Fruit Flies in the Tasting Room - how to Kill 'Em All?

[Paul_Luckin]

well, it’s harvest time - or at least close to it - and i can remember from last year the myriad of fruit flies buzzing around the tasting room, landing in glasses, fornicating on dump buckets, and making a general nusiance of themselves.

anyone got a suggestion on how to mitigate their presence in a tasting room, or how to dispose of them once they’ve invaded the premises?

[Bob_Wood]

One of life’s certainties, just like the sun rising in the morning, is that you’ll have fruit flies this time of year and they’ll land in your wine glass. Embrace the extra protein in your diet.

[ToddFrench]

Swarms of swallows or dragonflies?

[John_Cabot]

How about “very small rocks”.

[ToddFrench]

@John Cabot

How about “very small rocks”.

and “excellent aim”

[John_Cabot]

@Todd F r e n c h

@John Cabot

How about “very small rocks”.

and “excellent aim”

Thank you for changing the avatar. Scary pict. with the mouth open. [suicide.gif]

[Nola_Palomar]

We use a combo of ceiling fan to keep the air moving, electric bug zapper and keeping all open bottles closed and cleaning the tasting room kitchen of all glasses and utensils as soon as possible. And then the extra protein never really hurts.

[Dan_Kimmelman]

Flame thrower

[N_Weis]

I visited Fred Brander once many moons ago, and even though his SB was fermenting away and the winery had many openings to the world, he had no fruit flies.

I looked over at a glass on a stool, and it was like a glass of beer with fruit flies as the head at the top. He said he used some fermenting wine with a healthy smattering of dish soap and they couldn’t resist flying in but couldn’t get out.

I’ve never been able to recreate it, though. Generally, I don’t know there’s much you can do. They don’t like CO2 or moving air but I’ve never had much luck with zappers.

[Chuck_Miller]

Anybody know if they still make ‘No Pest Strips’? Would they even stick to it? If so, just put a NPS hanging over a discreetly placed spit bucket with some with in it, maybe add a few drops of vinegar as well.

[Linda_Baehr]

@Nate Weis

I visited Fred Brander once many moons ago, and even though his SB was fermenting away and the winery had many openings to the world, he had no fruit flies.

I looked over at a glass on a stool, and it was like a glass of beer with fruit flies as the head at the top. He said he used some fermenting wine with a healthy smattering of dish soap and they couldn’t resist flying in but couldn’t get out.

I’ve never been able to recreate it, though. Generally, I don’t know there’s much you can do. They don’t like CO2 or moving air but I’ve never had much luck with zappers.

We tried the dish soap thing at a restaurant where I used to work, and it was a dismal failure.

[GregUrsino]

@Linda Baehr

@Nate Weis

I visited Fred Brander once many moons ago, and even though his SB was fermenting away and the winery had many openings to the world, he had no fruit flies.

I looked over at a glass on a stool, and it was like a glass of beer with fruit flies as the head at the top. He said he used some fermenting wine with a healthy smattering of dish soap and they couldn’t resist flying in but couldn’t get out.

I’ve never been able to recreate it, though. Generally, I don’t know there’s much you can do. They don’t like CO2 or moving air but I’ve never had much luck with zappers.

We tried the dish soap thing at a restaurant where I used to work, and it was a dismal failure.

Agree. I had a ton a few months ago and nothing worked. This method got my population down to 1.99 million from 2 million.

From what I read on the web the best thing is to keep the area larva unfriendly. Remove standing water if possible. Keep things clean. Remove garbage. Once the larva are there bleach won’t even kill em.

A few people I know swear those big machines that hook up to a propane tank and then suck the insects in work. I’ve seen them at home depot for $200-$250. May be worth a shot

[Linda_Baehr]

In the winery we have in the past borrowed a machine that mists out a food safe pesticide. I can’t remember the chemical name, but it is the same thing used to dip dogs for fleas and ticks. I don’t think I’d use that in a tasting room, though, due to the smell.

[Mike_Stoneking]

From the consumer standpoint, No fruit flies = some real bad wine.

[Victor_Hong]

Hit everywhere with chlorine bleach. Just ask the folks at Chateau Canon or Beaulieu Vineyards.

[Victor_Hong]

@Linda Baehr

In the winery we have in the past borrowed a machine that mists out a food safe pesticide. I can’t remember the chemical name, but it is the same thing used to dip dogs for fleas and ticks. I don’t think I’d use that in a tasting room, though, due to the smell.

That would improve the tasting experience at some vineyards.

[Randy_Sloan]

Pour in a reductive environment?

[jeffstai]

Keeping things as clean as possible, and a fan blowing across the tasting bar, work well enough in our TR.

[Milos_Cam-Robb]

offer a watch glass to visitors, so they can cover their wine glasses when they aren’t physically tasting

[Ron_Kramer]

A great way is to get some squat mason jars and punch a hole in the cover. Put an inch of wine with a teaspoon of sugar and place a cone of paper in the cover. They get in the wide end but never out of the more pointed end.