matter, destroying both sewer midges and their “babies”. Invade gel does not contain harsh chemicals and can be used as a spray (use a spray bottle for this purpose).

If the blockage cannot be broken through with organic means, use effective chemicals that will cope with any blockages - and thereby destroy the breeding ground for sewer flies. Has proven itself welldrain cleaner and sewer pipes Flat "Gel turbo" for ~240₽ - judging by the reviews, it cleans really quickly!

Let's summarize

Honestly, fruit midge is not an insect that you should use chemicals to fight. To get rid of midges in the kitchen, we recommend that you choose industrial or homemade traps, and also keep your home clean and tidy. This way you will not only destroy the generation of midges, but also save yourself from the reappearance of this small pest. And finally a couple valuable advice:

  • Do not leave organic waste in the house for a long time, especially in summer. If you go somewhere, be sure to throw it away - even one banana peel left in a bucket will definitely lead to the appearance of fruit flies in a few days.
  • When purchasing fruits and vegetables, check them for their integrity and freshness.- rotten fruits can become a home breeding ground for fruit midges.

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Regardless of summer or winter, an unpleasant guest may appear in your apartment - small flies constantly circling in the air (but most often they live in the kitchen). There are more than one and a half thousand species of midges, which are not as difficult to remove as it seems.

A universal way to deal with them has not yet been found; each specific case of how to get midges out of the house requires the use of a specific remedy, and most importantly, the cause of the spread of small flies must be eliminated.

How to quickly get rid of midges in an apartment at home

You can fight against midges by following the basic principles, which are to destroy the outbreak and catch the flyers. It is also necessary to exclude their further reproduction (remove the worms). Almost always, the appearance of flyers is associated with two factors: high humidity and dirt. The reason may be in any room in the apartment. Therefore, you can remove midges only after the house is perfectly clean.

Where do midges come from in an apartment and do they bite?

The reason for the appearance of fruit flies in the kitchen may be spoiled vegetables and fruits, on which small eggs were laid before purchase, awaiting the start of the rotting process. Often the cause is infection of cereals. Irregular garbage disposal, wet rags left behind, and blockages in pipes also cause the appearance of flies. With apparent cleanliness, circling flyers may appear as if out of nowhere. Even the most tidy housewife is unable to control some factors: stuck food in the water supply, leaks from the refrigerator or garbage disposal.

Small flies on flowers occur mainly due to waterlogging of the soil or poor-quality substrate, in which the processes of decay of plant residues have not been completed. The source of the appearance is also “blooming” water in the aquarium, poor treatment of animal habitats. The insect can also fly in from the ventilation shaft.

Small brown adults annoy people by being indoors, not only because they fly a lot and end up in tea or soup, but green flies also bite painfully and are carriers of diseases.

Methods of struggle with folk remedies

How to get rid of midges in an apartment using folk remedies:
1. Wine or apple cider vinegar with soap– small flies are attracted by the smell of the drink, and by adding soap to the solution, the surface tension of the liquid decreases, and the insect drowns.

2. Fight with help vacuum cleaner A.

3. Velcro– will help get rid of adults flying around the rooms. Drosophila lured by a special composition firmly adheres to the glue.

4. Orange with cloves– should be placed in places where there is a large concentration of small adults.

5. Camphor– camphor crushed and heated in a frying pan emits a strong odor that the midges do not like, but the product is safe for humans.

6. Eliminating moisture and puddles will help get rid of water midges.

7. You can do it yourself traps– Place a piece of banana or melon in a plastic bag and leave overnight. In the morning, quickly wrap the bag and throw it away.

8. Growing geraniums in the kitchen - this is a plant whose smell small insects cannot stand.

Proven modern remedy for midges in the apartment

Aerosols that will help get rid of pests in the kitchen are excellent: Raptor, Reftamid, Reid, Dichlorvos. All surfaces where small flies have been noticed are sprayed. After disinfestation, the room must be ventilated, since the chemical product is dangerous not only for midges, but also a person can be susceptible to toxic poisoning.

How to get rid of fruit flies in an apartment

To get rid of small fruit gnats in the kitchen, they must be deprived of all possible food sources. You need to start fighting by throwing away rotten foods and fermented juices. Inspect cereals for the presence of larvae. Garbage should be removed and the trash can should be rinsed. It is worth getting rid of unwashed cans and dishes, which can also become a source of problems. Clean the sink drain and use detergent to clean sponges and rags. If there are animals in the apartment, treat their bowls and drinking bowls (only thorough general cleaning will help to completely remove small insects).

You can fight adult flying individuals by hanging sticky tapes or creating your own traps. The trap should consist of a container with bait (sweet fruits, berries, solutions with sugar, honey) and a small diameter hole through which an insect, having flown in, cannot fly back. It is convenient to use a bottle with a paper funnel or a bowl covered with cling film with holes made with a toothpick.

For preventive purposes, wash and dry vegetables and fruits immediately after purchase. Store perishable foods in the refrigerator. Get rid of rotten food in a timely manner. Dispose of waste daily and empty trash cans of food debris.

How to deal with midges on indoor plants at home

Small insects use the soil to lay their larvae, which, as they develop, will feed on the roots and eventually the flower withers and dies. The most common are small white flies (can be seen in the photo), which appear from excess moisture in the soil, or small black ones - sciarids (see photo), which appear in pots of those who like to use the folk method of fertilizing the soil (tea leaves, coffee, vegetable decoctions and other organic matter).

The first question to answer is what was the root cause. If the source is contaminated soil, replant the plant in another soil. If flies are infested due to excess moisture, do not flood the plant with water. All flowers in the house are subject to simultaneous treatment.

Placing sticky tape next to the pot or sucking up small adults with a vacuum cleaner will help get rid of flying individuals. You can fight larvae in the following ways:
water the plant with a weak solution of potassium permanganate or laundry soap. But don't overdo it, or you might burn the roots;
To disinfect the soil, you can use orange zest or peeled garlic cloves, cut into small pieces and stuck into the soil. The insect does not like the strong odor emitted by these products;
use wood ash, which will not only get rid of small midges, but will also become an excellent fertilizer;
sprinkle the soil with crushed chalk to kill cockroaches;
Sulfur can help get rid of it. Stick four matches in, heads down, and water a little. Change matches every other day.

If the folk remedy is ineffective, chemicals can destroy small flies. Sprays Dichlorvos, Raptor, Raid will help you instantly get rid of annoying small flyers. And solutions of Karbofos, Bazudin, Inta-vir, Fitoverm, Thunder will destroy eggs and small larvae.

Fruit midges are annoying tiny creatures, whose presence in the house itself irritates all its inhabitants. When these little creatures, not limited to annoying flickering, begin to actively spoil food, and in addition also try to bite, the patience of the residents comes to an end, and they urgently begin to look for means to combat the annoying aliens.

Where do house flies come from and how to get rid of them?

The small black flies that so annoy housewives are extraordinary insects. The unique ability of these malicious flying creatures to appear as if out of nowhere gives them a certain mystical aura. However, the secret of the appearance of swarms of midges in hermetically sealed apartments has nothing to do with magic. Drosophila flies, of course, do not have the phenomenal gift of seeping through walls. In fact, midges end up in tightly sealed rooms along with food brought from outside, and the larvae and eggs of fruit flies can hide not only in vegetables and fruits, but also in mushrooms, cereals and garden flowers.

Each fly individual does not live long. Having appeared into the world at dawn, it dies in the evening of the same day, but if the apartment has food supply for it, namely a supply of spoiled vegetables and fruits, the wine fly manages to lay a huge number of eggs on them within a day. Thus, the number of midges begins to increase exponentially, however, in fairness, it should be noted that in winter fruit flies do not reproduce as actively, but if you do not fight them, even in cold weather they can fill the entire house in a few days.

In addition to rotten fruits, midges love indoor flowers, or rather, the moist soil in which they grow. In addition, the proliferation of midges that have entered the house is facilitated by stagnant water in the aquarium, dampness in plumbing areas, dirt in pet cages, leaking sewer pipes, dishes that have not been washed for several days, and garbage forgotten in the kitchen.

Therefore, if you have fruit or flower flies in your home, before you start poisoning uninvited guests, try to eliminate their “tavern” first. To do this, first of all, remove all food from the table and wash dirty dishes, then inspect the refrigerator and inspect the kitchen cabinets. If you find any rotten fruits or moldy cereals there, immediately take them to the trash bin, and at the same time take with you the garbage that was left in the bucket.

When you have finished cleaning up the kitchen, to eliminate dampness, ventilate the apartment, clean the aquarium, loosen the soil in the flowerpots and drain the water from their trays.

At the end of the cleaning, vacuum the floors throughout the house and at the same time check if there is an apple core lying around in some secluded place.

The three most effective ways to deal with annoying midges

1 way. Industrial insecticides

In the event that the general cleaning did not give the expected result, and harmful flies continue to scurry around the apartment, you, of course, can poison them with some kind of insecticidal aerosol, but the same dichlorvos, for example, is allowed to be used only in the toilet and living rooms, and to use such a toxic pesticide in the kitchen unacceptable.

In areas where food is stored or prepared, it is better to use factory-made adhesive tapes to combat midges. Unfold and hang a couple of Velcro strips under the kitchen ceiling, and the very next day you will see that the number of small “saboteurs” secretly sneaking into your home has decreased significantly.

A fumigator can also be an excellent way to solve the problem of fly infestation. Fill this device with a special plate that acts on flies, or attach a reservoir with anti-fly liquid to it, turn on the unit all night, and in the morning you will not find a single fruit fly in your house.

Method 2. Homemade traps

Fruit flyers can be fought not only with chemicals, but also with safer, but no less effective folk remedies, which include the homemade traps described below.

Drunk trap. Flies love beer and dessert wine. Place an open, unwashed beer or liquor bottle on the kitchen counter. After a couple of hours, a large number of fruit flies will gather in it, flocking to an unexpected feast, all you have to do is plug the cap of the vessel full of midges and take it to the trash heap.

apple trap. No less than sweet alcoholic drinks, fruit flies love apples. Taking advantage of this weakness, you can build a very effective trap, in which natural apple cider vinegar will play the role of bait. To make such a trap, take a half-liter jar, fill it a quarter full with warm water, pour a spoonful of natural apple cider vinegar into the water, the smell of which has a mesmerizing effect on midges, and add a couple of drops of shampoo or dishwashing liquid. Attracted by the aroma of your favorite fruit, the midge will fall into the water, and the “sticky” soap film formed on the surface of the liquid will not allow it to fly back up.

3 way. Repellents

If you don't have time to build traps, try scaring away unwanted guests with some kind of unpleasant smell. As such “horror stories” you can use:

  • camphor, the smell of which all flies and mosquitoes really dislike. Throw a pinch of this substance into a heated dry frying pan and, as soon as its crystals begin to emit a characteristic wormwood aroma, immediately remove the vessel from the stove and walk with it throughout the apartment. Having smelled the smell of camphor, the flies will be forced to retreat.
  • garlic- garden midges are afraid of the smell of this plant, so they can repel flies that have chosen flowerpots with indoor plants. Cut a few cloves of garlic into slices, place them on the surface of the substrate in flower pots, and the midges will soon leave their homes.
  • cloves, the rich aroma of which plunges midges into panic. Put a dessert spoon of clove buds in a small bowl, fill them with a glass of water, and put an impromptu aroma lamp on the stove. When the liquid in the ladle begins to boil, a thick spicy spirit will spread throughout the apartment, which will disperse the “stray” guests.

Comment on the article "How to get rid of midges in the apartment: 3 most effective ways"

Midges!. Household amenities. Cottage, garden and vegetable garden. Dacha and dacha plots: purchase, landscaping, planting trees and shrubs

Discussion

The best remedy for midges is vanillin. The most common, mix the sachet with any cream and smear, but be careful with allergy sufferers. Not a single midge bothers you. Verified

For midges we turn on an infrared insect killer

We got the midges! Fight against insects and rodents :o). Farming. Home Economics: Housekeeping Tips, Cleaning, Buying and Using Tell! This midge (something like a poplar moth, if such a thing happens) looks like just aphids, every evening ...

Discussion

SALVATION I hang flypapers from flies in all rooms, in the kitchen and at the front door + sometimes I spray dichlorvos on the nets, there are a lot of corpses!

Yesterday, the mother-in-law complained about such people, they have a 10th floor, and where there is no mosquito net, there are guards. She even called them something, I don’t remember. But she said that every year we urgently need to reorder the mask net. Apparently there are no other options for salvation

How to get rid of midges in an apartment: 3 most effective ways. Fruit flies are pesky little creatures whose presence in the home is annoying in and of itself. Where do house flies come from and how to get rid of them.

Discussion

We need to look for the reason for what has gone bad - vegetables or cereals. Throw away the spoiled one, and the flies will disappear.

1 about onions. To catch those that fly, take a couple of plastic 0.33l juice bottles (there should be some juice left at the bottom), poke holes in the lids with a fork: the flies will gather inside the trap bottles in a day.

05.11.2009 11:45:19, from experience

Where do house flies come from and how to get rid of them. If you smear window frames and jambs with laurel oil and set traps in your house, you will completely forget what a fly is. How to get rid of midges in an apartment: 3 most effective ways.

How to remove midges??? We have never had these animals in our lives, I actually always thought that they were taken from those who keep flowers at home and Two years ago the family was advised to make a trap for midges, now this is the only way we can escape. And the trap is as follows: we take a bottle from...

Discussion

Oh, how I suffer from them: (They nest in my coffee machine, where the coffee cake is. I spray fumitox at night, it lasts for several days, then again
and they are in flowers, and in onions:(

Two years ago, the family was advised to make a trap for midges, now this is the only way we can escape. And the trap is as follows: take a bottle of cola or something else, fruit, juice and leave it in a warm place, after some time all the midges will be in the bottle and not a single one in the kitchen, for a better effect, put a cone in the neck, the flies will fly in , but they can’t fly out. Working 100%%%%%%%

10/22/2007 13:48:54, yalok