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Garden Gate:  fruit flies all over my indoor seedlings!  |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 08 2012 : 4:58:08 PM
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OK, this borders on weirdly embarassing, but I need some advice/help.
I started some tomatoes and peppers indoors, and they are doing well and spending some time with natural sun from the window I put them by and some time with the grow lamps.
All of a sudden, today I realized there are tons of fruit flies all over the dirt in their little pots! WHAT is that about?! I DO NOT have any produce out anywhere (it's February, after all!) and although my house is a bit cluttered and chaotic, I keep a CLEAN home and have nothing that would attract them!
Where are the fruit flies coming from, how can I get rid of them and will they hurt my little tomato and pepper plants????
I've never experienced this before - I'm baffled.
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder |
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oldbittyhen
True Blue Farmgirl
1511 Posts
tina
quartz hill
ca
USA
1511 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2012 : 5:31:50 PM
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eggs were probaly in your soil...put a few dishes of apple cider vinegar around, that will atract them, and they will drown...
"Knowlege is knowing that a tomato is a fruit, Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad" |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2012 : 5:52:03 PM
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Are the fruit flies going to hurt my plants? Should I dump everything and start over? I hate to do it, but if there is some infestation that is going to compromise the growing, and the other plants I put them with outside, I would rather dump it all now and start over than face a bigger problem down the road.
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder |
Edited by - LuckyMommyof5 on Feb 08 2012 5:54:53 PM |
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Bear5
True Blue Farmgirl
13055 Posts
Louisiana/Texas
USA
13055 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2012 : 6:50:46 PM
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I'd have a tub of ACV in there to surely drown every one of those fruit flies.
Marly
"It's only when we truly know and understand that we have a limited time on earth- and that we have no way of knowing when our time is up- that we will begin to live each day to the fullest, as if it was the only one we had." Elisabeth Kurler-Ross |
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Nanniekim
True Blue Farmgirl
206 Posts
Kim
Arizona
206 Posts |
Posted - Feb 08 2012 : 8:53:11 PM
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I had the same problem when I planted some daffodil bulbs in pots and put them in the house. After about a week the soil was covered with gnats. I put water with a little dish soap in a spray bottle and sprayed the bugs and soil. So far so good!
Kim |
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FarmDream
True Blue Farmgirl
1085 Posts
Julie
TX
USA
1085 Posts |
Posted - Feb 09 2012 : 9:40:28 PM
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I don't think they will harm your plants. Put out the bait like the other girls said. Anytime you can move them outside for a little while, do it. I have them from time to time due to warmer temps. I also don't leave any fruit or produce out so they don't have a food source.
~FarmDream is Farmgirl Sister #3069
Live Today, Cherish Yesterday, Dream Tomorrow
http://naturaljulie.etsy.com
http://julie-rants.blogspot.com |
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plantcarazy
True Blue Farmgirl
116 Posts
Jenn
Montana
USA
116 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2012 : 1:18:02 PM
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Are you sure they are fruit flies?? They sound more like fungus gnats...
...... A 'Back to my roots again' Farmgirl! |
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sjmjgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
566 Posts
Stephanie
Mt. Vernon
Iowa
USA
566 Posts |
Posted - Feb 12 2012 : 1:56:09 PM
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I saw this same problem in the Ask Martha Stewart column in my local paper. It did say to let the top one inch of the soil dry out since that is where the eggs are. Good luck!
Farmgirl Sister # 3810
Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
- Dalai Lama |
Edited by - sjmjgirl on Feb 12 2012 1:56:37 PM |
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msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1145 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1145 Posts |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Feb 19 2012 : 9:31:41 PM
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I'm sad to say I had to pitch the seedlings. It was seriously an infestation, and I tried everything and there just seemed more of them everyday (and they started flying around my house, which I couldn't abide). It killed me to do it. I have never experienced this problem before, and I have started lots of seedlings for years. The eggs had to be in the dirt.
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder |
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StrawHouseRanch
True Blue Farmgirl
1044 Posts
Paula
Holt
Missouri
USA
1044 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2012 : 07:12:07 AM
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Sorry to hear about that. You might have gotten some soil that was already infested....the good thing is that you have time to start fresh seedlings!! Those new babies will pop right up in no time and you will have a beautiful garden before you know it. Just try to keep the soil on the not-so-soggy side, and if you have some diatomaceous earth around, sprinkle it on the surface of your soil to dry up any buggies that might be lurking there.
Paula
Farmgirl Sister #3090
Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a Gift.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/StrawHouseDesigns |
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LuckyMommyof5
True Blue Farmgirl
500 Posts
Suzanne
OH
USA
500 Posts |
Posted - Feb 20 2012 : 07:41:29 AM
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Thanks, Paula, you are absolutely right. I threw out the remaining seed starter I had stored and am waiting to restart seedlings for a few days while I leave the ACV traps out for any remaining flying bugs.
I'll use your suggestions for my next starters. It's a good thing gardeners are optimists!
Farmgirl Sister #3243
"The real things haven't changed. It is still best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures; and have courage when things go wrong." - Laura Ingalls Wilder |
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Karrieann
True Blue Farmgirl
1900 Posts
Karrieann
Northeast
Georgia
USA
1900 Posts |
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Garden Gate: fruit flies all over my indoor seedlings! |
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fruit flies all over my indoor seedlings!
