Killing Fruit Flies in a Worm Bin!!!

[@WorldComposting]

Between the fruit flies and video editing software issues, I have slowed down on my videos. Hopefully, in the next two weeks, we will get both under control so I can start updating more frequently again!

[@thomaswaldron4661]

I'm just here waiting on the next pine shavings video

[@Bingewatchingmediacontent]

My city mandates composting, and we live downtown in a city building. As a result our entire apartment building is infested with fruit flies, hovering around the compost bin, and inside everyone’s apartments. Even inside apartments where people don’t have compost bins on the counters, there are these disgusting little flies everywhere. I really need to get a solution to this nasty problem. It’s not glamorous to live in a beautiful downtown city apartment and have flies everywhere.

[@SirStickybuds]

i tried adding a little molasses to my apple cider vinegar trap upon somebody recommending it and found it to be extra effective

[@WorldComposting]

I've never heard that before! I have some molasses and will have to try it out.

[@DJDFLAT]

@@WorldComposting Same. I'll try it

[@LyraLove1]

Yes, covering with bedding heavily really the only solution, it does work! I am sure I have learnt it from you before and that was the only way I could eradicate them from my house. I have a box in my house and we were infested with these flies. I started to freeze the food, used about 2 inch thick shredded paper and kept wiping the windows everyday off them, it worked, within a week they disappeared. The vinegar bowl was there too.

[@WorldComposting]

I have done the burying method multiple times but kept putting it off because I can't make videos really if I can't show what is going on and want to keep people updated. I know that it has worked 100% of the time in my 35-gallon trash can bin I have. It doesn't work as well in the 10 gallon totes as they really don't have enough depth to keep the fruit flies out. Hopefully, this multistep approach will work to rid the fruit flies and get back to making content without getting a fruit fly up my nose!

[@LyraLove1]

@@WorldComposting I hope so too! I quite dislike the feeling of fruit flies on my face and I think I am allergic to them as my eyes start to water! Good luck, looking forward to more videos.

[@mau1150]

Most helpful video on the internet about fruit flies. Fruit flies are all over my bag larvae bin. Would this burying method work?

[@Dee.C]

Also , peel your cardboard apart , many times you will find that the gnats live and breed in there too . I have been using ONLY shredded cardboard that has been in a plastic bag tied tight . I also keep any cardboard overstock in my garage which right now is frozen so it helps knock them down.

[@WorldComposting]

Good tip! I do have a pile of cardboard in the basement but have not found any gnats near it. Granted with this the pile is quickly being depleted and I'll have to restock soon.

[@lauracornell7355]

But... will the worms starve from hunger if you don't feed them for a month? I like the dry paper solution, want to try it, but I'm worried about the worms getting too hungry and stressed in that time.

[@WorldComposting]

The worms won't starve as they can even reprocess the castings multiple times. Saying that they still prefer the food or bedding material but they shouldn't die off after just a month.

[@MapleGroveProductions]

Very helpful video. Thanks man!

[@AJsGreenTopics]

This video was very helpful. I have used the homemade fruit fly trap. Thanks for sharing.

[@WorldComposting]

The homemade traps are great for a localized area!

[@samtharulr]

Will the mosquito bits harm the worms? I don’t want them to get hurt

[@WorldComposting]

I use them all the time without any issues. The bits contain a bacteria that eats mosquito and fungus gnat larvae so it is safe!

[@stepitup5409]

Never heard of putting clothing in the box

[@peggywaters2589]

Yep, they eat cotton fabric

[@JeffMatity]

Hi Lowel, as always, a great video! Two questions: Is your paper wet or do you keep it dry? Also, can the paper be watered with the bacteria solution? Thank you!

[@WorldComposting]

Great questions! First question, when the paper is stored I keep it dry as wet paper in a basement can grow mold. But I soak it for 30 minutes before adding it to the systems. Second question, yes and in fact the water I use to soak the paper when adding it to my system has been in the solution with the dunks.

[@ElisaAllen]

What are the tiny white things crawling around

[@Dee.C]

When you use those bits it is best to let them soak for 24 hours first so the water soaks more of the BTI up. The bits will sink to the bottom. I got a couple of those bulbs, HA HA , they do NOT work well . The sticky traps work but be careful not to get your glove stuck .

[@WorldComposting]

I've had great luck using the bulb the problem is when you have so many they can cause a full circuit. When that happens they can crawl all over it without getting shocked.

[@ambersamusements5257]

I have had great success with my bug light. I only have two bins max. I clean my light every time I feed my worms.

[@WorldComposting]

I've really liked my bug light and leave it on all the time near the ceiling above my bins to lure in any stragglers before they find another system to in habit. Until this infestation, I had a good 2 years without having any real issues.

[@GospelOutside]

Hi. What bug light would you recommend? Thank you!

[@thegrimmer]

I have the same fly issue with the same bin. Why they can't just make a better top closure solution is beyond me. It would save everyone a ton of headache

[@WorldComposting]

Well the issue becomes if you introduce fruit flies into a system if the top is sealed the fruit flies will just get out when you open it. I found this to be the case with my bag systems that seem to be sealed off really well. I keep a bug zapper in my basement at all times and have found that helps a lot to keep the bug population down.

[@organicgardenmamavictoriab2768]

Time for me to start shredding papers

[@organicgardenmamavictoriab2768]

I have this problem now

[@DJDFLAT]

Same. It's driving me nuts. Did you conquer the issue? If so how?

[@GospelOutside]

Hi. Are you able to shred cardboard? If so do you use a particular brand shredder?

[@WorldComposting]

Yes I shred almost all my cardboard using a royal MX1600 shredder and it has been going strong for years. I like that it doesn't need oil either.

[@jengal]

You missed a cut at 1:16 ;)

[@WorldComposting]

Good catch, been having issues with my editing software lately taking hours to render after the latest update.

[@junovhs4646]

@@WorldComposting Davinci resolve is great and free

[@WorldComposting]

@@junovhs4646 I have Davinci resolve along with Filmora X and both have been acting up lately. I wonder if my power supply or GPU is starting to go and causing it to crash.

[@SuperiorNorthwestRailfanning]

Are you able to put this in my Red wiggler bin Wilson Ant-Out Killer Dust, 200-g Silicon Dioxide (present as diatomaceous earth) Canadian Tire.. Or will this kill all my worms. Done to other chemicals. ?? Kill mites

[@WorldComposting]

I'm not sure I don't know if that would be safe.

[@arturomacias2116]

Welcome to world fruit flies infomercial.

[@adrienne107]

I ordered grub Grenade from Amazon and used that in all my plants and my worm bins now I don’t have any. I had a really bad infestation from a bag of potting soil left outside for the summer that I used to repot an indoor plant. I had 8 sticky traps and changed them every few days be wise they would fill upwith the flies. It was really gross. I takes time cause the mites eat the larvae.. but now I have none!! So thankful

[@WorldComposting]

If you watch to the end you see I recommend just loading up with bedding material as a solution which is pretty inexpensive.

[@WorldComposting]

Never heard of Grub Grenade before I'll check it out!

[@valentinnikolov6882]

The fungus gnats are much, much worse. It's like a never-ending battle. You should be grateful you don't have them.

[@WorldComposting]

I've heard they are really bad and I wasn't sure if I had them at one time but I've been lucky that they haven't taken over my systems.

[@valentinnikolov6882]

@@WorldComposting They are living disaster. You can just take my word for granted. Actually their larvae are very beneficial but when you have a bin inside the house the situation with the mature flies is absolutely unbearable. For the first time in my life I feel compelled to kill animals (mosquitos are the other exception), no matter how much I don't want to do it (because if we have to be objective, this is not their fault, they are absolutely innocent) but there is no other way. Otherwise, imagine - your house full of little annoying flies who often tries to go into your eyes, nose and ear holes, constantly appearing on the screen on your TV, PC monitor, laptop, etc. As far as the fruit flies, what I personally would do - I would start completely new bin and would add only the worms, one by one, without compost alongside them. And I would freeze every single bit of food I give them.

[@WorldComposting]

@@valentinnikolov6882 The mosquito bits specifically mentions fungus gnats on the container so it should work really well on those. Fungus gnats from everything I've read are much harder to kill and can survive freezing so a predator needs to be introduced or a full restart of the system. If the bin was outside I would leave them in and not worry about it. But inside the house, I can't have them everywhere and with how much fruit we have in the kitchen I know that could be an issue. My other option which I have thought about was putting my bins outside and where it is below freezing and just killing off all the fruit flies that way as they start to have issues below 60 degrees Fahrenheit and die around 40 degrees. Hard to restart so many systems especially with how many I have going not to mention some I can't move outside at all due to weight and size.

[@valentinnikolov6882]

@@WorldComposting I understand. Well, I hope our bad experience would be educational for the new worm composting enthusiasts and they will learn from our mistakes and experience.

[@valentinnikolov6882]

I forgot to mention one method which works for me but I don't think it's optimally productive. In the evenings I light a big candle in the room where my bins are in a completely dark room (I mean no other light sources). It seems that it's in their nature to follow the light. A great majority of the gnats go there and when they fly above or next to the flame, the "heat wave" from it burn them and they fall into the melt wax of the candle. But this, of course, does not resolve the main problem - how to remove them from the bin. This method could work with the fruit flies, I haven't tried it because I don't have fruit flies, but you could give it a try. You don't lose anything.