How to get rid of those pesky little flies?

Are you talking about fruit flies or drain flies, or bigger house flies?

Try a hedgeapple. It looks like a granny smith apple that has warts. Don’t try to eat them, but stick them in an out of the way corner.

@BarnacleBill : there’s one fruit fly right now, the other ones are tiny (almost like gnats but i’m not sure if that’s what they are) ... they seem to be a common apartment pest here

Sometimes they come from the drains. Pouring bleach down kitchen and bathroom drains, then flushing with hot water can take of them. Also, check under your refrigerator. There is a drip pan under there, and water can collect, causing the little buggers to breed.

@BarnacleBill: thanks! I think i’ll call my building manager for the fridge part but i’m going to try to bleach right now.

If they’re smaller than house flies, and kind of slow and stupid, easy to swat, they’re probably drain flies. @BarnacleBill‘s remedy ought to do it. But you may have to keep it up for a little while until any waiting eggs have gone through their cycle. Here’s the word from someone who sounds like he knows.

Spiders eat fruit flies.

Fruit flies avoid peppermint oil, so I’d suggest soaking a few cotton balls in it and placing them in the area where the problem is. Worked for me in clubs I’ve tended bar in.

@dailymuse: that’s so funny, i actually have peppermint oil (the only essential oil i own, strange). since there’s only one idk where to put it… maybe in the window sills? what do you think?

Try pouring some apple cider vinegar and a little water in a container, cover it with plastic wrap, secure that with a rubber band, and then poke holes in the plastic wrap with a toothpick. The fruit flies will be attracted to the vinegar, go in through the holes and be trapped. Sit it on the countertop or close to where they have been seen
Good Luck.

First figure out which kind of flies you have. Then apply the solution that works for that kind of flies. Drain flies are small, but fruit flies are really tiny.

@Jeruba: oh!! fruit flies aren’t those big guys?? where have i been!!

anyway, i think the big dude is gone because i haven’t seen him today and the little ones seem to be fewer in quantity. thanks guys :)

In honor of this question ;-p

there is also a dusty looking fly that sometimes invades the pantry, all the boxed foods, like flour, cereals all get it. is it that?

@jca : don’t think so and hope not!