Fruit flies in the kitchen?

Q.  What’s a natural way to get rid of fruit flies?

A.  Let’s dig a little bit first.  Everyone has encountered fruit flies at some point in their life.  We typically find them in a residential kitchen, bar, restaurant, etc.  What’s the common connection there?  We don’t typically find fruit in bars, so why the fruit flies?

The Common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, belongs to the Drosophilidae family, along with about 4,000 other species.  Adults are 3-4 mm long and can vary in color from brown to tan.  They commonly have red eyes, but they can be darker.  A large majority of the larvae of these 4,000 species share the same important food source…rotting vegetable matter that is undergoing fermentation.  This fermentation is caused by bacterial or yeast contamination.  Combine this rotting organic matter with standing water and you have a perfect environment for fruit flies.

What’s the best way to get rid of fruit flies?  Sanitation.  Removing their food and moisture source is far more effective than any chemical application or cup of vinegar on the counter.  Fruit flies can enter a structure through open doors and windows or can be brought in on a product shipment or a batch of fruit.  Commonly, fruit flies have already laid their eggs on the fruit before you bought it.  The eggs hatch as the fruit ripens and the life cycle begins again.  Keeping fruit in the refrigerator will keep fruit flies from becoming a problem.  Immediately compost any infested fruit to prevent any further infestation of the structure.

We also commonly find fruit flies in uncleaned drains and disposals.  This is also where sanitation comes into play.  Frequently clean out your drains by using a microbial based drain product, like Invade BioFoam or an injection system.  These microbial products actually consume the fats, oils, and grease in drains and reduce those conditions that are conducive to fruit fly breeding.  You can also apply them in cracks and crevices, like grout lines, to reduce the organic matter and keep these areas free from fruit flies.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer them.

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The green solution to yellow problems

The yellowjacket is very active this time of year in North Carolina.  A common question that I get is “what’s a green/organic way to get rid of yellowjackets?”  My first answer to that question is that we must first positively identify it as a yellowjacket.

Photo courtesy of J.C. Ehrlich Pest Control

There are approximately 16 species of yellowjackets in United States.  The most common, Vespula vulgaris (Linnaeus) is the one that we’ll discuss.  The commonly seen workers are approximately 10-16 mm in length with the queens being approximately 25% longer.  The abdomen is usually black and yellow banded.  There are some species which are black and white or have red markings.

Yellowjackets are social insects and are often found nesting in the ground in areas that have no or low vegetation.  They can also nest in wall voids or in gaps in landscaping blocks.  Often, we find these nests while hiking or working outside.  These insects are very aggressive once they perceive that the nest is threatened.  They can also sting multiple times and do not lose the stinger.

The next topic is widely debated because of their fierceness, but yellowjackets are considered to be beneficial insects.  Not because of pollination, but mostly because their food source is other pest insect species.  However, the danger that they pose outweighs the benefit of having them around.  Once these food source insects are not as plentiful, late summer, they start foraging and often find food around human structures and trash receptacles.  That brings us to control: and we will start with sanitation.

Keeping areas clean of food spillage is critical.  Yellowjackets are attracted to sweets and proteins.  That means trash cans are a prime area of issue.  Keep trashcans cleaned and covered as often as possible.  Clean up spills immediately.  If you encounter foraging yellowjackets, did not swat at them, this only agitates them and increases your chances of being stung.

The best way to eliminate yellowjackets is to find the nest and eliminate it.  There are multiple green options for this.  Before we talk insecticides, we must talk safety.  One of the best options is to contact a trained professional as they can swarm quickly (contact me if you’re in North Carolina!)  The second safety recommendation is to wear a bee veil and suit for complete safety.  The best time of day to treat for yellowjackets is during the night as most are in the nest and are inactive.  When using a flashlight, illuminate the entrance indirectly, as a direct beam can alarm the nest.  They will attack the flashlight first.

Now that we’ve addressed safety, we can review insecticides for control.  My go-to option for treating yellowjackets at night is MotherEarth D.  I have used this on yellowjackets and have seen control within 24 hours.  As with everything else, always follow the label on pesticide containers.  If you must treat during the day, I recommend Essentria JET Wasp and Hornet Killer.  This has a very quick knockdown of yellowjackets and other stinging insects.  Again, read the label, as this product can stain certain surfaces.

You should fill the hole once control has been achieved to prevent other issues like dermestid beetles, spider beetles, and/or psocid issues.  These can infest old nests and cause other issues; especially in voids in structures where an infestation has occurred.

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Blattodea and the toad

Beneficial organisms are plentiful in a world established through natural selection.   The watchful toad can keep your cockroach populations in check.

There are many species of cockroaches (Order: Blattodea) that like to establish residency in homes and buildings.  Some prefer to stay outside and live in landscaping and trees around a residential or commercial property.  These outdoor dwellers can sometimes wander inside for shelter, warmth, or fly towards lights around a property.  Identifying and treating for the many species of cockroaches can be costly when you calculate monthly chemical treatments and environment modifications like changing mulch or eliminating organic material around a structure.

One of the many natural predators of cockroaches is the toad and other types of amphibians.  They will also consume many types of snails, slugs, and other crawling insects.  Encouraging amphibians around your home or garden is a wonderful way to let nature help you on your property.  This doesn’t have to be a costly endeavor.  Make use of what you already have and replicate nature.  Be creative!

–Build a pond.  Building a pond will provide a water source and potential breeding location for many types of amphibians.  It will also provide a water source for birds and bats; which will reduce flying insects like mosquitos.   Just ensure to take preventative measures to keep your pond from becoming a mosquito habitat; i.e. add a water agitator or treat with Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt).

–Natural landscaping.  This can be achieved through elements of permaculture.  Creating a perfect lawn reeks havoc on the eco-systems on your property.   The perfect lawn often requires many different types of chemicals to keep it green and weed free.  This natural landscape would mimic nature  and encourage many species of beneficial organisms.  We’ll talk more about permaculture later.

–Build a toad house.  There are many available for purchase, but I challenge you to use something that you already have. This reduces the cost for you and the cost on the environment from throwing something out to the landfill.

–Protect natural habitat.  Forests/wilderness already provides an excellent habitat for amphibians; especially if there is a water source nearby.  Protect this natural environment  by reducing dangerous pesticides and other chemicals that you use on your property.  Be careful with common household chemicals too, sometimes they’re more toxic than pesticides.

Now go on be creative.  Let nature work for you!

An insect’s view

Structural Integrated Pest Management meets permaculture.  How do we perform ecological pest management? Let’s investigate!

“Nature will bear the closest inspection.  She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain.” –Henry David Thoreau

These words from Thoreau do not directly correlate to pest management.  Perhaps this is related to the fact that many pest management programs fail in the long run.  We have historically focused on the pest and tried to find ways to control it at the micro level.  Many pest management programs have not focused on the ecological reasons as to why a pest in present in a certain environment.

This is website is going to focus on ways that we can incorporate ecology into pest management.  Merriam-Webster defines ecology as “1.  a science that deals with the relationships between groups of living things and their environments and 2.  the relationships between a group of living things and their environment”

We’re not going to solely discuss pest management.  We’re also going to investigate the reasons as to why a certain pest is present and ecological ways to reduce conditions that are conducive to pest activity.   We’ll additionally discuss environment modification and also green/organic pesticide options.

As stated in the tagline of the website, this is an information and knowledge transfer resource.  The advice contained within this site is not to be construed as “consulting” on how to deal with a specific pest issue.  Each state and country regulates pest management differently and most require specific licenses to be a consultant.