Fruit flies in air lock!

[homesteader26]

Sooo gross! I have 8-9 secondary's all with air locks and one container I looked at closer and it was full of fruit flies! Not a single one in any of the others - what gives??

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Try using vodka in your air lock - hopefully it will keep the smell down as those fruit flies will not like

 

[Tenbears]

itn depends on what you are brewing. Some things are more attractive to the pesky things. and as stated, try vodka it does help.

 

[homesteader26]

Ok I will try the vodka - seemed strange that there are multiple concord grape jugs and this one is the only one with them. Can they be from inside the carboy? There is a lot of air in this one as it still is bubbling every 10 seconds or so.

 

[Arne]

Nope, those little buggers can get thru the holes in the airlock. They must just like the smell better in that jug than in the others. If you are infested withthem, there are stories on here about sucking them out of the air with a shop vac. I usually take a plastic bottle, usually one of my real lemon bottles, cut the top off, pour a little wine in the bottom, a drop or two of dishsoap in the wine after you put it in the bottom, and invert the top half of the bottle onto the bottom half. They can find there way in, but can't find the way out. When you catch a bunch of them in there, you can either throw the bottle away or wash it out and try again. Arne.

 

[JohnT]

.. (in my best Schwarzenegger voice)... Fruit flies in the air lock, Gvik, get down!!!

seriously, Fruit flies are a way of life for me. Been battling them this year. Got 2 fruit fly traps and every morning and every night, I take out my vacuum cleaner and suck up as many as I can.

I hate those little acetobacter carrying bastards!

Looks like you got some fat ones in that airlock....