fruit fly problem!!!

[Nono]

Oh no! Lifted up my towel on primary and there were a bunch of fruit flies! Am I ruined!!! Sg. 1.020 what should I do???

 

[ou8amaus]

I am feeling your pain, I have seen a few buzzing around and am concerned, so far none have found their way into the wine. Aparently they can impart a negative smell to wine if they land in your glass, but more importantly they can carry Acetobacter bacteria, turning wine into vinegar! Not an expect, hopefully someone else might have more details...

 

[ou8amaus]

Check out older post... http://www.winemakingtalk.com/forum/f5/fruit-flies-17563/

 

[CBell]

At an sg of 1.020 transfer to carboy with airlock. No, you're not ruined if a few make it into your batch. They'll be racked out eventually.

 

[Pumpkinman]

Put a glass of wine in your wine making area, the fruit flies will go to that glass and slowly but surely drown, and they will leave your wine alone.
This is why I'm a big fan of putting a lid on the fermenter, if you use a big enough fermenter, for instance, if you are making a 6 gallon batch, use an 8 or ten gallon fermenter, there will be plenty of oxygen in it, even covered.

 

[Elmer]

I have had the same/somewhat similar problem in the last week. It began in my kitched where they have started to congregate around the open bottles my wife drinks.
I cleared the kitchen out but found them by the dozens.
I soon realized I was making homemade red wine/vineager in the cabinet. I opened the door and sure enough they were all hanging out there.

The Fruit flies have made their way to my basement and are going after the top of the towel which coveres my fermenting Skeeter Pee. I am not able to rack it into a carboy yet.

So in the basement I put a fan and directed it right at the top of my fermenting bucket. I keep it not strong enough to blow the towel off, but strong enough to fluster the flies.

I have since moved the vineager out to the garage. I have cleaned all surfaces with clorax wipes. When I get home I am dumping bleach down my sink drain and will clean, clean, clean.
I am also going to make a trap
"All it takes is cider vinegar, a jar, dish soap, and plastic wrap. Pour just enough cider vinegar to cover the bottom of the jar. Add a drop of dish soap (it will break the surface tension of the vinegar so the fruit flies can't just sit atop the liquid). Now, cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top"

 

[WI_Wino]

My anecdotal experience with fruit flies is that they ignore the trap you have sitting on your end table and rather dive bomb the beer/wine that you are currently drinking out of...

 

[Nono]

Thanks for all the comments. Will rack to carboy with airlock.

 

[blueflint]

My anecdotal experience with fruit flies is that they ignore the trap you have sitting on your end table and rather dive bomb the beer/wine that you are currently drinking out of...

Isn't that the truth!!!!!!!

 

[Julie]

If you lay the lid loosely and then cover with a towel, they normally won't get into the wine and have a fly trap laying near by. I have the wine/dawn mixture and I have the coke bottle with the top cut off and inverted to the bottle with wine it in also. The last one seems to work better. But the fastest way to get rid of them is the way Runningwolf handles it, use a shop vac.

 

[Arne]

Didn't have any problem with them this summer. Tomatoes started showing up in the kitchen and fruit flys arrived in the basement. Guess it is my fault. I let Kathy plant the tomatoes. LOL, Arne.

 

[michjen]

They seem to be bad at my house! Argh!!! Scared to even rack my wine today;( looks like I will be running around with the vacuum!!!

 

[cmason1957]

I have been really lucky and haven't noticed many, this year. One thing I did that I think has helped is put a fan blowing across the fermenting wine. I make sure it hits the whites first, then the reds. So far so good.

 

[michjen]

Good IDEA! I am so doing this

 

[vacuumpumpman]

I have been really lucky and haven't noticed many, this year. One thing I did that I think has helped is put a fan blowing across the fermenting wine. I make sure it hits the wires first, then the reds. So far so good.

Yes I was just going to say the same exact thing !
I am fermenting in the garage - and the fan really helps alot

 

[upsidedown]

Had a problem with them this year as well. Installed a few fruit fly traps with apple cider vinegar and wine concoction if you are racking place a strong fan near the open areas of your carboy/primary fruit flies are not really very strong flyers also the odd sticky trap doesn't hurt

 

[vacuumpumpman]

Had a problem with them this year as well. Installed a few fruit fly traps with apple cider vinegar and wine concoction if you are racking place a strong fan near the open areas of your carboy/primary fruit flies are not really very strong flyers also the odd sticky trap doesn't hurt

I am not sure that is a good idea about cider vinegar being blown over your wine ??

I know just a simple box fan - works rather well

 

[Tess]

fan her as well, I also set a glass of wine just out of the way of the fan. Works like a charm. They would rather go the way of least resistance and go to the glass of wine trap

 

[hvac36]

Never had an issue with them until this year but it was my fault. After having some juice pails from fresh juice I thought I had cleaned them all and the wife called me away from room. Well I forgot one and omg they where all over it. They did not get to fermenting juice thank god but I set up home made traps and with in a day they had all drowned.... dam things..

 

[barryjo]

I read somewhere that these critters are attracted to the alcohol in fermenting fruit and vegetables.
Always clean up any spilled wine or fermenting must immediately. Bag and put in the trash all must, lees and anything else disposable containing alcohol as soon as possible. If you are working in the house, remove any spoiled fruit or veggies. No, I don't know where they come from and yes, I know they don't drink much, but they are an unwanted addition to any wine.