Patent pending

A cloud of fruit flies suddenly appeared over my kitchen sink, so I found an empty wine (no shortage around here), put a little splash of brandy in it and set it near the sink. Within a few minutes most of the fruit flies were floating dead drunk in the brandy. Oh, it was Pierre Duchene from Trader Joe's. Fruit flies like it, too.

That's a great idea Larry.
The fruit flies have been really bad this year, haven't they? I've never noticed so many.

At times this summer I've had enough Drosophila in my house to start my own genetics lab. They definitely are attracted to wine and brandy. It is most disconcerting to pour a glass of wine, leave it on a counter for a minute or two, then come back to find several dead fruit flies floating in the glass.

-Paul W.

I use a small saucer containing a little wine and liquid dish soap to catch them.

then come back to find several dead fruit flies floating in the glass.-Paul W.

You need to get protein from some source! On the other hand we'll happily trade you our Japanese beetles for your fruit flies.

I remember the hundreds of Japanese beetles munching on our roses in Pennsylvania. They never learned how to swim in a jar of kerosene, though.

I remember the hundreds of Japanese beetles munching on our roses in Pennsylvania. They never learned how to swim in a jar of kerosene, though.

Larry,

Years ago the Univ of Ky had a program whereby they trapped japanese beetles. Seemed they planted traps that contained the pheromones of the female beetle. Somehow I hope they learned a lot with that, because the golf courses suffered from it.

I've also suffered from being drawn by the lure of female pheromones.

Fruit flies have been absent from my kitchen this year = I had not noticed until this post. Usually they hang around the ripening tomatoes and peaches I put on the counter. Once I remove the attraction, they are gone. I never know where they go. Maybe we are eating up the fruit faster or I am getting smarter about putting the ripe produce into the refer. I have been proactive on roasting the tomatoes this year before they get too ripe. I have noticed that the flies are waiting at the door to come in....must be too hot outside for them. Once in, they are killed.

I've also suffered from being drawn by the lure of female pheromones.

I so feel your pain!

We've had plenty this year. We tend to always have a lot of fruit and vegetables on the counter, even with shopping every day, so.....

Years ago the Univ of Ky had a program whereby they trapped japanese beetles. Seemed they planted traps that contained the pheromones of the female beetle. Somehow I hope they learned a lot with that, because the golf courses suffered from it.

Soil inoculation with milk spore fungus is the most effective way to get rid of Japanese beetles. It deals with the larvae, which feed on grass roots and can destroy lawns, as well as the adults (by virtue of their being no mature larvae to metamorphose into the adults). For adult beetles flying in from elsewhere, I've found the pheromone traps to be very effective.

-Paul W.

Soil inoculation with milk spore fungus is the most effective way to get rid of Japanese beetles. It deals with the larvae, which feed on grass roots and can destroy lawns, as well as the adults (by virtue of their being no mature larvae to metamorphose into the adults). For adult beetles flying in from elsewhere, I've found the pheromone traps to be very effective.
-Paul W.

Paul, I agree with you regarding the pheromone traps being effective, my complaint with them is that they attracted a far greater number of beetles than was normal for our golf course. And of course they were not all making a beeline for the traps. Therefore I was of the opinion that the damage done was at least as bad as before the traps were set out, and perhaps even more. Of course I am not going on known statistical data, but rather on my own observations made while playing the course. Years ago there was an insecticide called Diazinon that was very effective on the larvae, but that chemical has long since been banned, or at least discouraged. AFAIK, it was banned from use on golf courses and on sod farms due to a large number of birds that was killed every year. ( I presume the bird deaths occurred due to ingestion of affected insects. (but that too is a guess)