How to give fresh food with fruit flies around?

[ann]

hello everyone, since we came back from vacation we have been dealing with a fruit fly problem in our home. We accidentally left an orange (or what we think was an orange :52 on our table for 8 days and came home to a pile of mush...and fruit flies. How do we get rid of them, and how can i feed my birds fresh food without the flies getting in it? Do fruit flies carry diseases that could harm my bird if they ate one that got stuck in their mushy food? Thanks for the help~

 

[Phlox]

Fruit flies are gross, but not dangerous. Your bird could eat them. BUT the only way to get rid of them, if to strictly not leave anything out for the flies. They'll die in just a few days. (I used to get wingless fruit fly cultures to feed baby lizards)

Maybe stick to dried fruits/veggies and pellets/seeds for a few days until they are gone?

 

[weco]

I'm pretty sure fruit flies can carry bacteria as they will also feed from fecal matter...their life cycle is only about 10 days, so you should be able to get them under control within a month.....just make sure you don't leave garbage in the house & I used to spray the garbage disposal with alcohol a couple times a day, the one time we left fruit out when gone...

It took us a couple of weeks to get rid of them.....

Good luck...

 

[Phlox]

Fruit flies have no interest in fecal matter. Bottle flies do, but that's a different critter entirely.

Drosophila melanogaster - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[weco]

The first link speaks about fruit flies and fecal matter and the second link describes a homemade trap for the adult fruit flies:


Mediterranean Fruit Fly as a Potential Vector of Bacterial Pathogens

Fruit Flies | University of Kentucky Entomology

 

[MacawLoverOf3]

How to Make a Vinegar Trap for Fruit Flies

 

[ann]

thanks everyone, i haven't seen any in a while