Fruit Flies

[DaleCooper]

Is anyone else being plagued by unusual numbers of fruit flies?

 

[najaB]

Is anyone else being plagued by unusual numbers of fruit flies?

Clearly they heard...

In my capacity as self-styled public relations spokesperson for the family Vespidae I was deliberately attempting to divert criticism away from wasps and on to flies (but not hoverflies).

 

[Cowley]

Is anyone else being plagued by unusual numbers of fruit flies?

Well it's funny you should say that but I was only thinking about mentioning my fruit fly problem today. Unfortunately I couldn't think where to post it as it seemed a bit trivial for a whole new thread.

Every time I go through the kitchen I'm walking through a cloud of the things. They rise up as one and then fly in all different directions, I've tried hoovering them, leaving the door open, leaving it closed so more don't come in, washed the bins, washed the fruit bowl, got rid of any fruit that's around, got rid of recycling etc etc.
Can't get rid of them. I had a glass of wine earlier and they kept throwing themselves in it.
I was listening to The Infinate Monkey Cage on my headphones at work the other day and I think one of the guests on it said that fruit flies can only be killed, i.e. They can't die of natural causes. Well I was sanding something down at the time (hm, fly paper/sand paper they sound similar) and now I'm not sure if I heard it right but it is all a worry.

You seem like the kind of man that might know a thing or two about keeping flies away Dale. What would you do?

 

[DaleCooper]

I was listening to The Infinate Monkey Cage on my headphones at work the other day and I think one of the guests on it said that fruit flies can only be killed, i.e. They can't die of natural causes.

I'd need more evidence before I accept that they can't die of natural causes. Anyway being eaten by a spider is natural, isn't it?

According to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drosophila_melanogaster#Lifecycle_and_reproduction

The D. melanogaster lifespan is about 30 days at 29 °C (84 °F).

That article also says the following which might be the source of the idea that they don't die of natural causes.

D. melanogaster is often used for life extension studies, such as to identify genes purported to increase lifespan when mutated.

You seem like the kind of man that might know a thing or two about keeping flies away Dale. What would you do?

More wasps is the answer.

 

[Cowley]

Well you've given me a lot to think about.
I'll give it 31 days at 29 degrees, if they haven't gone by then I'll move house.

 

[edwin_m]

Fruit flies quite well if you throw it hard enough.

 

[DaleCooper]

Fruit flies quite well if you throw it hard enough.

As does butter.

 

[Hornet]

Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

 

[edwin_m]

As does butter.

But a horse or a house doesn't.

 

[DaleCooper]

But a horse or a house doesn't.

What about a button and a zip?

 

[Calthrop]

What about a button and a zip?

I wouldn't know; but nothing succeeds like a budgie.

 

[Cowley]

Not so many today. Maybe they've all crashed into my wine, been trodden on, been cooked in the dinner etc.
Did find this little cluster of FFs on the kitchen ceiling though, they seem to like to hang out together.

 

[trainmania100]

Haven't noticed an increase, still getting plenty of those tiny flies really really small hardly noticeable until they fly past your face

 

[Cowley]

Haven't noticed an increase, still getting plenty of those tiny flies really really small hardly noticeable until they fly past your face

That's the ones Trainmania. You see? You think you've got a hold of things but they're edging into your life, and soon you'll have to move too.

 

[DaleCooper]

Not so many today. Maybe they've all crashed into my wine, been trodden on, been cooked in the dinner etc.
Did find this little cluster of FFs on the kitchen ceiling though, they seem to like to hang out together.

Some of those look familiar, did you get their details?

 

[Cowley]

Some of those look familiar, did you get their details?

No, they've all got tinted visors and ride mopeds.

 

[GusB]

Send them North to Scotland. There is very little chance of 29 degrees for one day, let alone 31. According to legend, we don't do very much fruit here either. What little we did have went up in smoke the other day.

 

[Cowley]

Send them North to Scotland. There is very little chance of 29 degrees for one day, let alone 31. According to legend, we don't do very much fruit here either. What little we did have went up in smoke the other day.

Oh yes I saw that on the news. Maybe the fruit flies would cancel the midges out somehow.

 

[DaleCooper]

No, they've all got tinted visors and ride mopeds.

I suppose wasps ride Vespas.

That got me thinking, I know of only one car named after an insect (Wolseley Hornet) are there any others?

 

[Cowley]

I've got the VW Beetle and the Scammel Scarab (not a car though).

 

[Darandio]

That got me thinking, I know of only one car named after an insect (Wolseley Hornet) are there any others?

May I present the Datsun Honey-Bee. Sunglasses are recommended.

 

[Cowley]

Good lord that's bright.
This is a Mosquito Triad 3 wheeler. Does that count?

 

[DaleCooper]

May I present the Datsun Honey-Bee. Sunglasses are recommended.

I quite like that.

Good lord that's bright.
This is a Mosquito Triad 3 wheeler. Does that count?

Yes, that counts.

I've also found the Alfa Romeo Spider (I know it's not an insect).

 

[Darandio]

There is also the Dodge Super-Bee as well. Of course, being American it couldn't just be any old bee.

 

[Cowley]

An MG Midge(it)?

 

[Hornet]

A Honda Hornet.

An Aprilia Mille(pede). My personal transport for a number of years.

 

[DaleCooper]

An MG Midge(it)?

...and MGB(ee), not to mention the Moxie Fruit Fly (which would be a good car if it existed).

 

[TheEdge]

I wonder if Ford will soon launch the Ford Bluebottle?

 

[DaleCooper]

Back to fruit flies:

Not eating fruit flies in the face of medical advice.

 

[Cowley]

Back to fruit flies:

Not eating fruit flies in the face of medical advice.

Oh that's good.
I wanted to get away from the fruit flies today, we went to Torquay and I had a swim in the sea. It was very cold but that's the first time in the sea this year in this country. It was certainly refreshing.
When I got back I thought that the fruit flies had gone but then I found them all sitting on the side of the boiler where I couldn't see them. When I poured a glass of wine from the box of wine I've got four of them were on the tap nozzle (no doubt tipsy) and plummeted into the glass when I poured it.