Well, first I made sure no fruit, sticky, what I throw in the garbage, seal the teabags for compost (they liked those), and keep the cat litter box and around it clean.
Then I'd smack a bunch that were getting on my big screen but they're not doing that this year yet. They taunt me by flying in front of it though.
I have some flying insect spray but you have to be careful with it. I used it in one room before I went to bed (for regular flies too) and shut the door overnight. In the kitchen you have to cover everything.
So I went to the gas station and got a cheap, tall can of beer and set it on the end of the long kitchen counter. I built up sticky duct tape all around and over, sticky side up and/or facing out, leaving the tab opening exposed. Leave the beer in; some drown in it. Well, some seemed to catch on but I was getting some. I also noticed some new eggs (ick) laid underneath the tape when I used a fresh piece to make it better.
Then when I went by the beer I would smack the top being careful not to tip it over. Some flew up and off. So I got so I would plop my whole palm down on the top so fast, seal it as best I could with my skin, and not leave any way to escape. I was now getting them all. I did the can thing maybe 4 times a day or when I'd see a bunch. About a hatching cycle and/or fall, I saw no more of them.
I wish I knew what those things were as I've never had them before and saving fruit in the fall on the counter, etc., was always plagued with the regular fruit flies until I got it all put away or disposed of. One of these landed on my hand. Smack. I got it. When they land they flop around and are very quick. But they don't land very often. They're more active at night near light sources.
One just did a fly by and evaded me. That'll teach me, looks like I'll get 2 beers going before they get a chance to get as bad as last year.
This may sound really old fashioned. . . Have you tried a fly swatter?
Odds are that they are breeding somewhere in the house and are not “sneaking in” en-mass from the outside.
They are there because there is something for them to eat or to lay eggs in.
Look around closely for where they may be breeding.
It can be a dead mouse, rat, squirrel, bird, etc. in the attic, in a wall somewhere. Or some food product that slipped behind or under something. Maybe a spilled beverage.
Are they sand flies?? I know they bite??
I am having a problem with fruit flies as well as my sister 30 miles across town.
Funny you should mention flies. Just yesteday I noticed an abundance of houseflies. We have many euonymous bushes on our patio and they are teaming with flies. Shop vac works great inside the house.
Happened to me last year. Got to where I was leaving a light on at night with fly paper hanging beside it to collect them all.
Turned out to be a bag of rotted potatoes that were forgotten in a stack of boxes in the corner of the kitchen.
Yes. I used a tiny fly swatter. :-)
I had similar problem last week here in Texas. Storm front came through one evening, afterwards tens of thousands of tiny brown flies appeared on my back porch. Must have blown in on the front. So small I could barely see them. They were coming into the kitchen through the smallest cracks around the windows (these are new vinyl windows!) thousands of them all over the kitchen surfaces and lights. I got the vacuum and went over the whole kitchen, then went out on the porch and vacuumed all of them on the windows and walls, many, many thousands. Then went back into the kitchen and got all the ones that had gotten in while I was on the porch. Next
morning I went out on the porch again and vacuumed up another few thousand. Haven’t seen another one since, it’s been over a week now. The trick is to vacuum them all right away, so they don’t breed.
Our late, greatly missed Golden Retriever, Prior Lake Jake hated those pecker gnats.
Use more than 2 squares. LOL
Sorry, I just couldn’t help myself.
Good luck..
Do you have lots of bananas or wind? I ask because fruit flies like bananas, but time flies like the wind.
Fruit flies? Gett rid of any fruit sitting around.
You may have drain flies. damn things live to fly up noses.
Look up www.doyouownpestcontrol.com and get a drain fly kit.
Empty all of your potted plants and resoil. Good luck!
The best way to keep them out of your face is to cut a hole in the seat of your pants.
I live in the Florida Panhandle and don’t think I have seen a fly all Summer tho I probably would not remember if I did.
It does seem like the gnats are worse than usual but they are always a problem.
When I lived in Western Kansas, there were virtually no insects except flies but the flies were so bad they made up for the lack of other insects.
If they are inside, leave a wine bottle out with a sip of win left in it. They will fly in and can’t fly out and will drown. Or you can leave a small bowl of vinegar out with a couple drops of soap in it and they will be drawn to the vinegar.
Outside, an old horse barn trick. Fill a ziploc bag about 3/4 full of water and tack or nail it to the doorway nearest to where you hang out the most. Don’t know why, but it repels flies.
Good luck!
I had them breeding among my house plants. Had to use pyrethrin spray (twice) to get them all. I think they came in on a pineapple I bought at the store.