# tiny flying indoor bugs



## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Photo?


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## SeniorSitizen (Sep 10, 2012)

I use a 1" mesh dip net to swat wasp, bumble bees etc. so a 1/4" mesh would probably work for tiny flying bugs. All that's required is to break a wing.


If there is hundreds maybe a bait sticky trap information will soon be provided but we don't know of one at the moment.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I use a battery powered tennis racket to ZAP bugs, I ain't fast enough or depth perception perfect at my age, so a zapper racket works for me.

Then there is the sticky paper way.

ED


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

people, these guys are SMALL. bout the only way to see them is when they fly in front of a light, like the tv. after that, they are invisible.


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Another vote for the zapper rackets, just wish they were a higher quality. But you can just wave them around in a suspected location and the zap tells you you got one.

I also use a DYNA TRAP that has a uv light with a fan to suck them into a trapped area at the bottom. Just emptied mine with a summers worth of bugs and it had about a cup full of bodies, both large and small. It stays on 24/7 and small bugs are easy victims. Moths and house flies can escape but some don't. It eats mosquitoes. 

Bud


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## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

You snuck a post in while I was posting.

As for small, we have what we call "no see ems". They can fly right through a window screen and they bite. The Dynatrap has a pin hole screen at the bottom so not sure if that will hold them. But the zapper is very sensitive and not that expensive to try.

Difference between the two is the Dynatrap runs 24/7 without you destroying anything with the racket. 

Bud


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## dj3 (Apr 27, 2020)

So I saw the racket zapper at HF and I bought one. First try, I thought I was RAFA NADAL and smashed it right into a a piece of furniture.
The fly got away, the racket went to the trash.
Since then I got a second one, which works as advertised.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Plain ol' fly ribbon works , especially in front of a light. Then you can id them.


I read about a fan that sucks flies in, created by two engineers. It sounds great but, I have to find it again.


Cut lemons do repel fruit flies, but only for a couple days.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

thanx folks. i have used a fly tape before, didn't do anything, but maybe it wasn't in the right place. i still have a few, i will try those first.


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## ajaye (May 19, 2019)

I think your talking about "food flies" or "drain flies"

They usually breed and live I think in sink/bath overflows and drains
we had a whole bunch of them,

I went through the whole house and poured bleach and hot watdr into all the overflows and drains, for good measure I keep all the sinks stoppered up.

After doing that, I get the odd few, I found it was in the least used ones, I saw it on line after doing this my problem stopped




Fix'n it said:


> thanx folks. i have used a fly tape before, didn't do anything, but maybe it wasn't in the right place. i still have a few, i will try those first.


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## bob22 (May 28, 2008)

For fruit flies, put a drop of dish detergent in a small glass or teacup sized container with about a 1/2" of vinegar and stir. I cover with some Saran wrap and poke a couple of 1/2" slits in it with a knife. Place it near where the flies are. If fruit flies, they'll be attracted to the vinegar smell (decaying fruit) and go in and drown. 
Here' a pic of one I just happen to have going. It has four flies in it:


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Here's the best pictorial I could find in a few minutes. More flies than I knew existed.


I've had a problem with all kinds of flies because the plumbing always seems to be leaking and it's an agricultural and dairy area. We're creating pesticide resistant flies.



If you look to see what they're attracted to, it will help. Phorid flies are attracted to different things than drain flies or fruit flies. I was surprised that fruit flies like coffee grounds! Drain flies are kind of pretty with their wings spread out, more like a little moth shape.



You could try putting out different foods like a open milk container with the milk curdling ( some flies like CO2), ripe fruit, an open meat can, etc. The point would be to see if they're attracted. They drown themselves in the milk.



My favorite right now is the cadaver fly because they're big and slow and easy to kill. They aren't attracted to me.


A lot of flies like white & shiny. I can only assume it looks like shiny poop. Sorry for the visual. You can put a white tissue behind hanging fly ribbon. They should make white fly tape.



If you have little kids, pets, or visiting grandkids, food can easily end up under furniture.


Gnats, I don't know as well.


https://www.insectidentification.org/flies.asp


BigJim uses a shop vac to vacuum the ceiling, I think. You can bomb the flies, too.


D-limonene is what is in the fresh lemon rind. You can buy a bag of lemons and cut the rind. @*SeniorSitizen* could probably figure out a dastardly plan for peeling lemons.


Fans help. I never met a fly that liked a fan.



I hate pesticides unless absolutely necessary. I just sprayed a fly with Isopropyl alcohol. Windex works, too.


They always are coming in from somewhere. . .


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## raylo32 (Nov 25, 2006)

I have done similar traps but with decaying fruit. The fruit flies that get in don't drown, but they can't find their way out. Works like a champ. You can pretty much catch 'em all in a couple of days... unless you have a bunch of ripe fruit sitting out somewhere to keep breeding more of them.

Nik mentioned drain flies. I had an issue with them here a few weeks ago. Not sure where they came from. I googled it and tried the more organic method with vinegar in the drains first but didn't have a lot of luck... although to be fair I didn't treat all my drains that first time. Then I put a little bleach down all the drains and poof, they were just gone.




bob22 said:


> For fruit flies, put a drop of dish detergent in a small glass or teacup sized container with about a 1/2" of vinegar and stir. I cover with some Saran wrap and poke a couple of 1/2" slits in it with a knife. Place it near where the flies are. If fruit flies, they'll be attracted to the vinegar smell (decaying fruit) and go in and drown.
> Here' a pic of one I just happen to have going. It has four flies in it:
> View attachment 617747


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## Gymschu (Dec 12, 2010)

It has been the worst year for me for fruit flies. Of course they breed like rabbits!! I've had decent luck with these traps, although I'm sure some of the home remedies work better. The fan idea intrigues me. I may put some insect killer in the bottom of my small shop vac and suck some of them into it. Between the traps and sucking them in, I may put a decent dent into their exploding population.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

I just remembered something from 50 years ago.

It was sold then, not sure now though.

Shell No Pest Strips.

Looked like a slice of Cheese, and flies loved it, until they ate it and dropped like dead flies.

Hung it from a hook in the ceiling, in a special box, it attracted them, they ate, and died.



ED


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

de-nagorg said:


> I just remembered something from 50 years ago.
> It was sold then, not sure now though.
> Shell No Pest Strips.
> Looked like a slice of Cheese, and flies loved it, until they ate it and dropped like dead flies.
> ...



this has a history -


https://www.wired.com/2014/01/cdc-warning-misuse-pest-strips/


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

*







*
Fungus gnats are small flying pests commonly found indoors, hovering around houseplants. They lay eggs in moist organic debris or potting soil, feeding on the roots of plants. If you find fungus gnats in your home, don’t stress yourself out. Fungus gnats do not cause structural damage, eat plant leaves, or bite. Even though they are relatively harmless, fungus gnats are considered a nuisance by most homeowners that do not want to have to deal with their presence indoors. They live within the top 2-3 inches of soil within a potted houseplant and will remain relatively close to the plan during their lifespan.
Colorado State University Extension provides an interesting and simple way homeowners can confirm the presence of fungus gnats on their own.








*Pictured above:* Fungus gnat larvae on potato slice. Credit: Colorado State University Extension
“An effective means of detecting the presence of fungus gnat larvae is to insert 1/4 inch slices or wedges of potato into the growing medium. Larvae will migrate to the potato and start feeding within a few days. The potato slices should be turned over to look for larvae present on the underside.”


This info was via Cooper Pest. They did not try to sell anything!


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

If we're talking fruit flies, the vinegar trap is the best thing I've every used. 100% success.

I never bothered with the drop of dish detergent, just a glass with a tablespoon or two of apple cider (not white) vinegar, covered with Saran wrap and tiny holes punched in that with a toothpick. Apple cider vinegar seems to attract them better even than bananas. And they mange to get in the tiny holes, but never out. Within just a few days, zero fruit files left alive.


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## bob22 (May 28, 2008)

CaptTom said:


> If we're talking fruit flies, the vinegar trap is the best thing I've every used. 100% success.
> 
> I never bothered with the drop of dish detergent, just a glass with a tablespoon or two of apple cider (not white) vinegar, covered with Saran wrap and tiny holes punched in that with a toothpick. Apple cider vinegar seems to attract them better even than bananas. And they mange to get in the tiny holes, but never out. Within just a few days, zero fruit files left alive.



detergent added to reduce surface tension of water so they wouldn't be likely to float on water. I guess not needed since you've success without it.


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## CaptTom (Dec 31, 2017)

bob22 said:


> detergent added to reduce surface tension of water so they wouldn't be likely to float on water. I guess not needed since you've success without it.


Right, that's the way I've heard it. And it certainly won't hurt. I forgot to add it once, and found it still trapped and killed them all. So I just skip that step now.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@Fix'n it , why in particular are these little bugs bothering you?

This isn't to belittle, or be rude, but help get an ID, and, possibly figure out a way to get rid of them. Everyone's had suggestions, but without more, solving your situation might be tough.

Are they apparently attracted to something? Do you always have a few, now suddenly, a lot? 

I realize that taking useful pictures without special equipment won't be practical for most of us.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

DoomsDave said:


> @Fix'n it , why in particular are these little bugs bothering you?
> 
> This isn't to belittle, or be rude, but help get an ID, and, possibly figure out a way to get rid of them. Everyone's had suggestions, but without more, solving your situation might be tough.
> 
> ...


no offence taken 

they are not really bothering me. but, you know, we don't like little flying things, never know what they are up to .

i am thinking they came from outside, we like the windows open when it is nice out. what do they like = no idea. idk how many we have, i only see one every know&then


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Fix'n it said:


> . . . we don't like little flying things, never know what they are up to .


They want to eat you!


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Fix'n it said:


> no offence taken
> 
> they are not really bothering me. but, you know, we don't like little flying things, never know what they are up to .
> 
> i am thinking they came from outside, we like the windows open when it is nice out. what do they like = no idea. idk how many we have, i only see one every know&then


Thanks!

Trying to fight ignorance of bugs, which is rampant, no editorial to you.

So, take the time to see, and let's see. 

They may, like sudden prosperity, just abruptly go away.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> They want to eat you!


😘


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

DoomsDave said:


> Thanks!
> 
> Trying to fight ignorance of bugs, which is rampant, no editorial to you.
> 
> ...


oh, i am ignorant on bugs, i have more importaant battles. 

yeah, i know most bugs don't live long. but i also know some of them can reproduce in the house


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Fix'n it said:


> oh, i am ignorant on bugs, i have more importaant battles.
> 
> yeah, i know most bugs don't live long. but i also know some of them can reproduce in the house


If you ever get bedbugs, you'd find that a very VERY important battle, I'll just bet. 

Hope you don't.


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## de-nagorg (Feb 23, 2014)

DoomsDave said:


> If you ever get bedbugs, you'd find that a very VERY important battle, I'll just bet.
> 
> Hope you don't.


Secret to that is, sleep only at home, never at strange places.

ED


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

I ju


Fix'n it said:


> oh, i am ignorant on bugs, i have more importaant battles.
> 
> yeah, i know most bugs don't live long. but i also know some of them can reproduce in the house


I just found fruit flies reproducing in the coffee grounds.
🐌


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

de-nagorg said:


> Secret to that is, sleep only at home, never at strange places.
> 
> ED


Bedbugs can hitch rides from everywhere, including churches (I never slept in church, too noisy).


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

yeah, i know about bed bugs, never had em, but thought i did once, not long ago. i was getting trails of what looked like bug bites on my legs. turns out i was not rinsing the soap off my legs in the shower. i have a water softener, soap laughs at softened water. i found ways to deal with it, now all is good.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

update

i hung one of those fly tapes. the thing caught nothing but dust.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Does your wife see them?
I'm not saying you're hallucinating; there are some vision changes that include tiny flashes of light.


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

yes. and i have seen them land. 

i have seen tiny flashes all of my life.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Fix'n it said:


> yes. and i have seen them land.
> 
> i have seen tiny flashes all of my life.


 ???


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

.....


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

......


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## In Ontario (Oct 5, 2018)

Fleas?

Even if you don't have pets they could be in your home.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@Fix'n it any update?


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

DoomsDave said:


> @Fix'n it any update?


the fly tape caught nothing but dust, i trashed it. i am not seeing as many of the little boogers. so, seems they where flying inside somehow, probably through the screens. and now they have mostly died off ? i know bugs normally don't live very long.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Fix'n it said:


> the fly tape caught nothing but dust, i trashed it. i am not seeing as many of the little boogers. so, seems they where flying inside somehow, probably through the screens. and now they have mostly died off ? i know bugs normally don't live very long.


 You probably know there are tighter weave bug screens, right?


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

Nik333 said:


> You probably know there are tighter weave bug screens, right?


never really thought about it, but thanx. when the time comes ....


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Might as well bring this back to life.

My mother-in-law who has dementia lives with us and is 90 years old. She always loved plants (every plants she has was an eyesore to me but I digress}. She just had to have a dozen or so live plants in her bedroom. I hated it but I love my wife and it's her mother who she loves dearly. Anyway I have been telling her for two years that she was over watering her plants. So much so the water ran out the bottom and onto the floor. She doesn't take advice from a man well. Her bedroom was carpeted when she moved in with us 6 years ago and she did the water trick so many times I moved everything out of her room and put vinyl plank flooring down. Now those D*mn plants have fungus gnats all over our house. I threw a fit and the wife managed to get her down to I think 5 plants. I bought one of the little fans that are supposed to attract them and zap them, we got 3 gnats in 5 days with that. Because we have three dogs I was afraid of using some things. My idea was to bomb the house, but we would have to be out a number of hours and I didn't know where we would go with the mother-in-law and three dogs. I have had little glasses with apple cider vinegar and dish soap sitting all over the house and a few accidentally fell in and drown. So far the most effective thing is the trusted fly swatter and Raid kitchen safe insect spray. I've been walking around the house all day for 10 days spraying "at" everyone I have seen. I wet her plants down with it. I'm afraid we are just going to have to out live them.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

Mike Milam said:


> Might as well bring this back to life.
> 
> My mother-in-law who has dementia lives with us and is 90 years old. She always loved plants (every plants she has was an eyesore to me but I digress}. She just had to have a dozen or so live plants in her bedroom. I hated it but I love my wife and it's her mother who she loves dearly. Anyway I have been telling her for two years that she was over watering her plants. So much so the water ran out the bottom and onto the floor. She doesn't take advice from a man well. Her bedroom was carpeted when she moved in with us 6 years ago and she did the water trick so many times I moved everything out of her room and put vinyl plank flooring down. Now those D*mn plants have fungus gnats all over our house. I threw a fit and the wife managed to get her down to I think 5 plants. I bought one of the little fans that are supposed to attract them and zap them, we got 3 gnats in 5 days with that. Because we have three dogs I was afraid of using some things. My idea was to bomb the house, but we would have to be out a number of hours and I didn't know where we would go with the mother-in-law and three dogs. I have had little glasses with apple cider vinegar and dish soap sitting all over the house and a few accidentally fell in and drown. So far the most effective thing is the trusted fly swatter and Raid kitchen safe insect spray. I've been walking around the house all day for 10 days spraying "at" everyone I have seen. I wet her plants down with it. I'm afraid we are just going to have to out live them.


Bless your heart for being a good husband and son-in-law!

There are ways to get rid of the gnats, as suggested in the links below. Don't know if you've tried them, but they might be worth a look.

13+ Creative Ways to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats

How To Effectively Kill Fungus Gnats With Cinnamon – Best Garden Info

I think that the BT treatment will be best, but it might be hard to come by. I've used similar for caterpillars and beetle larvae.

Hope this helps.


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

DoomsDave said:


> Bless your heart for being a good husband and son-in-law!
> 
> There are ways to get rid of the gnats, as suggested in the links below. Don't know if you've tried them, but they might be worth a look.
> 
> ...


Thanks Dave!


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

If you have fruit flies, then you probably bought bananas at Walmart. We had a problem with tiny flying insects. We traced them to a huge jade plant that I had for 40 years. It weighed a lot and had a few deteriorating limbs. We tossed it out and the bugs were gone.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Mike Milam said:


> Might as well bring this back to life.
> 
> My mother-in-law who has dementia lives with us and is 90 years old. She always loved plants (every plants she has was an eyesore to me but I digress}. She just had to have a dozen or so live plants in her bedroom. I hated it but I love my wife and it's her mother who she loves dearly. Anyway I have been telling her for two years that she was over watering her plants. So much so the water ran out the bottom and onto the floor. She doesn't take advice from a man well. Her bedroom was carpeted when she moved in with us 6 years ago and she did the water trick so many times I moved everything out of her room and put vinyl plank flooring down. Now those D*mn plants have fungus gnats all over our house. I threw a fit and the wife managed to get her down to I think 5 plants. I bought one of the little fans that are supposed to attract them and zap them, we got 3 gnats in 5 days with that. Because we have three dogs I was afraid of using some things. My idea was to bomb the house, but we would have to be out a number of hours and I didn't know where we would go with the mother-in-law and three dogs. I have had little glasses with apple cider vinegar and dish soap sitting all over the house and a few accidentally fell in and drown. So far the most effective thing is the trusted fly swatter and Raid kitchen safe insect spray. I've been walking around the house all day for 10 days spraying "at" everyone I have seen. I wet her plants down with it. I'm afraid we are just going to have to out live them.


Are you positive as to what they are? Phorid flies will colonize a wet foundation.
D-Limonene works well on fruit flies. You can buy it or cut up some lemons. It's in the rind. It only lasts so long though. I can't remember how many days each cut lemon works. I put cut lemons around. Oranges work too.


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Nik333 said:


> Are you positive as to what they are? Phorid flies will colonize a wet foundation.
> D-Limonene works well on fruit flies. You can buy it or cut up some lemons. It's in the rind. It only lasts so long though. I can't remember how many days each cut lemon works. I put cut lemons around. Oranges work too.


Yeah, pretty sure. Her room had so many it was clouded.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Mike Milam said:


> Yeah, pretty sure. Her room had so many it was clouded.


If you like scientific experiments at all, in the midst of the frustration, it is interesting what each flying insect is attracted to.


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Old Thomas said:


> If you have fruit flies, then you probably bought bananas at Walmart. We had a problem with tiny flying insects. We traced them to a huge jade plant that I had for 40 years. It weighed a lot and had a few deteriorating limbs. We tossed it out and the bugs were gone.


She had 4 jade plants. One of which is at least 5 years old. Two of the plants we threw out stunk badly.

I know about the bananas. I insisted the wife no longer buy them. Nothing wrong with bananas, but she was hiding them in drawers and under clothes. Sadly she is no longer all there. She was a depression kid and EVERYTHING had great value to her. We can't unbox anything inside the house or she will try to get the box. When I emptied her house out to sell it when she moved in with us I brought the largest dumpster in that was available and threw everything in her house in it. When I got to the garage you couldn't walk through it for the piles of cardboard boxes piled up. A lot of which had been wet because her garage door didn't close all the way down.

I wouldn't eat or drink anything at her house the last 5 years she lived alone. Her kitchen counters would have black ants roaming around all the time. It was almost so bad you wanted to wipe your feet when you walked out her door.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@Mike Milam if you have gnats swarming from the soil, and weensy little pale worms in there you have fungus gnats.

Not fruit flies.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Mike - I searched Jade plants & flies, and got this, so I guess it would be fungus gnats like you thought.
A. Your *jade plant* (Crassula ovata) might have fungus *gnats*, which is rarely a serious problem for houseplants. Often a sign of overwatering, the adult insects *fly* around *plants* but do no damage. Allow the top 2 inches of soil (where they live and reproduce) to dry out between each watering.Feb 1, 2009

*Pesky fungus gnats a problem? You may be watering too much*


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

What I said


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## Old Thomas (Nov 28, 2019)

Bananas are a very common source of fruit flies, I think there are eggs on the skin. At the public school, when fruit flies were a problem it was almost always from bananas. We had a problem with Walmart bananas but very seldom Publix or Wegmans bananas.


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## Mike Milam (Mar 3, 2017)

Nik333 said:


> Mike - I searched Jade plants & flies, and got this, so I guess it would be fungus gnats like you thought.
> A. Your *jade plant* (Crassula ovata) might have fungus *gnats*, which is rarely a serious problem for houseplants. Often a sign of overwatering, the adult insects *fly* around *plants* but do no damage. Allow the top 2 inches of soil (where they live and reproduce) to dry out between each watering.Feb 1, 2009
> *Pesky fungus gnats a problem? You may be watering too much*


Yeah, she watered until there was water standing in the plants. I told her and she acted like I was an idiot. When I moved her out of her house (as I mentioned) there were no less that 250 pots of dirt sitting around her back door and on the driveway beside the house. You had to zig zag to get through to the door.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Mike Milam said:


> Yeah, she watered until there was water standing in the plants. I told her and she acted like I was an idiot. When I moved her out of her house (as I mentioned) there were no less that 250 pots of dirt sitting around her back door and on the driveway beside the house. You had to zig zag to get through to the door.


I found this article, I don't remember ever having fungus gnats, maybe, because we have droughts & drier air -



https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef406


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## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

update : no more bugs, its winter. and i even have a walmart banana sitting right in front of me, that i need to eat.


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## Nik333 (Mar 1, 2015)

Fix'n it said:


> update : no more bugs, its winter. and i even have a walmart banana sitting right in front of me, that i need to eat.


Where have you been? You can't come and laugh a lot and then just leave.


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## DoomsDave (Dec 6, 2018)

@Mike Milam 

If your mother-in-law keeps overwatering, keep the BT handy for future use.

Let us know what happens. Yours is a too-common vexing problem.

And, again, bless your heart.


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