Fruit midges are annoying tiny creatures, whose presence in the house itself irritates all its inhabitants. When these little creatures, not limited to annoying flickering, begin to actively spoil food, and in addition also try to bite, the patience of the residents comes to an end, and they urgently begin to look for means to combat the annoying aliens.

Where do house flies come from and how to get rid of them?

The small black flies that so annoy housewives are extraordinary insects. The unique ability of these malicious flying creatures to appear as if out of nowhere gives them a certain mystical aura. However, the secret of the appearance of swarms of midges in hermetically sealed apartments has nothing to do with magic. Drosophila flies, of course, do not have the phenomenal gift of seeping through walls. In fact, midges end up in tightly sealed rooms along with food brought from outside, and the larvae and eggs of fruit flies can hide not only in vegetables and fruits, but also in mushrooms, cereals and garden flowers.

Each fly individual does not live long. Having appeared into the world at dawn, it dies in the evening of the same day, but if the apartment has food supply for it, namely a supply of spoiled vegetables and fruits, the wine fly manages to lay a huge number of eggs on them within a day. Thus, the number of midges begins to increase in geometric progression However, in fairness, it should be noted that in winter, fruit flies do not reproduce so actively, but if you do not fight them, even in cold weather they can fill the entire house in a few days.

In addition to rotten fruits, midges love indoor flowers, or rather, the moist soil in which they grow. In addition, the reproduction of midges that have entered the house is facilitated by stagnant water in the aquarium, dampness prevailing in plumbing rooms, dirt in pet cages, leaking sewer pipes, dishes unwashed for several days and garbage forgotten in the kitchen.

Therefore, if you have fruit or flower flies in your home, before you start poisoning uninvited guests, try to eliminate their “tavern” first. To do this, first of all, remove all food from the table and wash it dirty dishes, then inspect the refrigerator and carry out an audit kitchen cabinets. If you find any rotten fruits or moldy cereals there, immediately take them to the trash bin, and at the same time take with you the garbage that was left in the bucket.

When you have finished cleaning up the kitchen, to eliminate dampness, ventilate the apartment, clean the aquarium, loosen the soil in the flowerpots and drain the water from their trays.

At the end of the cleaning, vacuum the floors throughout the house and at the same time check if there is an apple core lying around in some secluded place.

The three most effective ways to deal with annoying midges

1 way. Industrial insecticides

In the event that general cleaning does not give the expected result, and harmful flies continue to scurry around the apartment, you, of course, can poison them with some kind of insecticidal aerosol, but the same dichlorvos, for example, is only allowed to be used in the toilet and living rooms, it is unacceptable to use such a toxic pesticide in the kitchen.

In areas where food is stored or prepared, it is better to use factory-made adhesive tapes to combat midges. Unfold and hang a couple of Velcro strips under the kitchen ceiling, and the very next day you will see that the number of small “saboteurs” secretly sneaking into your home has decreased significantly.

A fumigator can also be an excellent way to solve the problem of fly infestation. Fill this device with a special plate that acts on flies, or attach a reservoir with anti-fly liquid to it, turn on the unit all night, and in the morning you will not find a single fruit fly in your house.

Method 2. Homemade traps

Fruit flyers can be combated not only with chemicals, but also with safer, but no less effective folk remedies, which include those described below homemade traps.

Drunk trap. Flies love beer and dessert wine. Place it on kitchen table an open, unwashed beer or liquor bottle. After a couple of hours, a large number of fruit flies will gather in it, flocking to an unexpected feast, all you have to do is plug the cap of the vessel full of midges and take it to the trash heap.

apple trap. No less than sweet alcoholic drinks, fruit flies love apples. Taking advantage of this weakness, you can build a very effective trap, in which the role of bait will be played by natural apple cider vinegar. To make such a trap, take a half-liter jar and fill it a quarter full warm water, pour a spoonful of natural apple cider vinegar into the water, the smell of which has a mesmerizing effect on midges, and add a couple of drops of shampoo or dishwashing liquid. Attracted by the aroma of your favorite fruit, the midge will fall into the water, and the “sticky” soap film formed on the surface of the liquid will not allow it to fly back up.

3 way. Repellents

If you don't have time to build traps, try scaring away unwanted guests with some kind of unpleasant smell. As such “horror stories” you can use:

• camphor, the smell of which all flies and mosquitoes really dislike. Throw a pinch of this substance into a heated dry frying pan and, as soon as its crystals begin to emit a characteristic wormwood aroma, immediately remove the vessel from the stove and walk with it throughout the apartment. Having smelled the smell of camphor, the flies will be forced to retreat.
• garlic- garden midges are afraid of the smell of this plant, so they can repel flies that have chosen flowerpots with indoor plants. Cut a few cloves of garlic into slices, place them on the surface of the substrate in flower pots, and the midges will soon leave their homes.
• cloves, the rich aroma of which plunges midges into panic. Place a dessert spoon of clove buds in a small ladle, fill them with a glass of water, and place an impromptu aroma lamp on the stove. When the liquid in the ladle begins to boil, a thick spicy spirit will spread throughout the apartment, which will disperse the “stray” guests.

Midges are arthropod insects, which belong to the order Diptera, suborder Long-whiskered, midge family (lat. Simuliidae).

Midges - description, structure and characteristics

The body length of midges varies from 1.2 to 6 mm. The smallest species live in the tropics, the largest are common in the northern temperate and subpolar latitudes.

There are 3 main sections in the structure of midges: head, chest and abdomen. The rounded head of females has a wide forehead; in males it is narrower. The antennae of midges consist of 11 (sometimes 9 or 10) segments; they are very thin, rope-like and covered with short hairs. The color of the antennae varies from dark yellow and brownish to dark gray and black. The antennae of females are thicker and shorter than those of males, and also have a slight flattening and taper towards the end.

The eyes of the midge are faceted, in males they usually touch along the frontal seam, in females they are separated by the forehead. Horizontally, the eyes of males are divided into a larger one top part, where the large facets are located, and the smaller bottom part, where the small facets are located. In females, all facets are the same size, and their number exceeds the number of facets in males. Additional simple eyes are not developed in midges.

The chest of insects is strongly convex. Hairs grow on the back, and there may also be various spots of dark or silver color. The color and shape of the spots vary among different species of midges.

Abdomen of midges oval shape, slightly pointed towards the end and consists of 11 segments. The dorsal part of the first segment protrudes upward and backward, forming a kind of collar covered with a brush of long hairs.

Midges have well-developed halteres, which are club-shaped. The halteres are paired appendages of the thoracic segments of insects; in midges they are located on the metathorax and are modified wings. During flight, they help the insect maintain balance, vibrate and make a characteristic sound. That's why insects buzz. The stalk of the haltere in midges is of medium length, at the end of the club there is a slight impression. The color of the halteres varies from white-yellow, yellowish and ocher to brown and black. The club is usually lighter than the stalk. In addition, males have darker and brighter halteres than females.

The wings of midges are wide, round-oval, transparent, with longitudinal venation, length from 1.4 to 6 mm. The surface of the wings is covered with small tubercles. When at rest, the wings fold horizontally, covering one another.

The oral appendages of midges consist of palps and a complex proboscis of the piercing-sucking type. The proboscis is short and thick, it consists of an upper lip and epipharynx, hypopharynx, 2 mandibles (upper jaws), 2 maxillae (lower jaws) and a lower lip. The upper lip, mandibles and maxillae of blood-sucking females have teeth of the tearing-cutting type. In males and females that do not drink blood (for example, Prosimulium alpestre), the teeth are replaced by hairs. The maxillary palps consist of 4-5 segments; on the third segment a special sensory organ is developed that performs sensory functions. The palps are used by midges to orient themselves on the body of a person or animal when choosing a place for an injection. The upper lip also has the same functions, but first of all it serves to pierce the skin of the victim. After the bite, the wound is sawed off at the ends of the mandibles, which move from top to bottom. Maxillae, when immersed in the wound, tear the tissues and walls of the victim’s blood vessels. Next, the midge immerses the upper lip, epipharynx and hypopharynx into the wound and drinks blood. In the hypopharynx there is a channel through which saliva enters the wound, preventing blood clotting. The lower lip has a sensitive function and is used for licking. Like other bloodsuckers, midges pass water and liquid carbohydrate food through the esophagus into the crop, and blood flows directly into the midgut.

Midges have 3 pairs of fairly powerful limbs, each consisting of a coxa, trochanter, femur, tibia and a five-segmented tarsus. The paws of midges are equipped with claws: in males, at their base there is a wide cup-shaped tooth; in females, the claws can be simple (short or long) or also have a tooth (large or small). Most often, the limbs of midges are black, although in some varieties individual segments of the legs may have a yellowish or brown color or be covered with silver spots. The coloring, pubescence and shape of the limbs depend on the type of midge.

How long do midges live?

The lifespan of a midge depends on the species, weather conditions and nutrition. Herbivorous species live very short lives - only a few days (less than a week). The average lifespan of blood-sucking species is 3-4 weeks, although some females of certain species can live up to 3 months.

Where do midges live?

Midges live on almost all continents, with the exception of Antarctica and the Sahara Desert. These small insects live in Northern and South America, in Australia, the Mediterranean countries, in Russia, Central and Central Asia, in Japan, Indochina, India, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Kazakhstan and Taiwan, in Far East and the Caucasus, the Baltic states and North Africa.

Particularly many midges are found in taiga regions, in deciduous forests with high humidity, and also near water bodies. Availability of water nearby necessary condition habitat of midges, because three of the four life stages of development (egg, larva, pupa) of these insects take place in water bodies or in the immediate vicinity of them. Only adult imagoes live on land.

What do midges eat?

The nutrition of these insects depends on gender. The females of most species of midges are a large component of midges (in addition to mosquitoes and midges) and prefer to drink blood, attacking people, animals or birds. With their painful bites, they cause a lot of unpleasant sensations in the form of itching, local redness, swelling of the skin and even serious allergic reactions. Cows, horses, sheep, goats, roe deer, deer, buffalo, ducks, chickens, turkeys, and geese become victims of annoying midges. But dogs and cats practically do not suffer from midge bites.

Male midges are avid vegetarians and feed exclusively on nectar and plant juices. Among midges there are also completely non-blood-sucking species.

Types of midges, names and photos.

Today, approximately 1,800 species of midges are known. Below is a description of several varieties.

• Decorated midge ( Odagmia ornata)

The length of the insect is from 3 to 4.5 mm. A silver-colored border is visible on the back. The coloring of the legs, antennae and abdomen depends on the subspecies. The body length of the larva is 6-11 mm (depending on the subspecies), the size of the pupa is 3-5 mm. Different subspecies of the ornate midge live throughout the Palaearctic, north to Greenland, Novaya Zemlya and the outskirts of Europe and Asia, south to the Mediterranean and southern India, and also found in North America.

• Horse midge (W ilhelmia equina)

Presented in several varieties. The length of the midge reaches 2.5-4 mm. The back and abdomen are covered with silvery-golden hairs; males have silver spots on the shoulder fields. The body length of the larvae is 5-7 mm. In its posterior sucker there are 80-100 rows of hooks with 17-24 hooks in each row. The length of the pupa varies from 2.6 to 4 mm depending on the subspecies of the midge; the cocoon has a shoe-shaped shape. The habitat of the horse midge extends from the Kola Peninsula and Karelia to Kamchatka. The southern boundaries of the range have not been determined. Larvae and pupae are distributed in different rivers and can even live in heavily polluted water bodies. Preference is given to bodies of water with vegetation. Females are bloodsuckers and attack people and animals. In horses, accumulations of midges can be seen in the ears. During the year, one (in the northern regions) or several (in the south) generations of horse midges develop.

• Boophthora sericata

The body length of the midge is 3-3.5 mm. A pattern in the form of silver stripes is noticeable on the back of males. Females have a yellow color on their legs. The size of the larva is 6-7 mm, its color is whitish-yellow. The length of the pupa is 3-4 mm, the cocoon is simple, opaque. This type of midge lives in the European part of Russia and Eastern European countries. Midges develop in rivers and channels of large rivers that are silted and overgrown with vegetation.

Taken from: science.mnhn.fr, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

• Tundra midge ( Schoenbaueria pusilla)

The length of males is from 2.5 to 3 mm. The tentacles are short and thin. The back is velvety black, has a silvery tint on the sides and back, and is covered with sparse golden hairs. The abdomen is brownish-black on top, with dark hairs. The legs are black, the halteres are brown, darker at the base.

Female tundra midges are about 3 mm long and have black-brown tentacles and antennae. The forehead and crown are grayish, covered in dense hairs. There are no silvery spots on the back of females; the back itself is black and gray, covered with silvery hairs. The halteres are light yellow. The front veins of the wings are white and yellow. The legs of the female midge are brown-black. The claw is small, with a thickening at the base. The abdomen is black above, dark yellow below, covered with sparse hairs.

The dimensions of the larva are 4.5-6 mm, its color is yellow-white, the dorsal side has transverse brown stripes. In the posterior sucker of the larva there are 70-72 rows of hooks, 11-13 hooks in each row. The length of the light yellow pupa is from 2.5 to 3 mm, the cocoon is simple, with loose weaving, without windows on the sides. Tundra midges are common in the northern regions, from the Kola Peninsula to the Yenisei River basin. Mass pupation occurs in June-July. The flight of adult individuals is observed from July to the first half of September. The tundra midge is a vicious bloodsucker that attacks people and animals.

• Short-palmed midge ( Simulium morsitans)

The length of the adult is approximately 3 mm. The body is black, but there are silver spots on the back. The length of the larva is from 5.5 to 6 mm, the pupa is from 2.8 to 3.6 mm. This species of midges lives en masse from Karelia and the Arkhangelsk region up to the Moscow region and the territory of Transbaikalia. The habitat depends on the subspecies.

Taken from: www.boldsystems.org

• Silver midge ( Simulium argyreatum)

The length of an adult insect is from 3.5 to 3.8 mm. Narrow silvery spots are visible on the back of males; these spots are dark on females. The antennae and palps are black, although in females the antennae may have a brownish tint. The limbs of males are mostly black, although there is a silver spot on the middle tibia, and the hind tibia has a yellowish tint. The legs of females are brownish-black, with silvery spots on the outer side of the fore and middle tibia, and also with a light yellowish tint at the base of the hind tibia. The halteres of females are yellowish-white. The length of the larva is from 7 to 8.5 mm, the size of the pupa is approximately 4 mm. The cocoon is simple, with an edging along the front edge. Silver midges live in Russia, North America and countries Western Europe. They inhabit small, overgrown, silted rivers in the forest zone, and in the tundra in the north. Adults are found from early June to September, depending on latitude. Silver midges are vicious bloodsuckers that attack people in the taiga and tundra zones.

• Light-fronted midge ( Simulium noelleri)

The length of the midge is about 4 mm. The antennae of males are black, the limbs are also black with a lighter shade at the junction of the femur with the tibia, as well as on the first segment of the hind tarsus. The antennae of females are light yellow at the base. The female mandibles are evenly sloping and serrated on both sides. A bright silver pattern is visible on the back. The limbs of females are brown-black, with a lighter shade in some places. The size of the light-fronted midge larva varies from 7 to 9 mm, its color can be red or gray-yellow. The large fan of the larva contains 47-57 setae. The rear sucker has 68-80 rows of hooks with 10-15 hooks in each row. The length of the pupa is 4 mm, the cocoon has loose weaving, with numerous holes on the sides and top. Light-fronted midges live over a vast territory that extends from the countries of northeastern Europe east through Russia to Transbaikalia. In the south, the range reaches the middle of the European part of Russia.

Taken from: www.biodiversity.ubc.ca

Reproduction of midges

The life cycle of midges consists of 4 phases:

1. Larva
2. Doll
3. Imago (adult)

After fertilization by a male, the female simply needs blood for normal growth and maturation of eggs. With sufficient nutrition and favorable weather conditions, the eggs will fully mature within 5-7 days; otherwise, the laying process may be delayed for up to three weeks. The female midge lays eggs in one layer in rows or groups of 50-100 pieces each, gluing the eggs together with a special secretion. Sometimes several females of the same or even different species lay eggs in one place. Midge eggs are laid on a constantly wet substrate next to a body of water, on stones, snags or vegetation protruding above the surface or completely submerged in water. The development of eggs, and then larvae and pupa, occurs in running water.

Midge eggs can have a rounded-triangular or rounded-rectangular shape, resembling an oval. The egg shell is very thin, sometimes translucent, and absolutely smooth. The length of the eggs varies from 0.15 to 0.4 mm. The color of the newly laid clutch is light ocher, then the eggs begin to darken and their color becomes dark brown.

Taken from: www.researchgate.net

The midge larva is worm-shaped and consists of 11 segments. The color of the larva is light yellow or ocher, interspersed with greenish, brown or brown spots. The thoracic region of the body is noticeably thickened and equipped with a kind of “leg” for movement. The posterior end of the body has a strong swelling and a special organ (the so-called sucker) with numerous hooks, with the help of which the larva fixes its position. The ventral part of the body is often flattened.

The head of the larva is large, separated from the body by a clear bridge, and is most often darker in color than the body, often black. On the head of the larva there are developed long antennae, a mouthparts with a pair of powerful mandibles, as well as special chitinous formations - fans, which help the larva to filter food consisting of plankton and algae. In addition, the larvae have well-developed arachnoid glands that secrete a secretion with which they can move. But basically their lifestyle is semi-sedentary.

The midge pupa is completely, or sometimes only partially, covered with a cocoon, which has a round exit hole through which the process of respiration occurs, carried out with the help of respiratory filaments. The cocoon is woven from spider threads secreted by the larva, and can be different shapes: hut-shaped, shoe-shaped, shoe-shaped or goblet-shaped. The body of the pupa is sometimes covered with hairs, short bristles, various growths resembling plaques, tubercles, tiny cones, spines or cylinders.

During its development, the midge pupa does not move or feed: it only cares about a comfortable water temperature and oxygen flow. After one to two weeks, an adult is born.

Depending on the species and temperature conditions in the reservoir, the rate of development of midges varies significantly. The overwhelming number of midges wait out the cold season in the egg stage. This method of wintering is especially typical for species living in latitudes with harsh climates where water bodies freeze. Very rarely do midges survive winter months in the larval phase, and this is most likely an exception to the rule.

In places with a warm climate, where water bodies are not covered with a layer of ice, midges overwinter in the larval stage, although their development may slow down during this period. Over the course of a year, different species of midges can develop from 1 to 3 generations.

House flies

Often in a flower pot or in a greenhouse you can notice very small insects that flutter above the surface of the earth or cling to the leaves of plants. This is the so-called flower midge. Surprisingly, these insects do not belong to the midge family at all:

• dark gray or black midges, as well as flower midges - usually these are leaf gnats (sciarids, also known as soil gnats or fruit gnats);
• green midges - these can be lacewings or winged species of aphids;
• white midges – most often these are whiteflies (also known as aleurodids);
• fruit flies or fruit flies, house flies or house flies, are fruit flies that can often be seen circling over overripe or rotting vegetables and fruits. They are also representatives of a completely different family.

Photo top left: John Tann, CC BY 2.0. Photo top right: Melissa McMasters, CC BY 2.0

Midge bite: photo and why it’s dangerous

In addition to the fact that midge bites are accompanied by pain, swelling, severe redness and unbearable itching of the skin, and an increase in body temperature, midges also carry numerous diseases. Among them, the most dangerous are onchocerciasis, myxomatosis, anthrax, tularemia, plague and others. A midge bite is really dangerous, especially for allergy sufferers, because insect saliva contains substances belonging to the group of strong hemolytic poisons. Massive midge attacks on grazing herds of farm animals can sometimes cause livestock deaths. All these factors force people to fight against midges, although a 100% effective remedy has not yet been created.

Taken from: www.someoneelseskitchen.com

Midges and protection against it

To reduce midge populations in their natural habitat, streams and swamps are drained, forests are carefully cleared, and banks along water bodies are cleared. To protect livestock from midge bites, livestock complexes or summer grazing pens are located away from wetlands and low-lying areas. During periods of excessively high activity of midge flights, it is advisable to keep animals indoors by installing mosquito nets on windows and doors. The walls of the room can be treated with insecticidal preparations such as Bytex, Actellik, Metathion, Difos. Ear tags for animals impregnated with Alletethrin, Resmethrin and similar drugs have a good effect.

To protect themselves from midge bites, people have to look for more and more new solutions. It is quite possible to protect yourself from the attacks of these annoying and sometimes dangerous blood-sucking insects if you take into account some nuances:

• do not rest near bodies of water, the banks of which are overgrown with lush vegetation;
• during the period when midges are activated, try to wear clothes that are not too light in color and cover the body as much as possible;
• avoid long stays in swampy lowlands and damp, shady forests;
• Staying near livestock farms usually risks being attacked by a swarm of midges - exclude such places from your list of stops for a picnic or a country walk.

In order to protect yourself from attacking midges, you should use protective measures such as repellents or fumigants.

• Repellents are midge repellent substances in the form of sprays, ointments and various strong-smelling lotions made industrially or homemade (based on folk recipes). They are applied to exposed areas of the body, blocking the olfactory receptors of midges.
• Fumigants have a completely different principle of action: they contain toxic substances that cause the death of midges.

Folk remedies for midges

• Infuse ordinary vegetable oil (preferably refined) for 2-3 weeks in a dark and cool place on clove buds, wormwood leaves, parsley, tobacco, eucalyptus, fir branches, vanilla pods or anise seeds. Then the oil should be filtered and, if necessary, lubricated with it on areas of the body;
• You can make an ointment based on baby cream or regular Vaseline, including crushed lavender leaves, bird cherry inflorescences, basil, rosemary, crushed garlic or finely grated lemon zest;
• place the shell in 500 ml of alcohol diluted to 30-35 degrees or in half a liter of vodka walnut(about 250 g), add 10-15 drops of camphor oil or 30-40 drops of peppermint oil. After a couple of days, this tincture can be used by lubricating the skin with a swab dipped in liquid.
• you can simply smear the exposed areas of the body with vanillin, which is sold in bags. The smell of vanilla repels midges.

Factory-made midge repellents

• Mosquitall ointment– contains vanilla extract and diethyltoluamide, has a repellent effect on midges, the effect lasts 8-9 hours;
• Aerosol Help– the product can be applied to both skin and clothing. Valid for 6-8 hours. Not recommended for use by children under 12 years of age, as well as pregnant and lactating women;
• Aerosol Gardex– a product based on ethyl alcohol and diethyltuolamide. The period of protective action is 4.5-6 hours.

Before using these products, be sure to test for allergic reactions: apply a minimal amount of the drug to your wrist and observe whether the skin in this area turns red or begins to itch.

Fumigators against midges

Fumigators against midges are divided into pyrotechnic and electric. In the first, a spiral smolders and smokes, impregnated with substances toxic to midges. Fumigators of the second type work by heating an element on which a plate impregnated with a substance poisonous to midges is placed. Another option for a fumigator is an element that connects to an outlet, to which a bottle of toxic liquid is attached. Among the most current fumigators are devices from the brands Raid, Mosquitall, Fumitox.

• A midge bite is much more painful than a mosquito bite.
• In the Khabarovsk Territory there is a village with the unusual name Moshka.
• Midges most often try to bite a person on the legs, why is unknown..

But the answer to this question lies on the surface. And you just have to think a little and use your imagination, and it will immediately become clear where the midges on fruit come from. But we will not look for simple ways, but will approach the issue responsibly, revealing along the way all the secrets of the enemy insect invasion. To begin with, let us remind our readers of the picture of what is happening in the apartment in the event of infection.

Portrait of the enemy

To examine in detail the enemy of fruits and vegetables in the apartment, you need to present a complete portrait of the enemy, starting with who he is and how he behaves.

Who is this enemy?

First, let's figure out who is the very midge that is trying to spoil our fruits and vegetables. It turns out that this is the famous Drosophila fly, which was the first insect to travel to space.

Reference! Drosophila did not go to space of its own free will. Our cosmonauts conducted experiments on it.

It is also called a fruit fly or wine fly because it appears precisely on fruits or vegetables that are beginning to spoil or ferment.

When does he appear?

Midges usually appear at the moment when vegetables or fruits begin to deteriorate, when the process of rotting begins plant tissue. Then a dangerous enemy crawls out of all the cracks and begins to settle on the spoiled product.

Where does it come from?

Drosophila breed en masse in the following places:

• in kitchens among plant debris in garbage cans;
• in bathrooms on forgotten wet rags or simply on a dirty floor;
• in the habitats of domestic animals if their hygiene is not observed;
• in flower pots with excessive watering, which caused rotting of plant residues;
• from the ventilation if there is a violation of sanitary standards in neighboring apartments or the basement.

How does he appear?

But there are cases when the house is in absolute order in terms of sanitation, but still midges appear on your favorite orange. How did Drosophila find out that the fruit in our house began to spoil, who told her about it?

It turns out that everything becomes clearer if we consider the process of wine fly reproduction. The fact is that after mating, Drosophila lays eggs on the surface of fruits or vegetables. And then nature starts the waiting mechanism.

Let's say that we bought good, fresh and strong fruits from the store or brought them from the garden. But wine fly eggs are so small that we simply cannot see them with the naked eye. And so our apple lies on the table until it begins to spoil. This triggers the mechanism for further reproduction of the insect. The egg begins to develop under the influence of putrefactive processes, and soon you will notice these same midges on the apple.

And after them, other individuals will arrive in time to attack the rotting fruit.

Prevention

Based on everything we said earlier, the conclusion suggests itself that the best remedy for fruit gnats is undoubtedly prevention. It is always easier to prevent an attack than to heroically fight it later.

So, let’s outline preventive measures that do not allow the wine fly to appear in our apartment:

• maintaining sanitation measures in the apartment;
• preventing the penetration of midges from the outside;
• thorough washing of purchased vegetables and fruits;
• storing fruits in the refrigerator;
• treating the soil in flower pots with a weak solution of potassium permanganate;
• Regular removal of garbage from the apartment.

Attention! Wash purchased vegetables and fruits with boiling water, it kills fruit fly eggs. The same advice applies to collected fruits, berries and vegetables brought from the forest or your favorite summer house. If it is not possible to quickly process the product, put it in the refrigerator or pour it over hot water. At room temperature, store only those that can last a long time without spoiling.

Fight the enemy

If the enemy does appear, then you need to think about how to get rid of fruit flies in the apartment. First, you should throw away all the garbage on which Drosophila can reproduce, and then thoroughly clean the premises with detergents.

If it is possible to leave the apartment, then the best remedy How to get rid of fruit flies in the kitchen and throughout the house will be the use of special aerosols such as “Dichlorvos” or “Raptor”.

Attention! After using highly toxic products, be sure to thoroughly ventilate the premises!

If midges appear in the apartment, but it is not possible to go somewhere, then use some kind of fruit fly trap. This can be either store-bought Velcro or a variety of homemade products, which have long been in honor among our fellow citizens.

Sweet sticky tape can be easily made at home by spreading a strip of paper with honey or sugar syrup with the addition of rosin and glycerin.

You can use, for example, this simple device:

1. Take a wide-necked bottle or a narrow-necked jar.
2. Pour sweet fruit juice or compote into it.
3. Insert a funnel made of thick paper into the throat and secure it there with tape or insulating tape.

The principle of operation of this trap is simple: midges, attracted by the delicious sweet smell, easily penetrate the jar through the funnel, but they cannot get back out.

In this material we will tell you how to get rid of midges in indoor flowers using folk and special means, namely the following 3 types:

• Drosophila, which are also called fruit flies or fruit flies. They look more like small flies.
• Sciarids, other names are flower gnats or fungus gnats, and they really do look a lot like small black gnats.
• Whiteflies or Aleroidids, which look like small white or light gray small aphids. They settle mainly under leaves.

We will look at ways to combat fruit and flower flies in the first chapter, but if white flies have settled in your plants, then you can find out how to get rid of them in the second part of the material.

How to get rid of fruit and flower midges (drosophila and sciarid flies)

Midges in flowers are not only flying small flies, but also their larvae that live in the ground. Several generations of insects can simultaneously develop in one pot - from eggs to adults. Also, keep in mind that fungus gnats can spread quite quickly from one plant to another. Therefore, in order to remove insects forever, you need to fight them comprehensively and often repeatedly.

Fighting methods

Instructions 1. Using folk remedies

Step 1. Let the soil dry out after the last watering so that at least 2 cm of the top layer is dry.

Step 2: Catch all adults. You can do this using:

• Traps: special (for example, a regular fly catching tape will do) or homemade. Here are two ways to get rid of midges in flowers using homemade traps:

Option 1:

1. Fill a small jar with something sweet and aromatic (e.g., red wine, apple cider vinegar, fruit juice), or add a piece of overripe fruit (e.g., banana) or some honey.
2. Close the jar tightly with a tin lid and make tiny holes in it using a nail and a hammer. You can also make a funnel out of a piece of paper or cover the trap with cling film with small holes (see photo below). The idea is that the midges will come to the smell, but will not be able to find a way out of the jar. Therefore the holes must be really small.
3. Place the jar next to indoor flower and wait a couple of days. You will see that all the midges are stuck in the trap.

Option 2:

1. Make flags out of toothpicks and paper, much like the picture below.
2. Coat the flags with honey.
3. Insert the resulting flags into all flower pots where fruit flies have appeared.
4. If necessary, the flags can be changed every day or every other day.

• Vacuum Cleaner: To get rid of midges in flowers using a vacuum cleaner, remove the brush attachment and simply “vacuum” the ground and area around the plant. The vacuum cleaner will easily capture insects even in flight. The midges will get into the bag/dust collector, get stuck there and, most likely, will not be able to fly out of there. But it is advisable to immediately after the procedure empty the vacuum cleaner outside the apartment (or throw away the disposable bag) and treat it with dichlorvos.

Step 3. So, we got rid of the adult egg-laying midges, now we need to cultivate the ground to get rid of the larvae. To do this, loosen the dry soil and water the plant with one of the following folk remedies:

• Garlic infusion: make a garlic infusion at the rate of: 1 grated head of garlic + 600 ml of boiling water per 1 flower pot. Let the product sit for 2-4 hours, then water and spray the plant with it, and deepen the remaining pulp into the ground. You can also stick 1 head, cut into three pieces, into the soil of each infected plant. Don't worry, the smell of garlic will not appear in the apartment.

Instruction 2. Using insecticides and creating a “toxic greenhouse”

This method is effective, economical and, if done correctly, safe for humans and plants. With its help you can kill both larvae and adults.

Step 1. Wait until the soil becomes dry after the last watering.

Step 2: Gently loosen the soil.

Step 3. Place the pot with the plant in an ordinary bag, spray a little Dichlorvos into the soil and tie the bag tightly so that only the pot is completely covered. After 4-5 hours, the midges in the ground should die.

• If the midges are not only in the ground, but also settled under or above the leaves, then you need to do all the same steps, but choose a bag of such a size that the entire plant fits in it. full height", and spray Dichlorvos not only into the soil, but also onto the bag (!). In order not to damage the plant, it is important that the product does not get on the leaves, and to prevent them from becoming crushed, you should secure the bag with tape at the desired height to the furniture, door or floor lamp. Another way to create a “greenhouse” is shown in the picture on the right. The product will destroy insects both in the ground and on leaves in 7-10 hours.
• Dichlorvos can replace Raptor, Neo or Raid. In addition, instead of sprays, you can use solutions of special insecticides for plants, for example, Groma-2, Aktary, Bazudin, Actellik and Karbofos. In this case, before wrapping the plant in polyethylene, it must be watered and sprayed with the product.

Step 4. Hang special or homemade traps on the windowsill so that the remaining midges that did not fall under the bag will land on them.

Step 5. Repeat the procedure after 8 days to eliminate the possibility of midges reappearing.

If there are a lot of larvae in the soil, and you are sure that the plant will withstand replanting, then it is best to do this by transplanting the flower into new, pre-treated soil. To do this: loosen the soil and carefully pull it out, then clean the roots from the contaminated soil by hand or using a small brush, then quickly rinse the roots with water or one of the home remedies listed above and finally, replant the plant in a clean pot with uninfected soil. To prepare the soil, you need to bake it in the oven at a temperature of 100-120 degrees for 1 hour, and then restore the microflora with some kind of fertilizer.

How to get rid of whiteflies

To get rid of whiteflies, you also need to carry out comprehensive measures to destroy adult insects and larvae 3-4 times with an interval of one week.

Damage caused: whiteflies themselves do not harm the plant, but due to their feces on lower leaves Sooty fungi may appear, which can severely damage the flower. In addition, white midges can infect the plant with a viral infection. On the right is a photo of a leaf affected by whitewing.

Fighting methods

Step 1. First you need to catch all the adult flies. You can do this in the following ways:

• Place special or homemade traps described in the first instructions.
• Catch all the midges with a vacuum cleaner.
• Pour jam into a saucer, place it next to the pot and wait until the whiteflies fly to the bait and get stuck in it.
• In the morning, create a slight coolness in the room where the flowers are located, for example, by turning off the radiators or opening a window. The lower temperature will prevent the flies from taking off. Next, follow the procedure described below.

Step 2: Once most of the adult whiteflies have been caught, take the plant to the bathroom and wash the leaves of any remaining insects, eggs and nymphs.

Step 3. Now treat the plant by watering and spraying with solutions of systemic insecticides (Actellik, Confidor, Mospilan or Fufanon), and then create a “toxic greenhouse” by closing the plant in a plastic bag for 4-5 hours.

• If there are not many whiteflies, then instead special means You can use the garlic infusion described in the first instructions.

Step 4: If desired, replant the plant in uninfected soil and discard the contaminated soil.

There is another way to destroy whiteflies in indoor flowers. If the infected plant can tolerate temperatures below 14 degrees, then simply leave it in such a cool place for a week or a little more. Unable to withstand the low temperature, the whitefly and its larvae will die.

Question-Answer

What causes midges to appear in indoor plants?

A common reason is that they could appear when transplanting a plant into purchased soil that was already contaminated with eggs and larvae. In addition, midges could simply fly in from a window in summer or autumn and settle in your flowers. One way or another, the main factor in the emergence and reproduction of sciarids and fruit flies is moist, overwatered soil, which attracts midges and creates favorable conditions for the transformation of dormant eggs into larvae. By the way, fruit flies could get into your apartment along with purchased vegetables, fruits, or fly to the smell of a stale product, and only then take a fancy to your flower pots.

New clothes in a dream are always associated with new plans and foretell good luck in business, new acquaintances, new relationships, a new period in life or a profitable business, if you like these things.

Such a dream is especially favorable if you put on clothes and see yourself. If you dream that your lover is wearing the clothes that he wore before meeting you, then your relationship will soon come to naught, as his intentions will change.

Seeing or wearing rags or old clothes in a dream is a sign of need and deprivation. If you dream that you are wearing a lot of clothes, then expect trouble.

Seeing or buying children's clothes in a dream means that your hopes are in vain. Sometimes after such a dream one should expect family scandals or quarrels with a lover. Carefully sewn clothes in a dream foreshadow troubles and worries.

My old clothes in a dream, seeing, trying on or putting on means that you will live the same way as at the time when you wore these clothes. Unfashionable but good-quality clothes in a dream portend you modest prosperity and a calm, measured life.

If you dream that you are taking off old, worn, tattered clothes, or simply clothes that you don’t like, then they are waiting for you good changes in life, success in business and personal.

Staining a dress with oil in a dream is a sign of success in love.

Wearing someone else's clothes in a dream, especially if they don't suit you, means that troubles and disappointments await you. Such a dream also warns you that you have taken on the wrong business.

For lovers, such a dream predicts the collapse of hopes and hints that they are not comfortable cutting down a tree.

If you dream that you do not like your clothes in a dream, then you have rivals who would like to take your position in society.

If your clothes are too big for you or you are wearing someone else’s, then you are not doing your own thing.

Borrowing someone else's clothes in a dream means that you cannot do without someone else's help.

If in a dream someone asks you to lend him your clothes, and you refuse this person, then you should be wary of envious people or rivals. Such a dream also indicates that your rivals will be powerless in their attempts to harm you.

If in a dream your clothes are too small, then you are doing empty work. Sometimes such a dream indicates that you may soon find yourself in straitened circumstances if you do not learn to spend money wisely.

Clothing that fits you poorly in a dream foretells disappointments and experiences associated with this. Wearing the clothes of loved ones or relatives in a dream means that you will receive an inheritance after their death (or after separation from these people).

A dream in which you saw that someone else’s high-quality or rich clothes suited you perfectly, then a business for which you did not have high hopes will come true and promises you the respect of others and profit. The same can be said about the long clothes that you dream about.

If you dream that you are poorly or poorly dressed, then your life will be joyless and monotonous, associated with worries about a piece of daily bread.

Admiring someone else's clothes in a dream warns you: beware of the jealousy of your spouse or lover.

Wearing wedding clothes in a dream means that illness or great sorrow awaits you. Wearing a wedding dress with pleasure in a dream means joy and success in business. Often such a dream foreshadows new meetings and acquaintances.

Seeing a dirty dress or stained clothes on oneself in a dream is a sign of disgrace, humiliation and shame.

Clothes drenched in blood, seen in a dream, warns you that your enemies are not sitting idle.

To see a rich, expensive fabric (silk or velvet), a magnificent dress, embroidered, etc. in a dream means receiving good news, benefit and respect from others. The dream in which you put on a toga has the same meaning.

Having or seeing a lot of elegant clothes in a dream means that you live carefree and spend money without thinking. However, this will not last forever. The dream predicts that you will soon have to regret your extravagance.

Wearing a clean shirt in a dream means that you will be able to avoid trouble.

If in a dream your shirt is white, then good news about success in business awaits you.

If you dream that you are sewing a shirt, then a loved one will appreciate your feelings for him if in the dream you can finish your work. But if you do not finish it in a dream, then your happiness with your loved one will not be complete.

Losing your shirt in a dream means that failure and shame await you.

Wearing silk bloomers in a dream means making a profit.

Wearing trousers in a dream indicates that you will try to get out of a difficult situation with honor.

Buying trousers in a dream or seeing new ones is a sign of success in business.

Taking off your pants in a dream is a sign of loss or loss.

Seeing or wearing a formal dress, tailcoat or tuxedo in a dream is a sign of imminent entry into a profitable marriage.

Seeing a uniform in a dream means that a responsible job awaits you, thanks to which you will earn the respect of others and make a decent fortune.

If you dream that you are putting on a priest’s robe, then the patronage of an important dignitary awaits you. The richer the robe, the richer your patron will be.

A dream in which you saw that your outfit is decorated with flowers means that your happiness is short-lived.

If you dream that you are walking through mud and your clothes are dirty, then beware of illness.

Putting on a woman's dress is a shame and loss for men; for a woman to be in men's clothing in a dream - a harbinger of imminent marriage.

Losing clothes or a piece of clothing in a dream is a sign that your hopes are in vain.

Seeing a cheap dress in a dream means vain hopes.

Being left without clothes in a dream means that shame and humiliation await you.

Seeing or wearing a vest means false news. For a woman to see herself luxuriously dressed (in a shiny, unusual dress or suit) is a sign of a serious illness.

A hole in clothes in a dream foreshadows illness or injury in the place where the hole will be.

Seeing patches on clothes is a sign that your well-being will be shaken.

Applying patches in a dream means that soon you will have to seriously reduce your expenses.

Seeing patches on others is a sign of imminent need and trouble. A patch on new clothes is a harbinger that your bright hopes will not come true.

Being ashamed of a patch or covering it up in a dream means that you will soon find yourself in a desperate situation and will try to hide it from others.

Sewing a patch in a dream is a sign that you will find yourself in a difficult situation due to your own stupidity and frivolity.

Patches in a dream mean everything that is connected with hopes of improving one’s material well-being, which, as a rule, are not justified.

Seeing or installing a lot of patches means lack of money. See interpretation: spots.

To be wrapped in rags and numerous clothes in a dream means that you will be entangled by bad and deceitful people. Such a dream calls for caution.

Being wrapped in expensive fabric in a dream is a sign of honor and respect from others.

Seeing a caftan in a dream means a calm, well-ordered life in the house.

Breaking it, losing it or spoiling it is a harbinger of trouble that will destroy your life.

Leather clothing in a dream is a sign of prosperity and good luck. After a dream in which you saw yourself dressed in leather clothes, you can try your luck in risky ventures. It is believed that the business will work out.

Seeing a corset in a dream is a sign of revealing a secret. Sometimes such a dream predicts that the person you love is not indifferent to you, but hides his feelings.

Wearing a corset in a dream means suffering due to one’s own curiosity.

Trying on a corset in a dream means for a wedding.

Fastening (unfastening) a corset in a dream is an indication that you should show patience in an important matter, and not take out your anger on your neighbors in order to avoid unnecessary quarrels.

A men's suit in a dream is a symbol of unsuccessful money transactions.

Seeing a masquerade costume in a dream foreshadows an extraordinary turn in your business.

A children's fancy dress in your dream means that you will have luck where you never thought possible. See interpretation: masquerade.

Seeing cuffs on your dress in a dream is a sign of celebration, an official meeting. Seeing them starched and very white is a sign of honor or respect from others.

Sometimes such a dream means the stability of your position or emphasizes the firmness of your position on some issue.

If the cuffs on your dress are torn, dirty, frayed, then expect grief due to failures in business or love. Such a dream predicts that you will be dissatisfied with yourself, and your pride will be hurt by the dishonest and vile act of a partner or loved one.

If you dream that there are no cuffs on the dress, although you know that they should be there, then something will not turn out the way you would like.

See interpretation: cufflinks, jewelry, collar.

Seeing a coat in a dream is a sign of a change in position. The more expensive and beautiful it is, the better your business will go.

Dropping, losing, getting dirty, seeing it torn or dirty in a dream is a sign of great troubles, difficulties, and humiliation.

If it turns out to be large, then disappointments and failures await you in a matter that is “too tough for you.” If you dream that someone took your coat, then difficulties await you in business and in your personal life.

A cloak in a dream is a symbol of your condition, what you have or will have by law. Sometimes such a dream indicates that you may receive an inheritance.

If you dream that you are putting on a raincoat to protect yourself from bad weather or something else, then you should remember that the enemy is watching you.

A raincoat (raincoat) in a dream means that you need to take safety measures to protect your interests or health.

A camouflage cloak in a dream foreshadows troubles in business and indicates the need to keep your eyes open, since the enemy is not asleep.

A new cloak in a dream portends success and prosperity.

Covering yourself with it in a dream means receiving a lucrative offer.

If you don’t like the cloak in a dream, then your affairs will not go well.

See interpretation: gap.

A home or hospital robe in a dream portends ill health, worries and troubles.

However, to dream of men's dressing gowns in which you can walk down the street (such as national, quilted, beautifully embroidered) is a sign that another person will soon join your family.

If the robe has an exotic look, then the person will be of a different nationality.

Seeing a lot of dress robes in a dream means that you will have many meetings with different people from other countries. Being undressed in a dream is a sign of loss and loss.

Dressing in a dream in the presence of strangers means that you will find yourself in an awkward position.

Being dressed sloppily or inappropriately in a dream is a sign that you will be taken by surprise.

Sometimes such a dream predicts unexpected meeting. See interpretation: naked.

Seeing yourself in underwear in a dream is a sign of shame and dishonor.

If you dream that you see yourself in pajamas or a nightgown, then you should take care of your health. Such a dream portends illness.

Seeing others in a dream in the clothes they usually sleep in is a harbinger that someone in your family will need your help.

The dream warns you about the need to help people who find themselves in a difficult situation and ask you for help.

Trouble, worries and grief are foreshadowed by a dream in which you or someone will take off your underwear.

Seeing your underwear on your lover in a dream means that failures, monetary losses, shame and humiliation await you.

To dream that your lover's underwear is damaged - torn, cut, burned, etc. - is a sign of great financial losses and worries. Sometimes such a dream predicts that your debtor will not return your money or that your creditor will ruin you. And sometimes both together.

If you dream that some important person appears in your presence undressed or naked, then this is a sign of alarm about a loved one.

Mantilla.

(See interpretation: veil).

Wearing a sundress in a dream is a sign of wasting time or empty worries about some business.

Seeing insects on your clothes is a sign of trouble, anxiety and dishonor. Shaking them off your clothes in a dream is a sign of liberation from worries and the useless machinations of slanderers seeking to discredit you. See interpretation: insects.

Frills and ruffles on a dress in a dream mean that your behavior may cause disapproval from others. See interpretation: lace.

Long tails on clothes are a sign of respect from the people around you.

Short tails on clothes predict the opposite. Frayed tails on clothes mean poverty or need.

Cutting coattails in a dream means losses and disappointments. A clasp on a dress in a dream means affection.

If it is broken, then the dream warns you that you will soon be disappointed in some person.

A dream in which you saw that your clothes are on fire, but remain intact, means: your friends will betray you and begin to spread bad rumors about you. This unlucky dream. He foretells you a lot of grief, undeserved insults, humiliation and insults.

Clothing made of linen or cotton in a dream is a sign of poverty, unless you wear it out of season. A dream about clothes made from cheap fabrics foreshadows failures and disappointments. See interpretation: fabrics.

In general, in a dream it is very important to be dressed according to the season, as this indicates that your business is going well and nothing threatens your well-being.

Seeing or examining the lining or back of clothing in a dream means that you do not trust your loved ones or partners. Sometimes such a dream tells you that you should be careful when making important decisions that may affect your future.

White clothes in a dream almost always predict bad changes, sadness, illness, and worries. Seeing a crowd dressed in white underwear in a dream means that you will soon experience a period of great setbacks associated with reforms in the country. Cheerful company in beautiful white clothes in a dream - a sign of success in business and in love.

Green clothes in a dream are a sign of hope or a trip to distant lands; red (crimson) - a sign of sadness or illness due to the death of a relative. However, most often such a dream means that success in business, respect from others and power await you.

For lovers, wearing red outfits predicts that their situation will change for the better and everyone will respect and honor them.

The crimson color of clothes in a dream foretells you victory over your enemies, success in business and the protection of a powerful patron.

Blue, lilac or purple clothes are a sign of good luck in love and respect from others.

If the dress is black, short or shiny, then such a dream predicts a quick death for the patient, and for the one on whom you see it, death from a serious illness in the prime of life.

To be in black clothes in a dream means failure in love. Yellow in clothing means jealousy, gossip, love affairs.

White clothes on a loved one in a dream warns you of a serious illness of this person, which will cause you a lot of trouble and worry.

A white shirt in a dream means your hopes and pure thoughts. Sometimes such a dream predicts that some false accusation will be dropped against you.

Colorful and bright clothes in a dream foreshadow an abundance of opportunities. For lovers, such a dream foreshadows quarrels and misunderstandings.

Clothes of floral, delicate colors in a dream indicate that a tender affection will arise between you and some person. This dream foreshadows pleasant meetings, conversations, and peace of mind.

See interpretation: color, buttons.

A long train on a dress is a sign that there are a lot of rumors about you that are unlikely to flatter you.

The dream warns you that you should not talk too much about yourself and avoid rash actions and casual relationships.

Interpretation of dreams from the Family Dream Book

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