Punkins' world....SUNSHINE, seeds and no more drought!

[keljonma]

I have read that you can put a small container of water with a few drops of lemon juice and dish soap in it. The lemon attracts the fruit flies and they get stuck in it because of the soapy water.

If I buy bananas for baking, I usually put them in the freezer right away.

Bananas purchased to eat as fresh fruit can be stored in the refrigerator. The peel will blacken, but the fruit will be okay.

 

[patandchickens]

Enough people here have recommended the following that I finally tried it this year, even though it didn't seem likely to work... and you know what, it did a pretty good job after all! I would not say it completely exterminated every last fruit fly from the house, nothing will do that except wintertime and a lack of fresh fruit , but it did an excellent job on a pretty significant infestation.

Take a cheap disposable plastic bottle, I used a couple bottles from the bottled water that sometimes get tracked home from kids' events where they're being given out. Put about 3/4" of apple cider vinegar, and 3/4" of honey, and a small squirt of dish soap in there. Screw the cap on. Poke a few smallish holes in the bottle's sides, about halfway up -- ideally poke the holes with the point of closed scissors or something, so the hole sort of flares inward and is easy for fruit flies to get in, but harder for them to find again and escape.

I hung a couple of these traps in the kitchen -- one by the trashcan, one by the bananas and fruit bowl, and one by the shelves where I put large baskets of fruit waiting for me to do something with it. For a few days, you will see flies start to appear floating in the liquid in the traps but there will still be lots flying around and you won't think the traps are doing anything. But they are -- the flies that get caught in there are not breeding and not making more flies, and as time goes by more and more flies will accumulate in the traps.

I also keep some fruit at the other end of the house, which (until and unless you get an infestation going *there*, too) gives some protection, as fruit flies are not usually major long-distance fliers.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[me&thegals]

I do a version of Pat's above. We left town Wed-Sun, and so I canned and froze ALL produce before leaving, then left the trap. We still have fruit flies but not nearly as many as before.

This morning, I took out frozen juice concentrate to make juice for my sick son. An hour later, there were a dozen or so dead fruit flies, apparently frozen to death! I'm going to leave some ice packs out on the counter and see how many more I can get!

 

[punkin]

The fruit flies are almost gone. I did a similair version and set out a syrup bottle that was close enough to empty to be thrown away. I did catch a few. The best thing was just taking a fly swatter to them.

The Chocolate Almond Soap turned out great. It smells so good that it's hard not to take a bite. The rose goat milk, not so great. I used wax blocks to color it and it formed an "icing" on all the edges. The fragrance bonded with the icing, so the icing smells really nice, but not the soap. I guess I'll just rebatch it, minus the icing.

Went shopping with my sister and neice yesterday. I just bought some coconut oil and some fragrance oil. We went to an outlet store where I tried on 6 pairs of jeans. None of them fit right: too tight, too baggy, too short, waistband too low . . . blah, blah, blah. They were at a great price, too: $9.99 each! Dang I even walked out empty-handed from Goodwill, too. Just not my day, I guess. But, I didn't spend much money.

 

[keljonma]

That's it punkin, look at the bright side - no money spent A lot of times dh and I go to the consignment and thrift shop and he will find 2 or 3 items for $5 and under. I find zipp.... same reasons you listed, except 'too long' instead of too short.

I bet your house smells wonderful with all the soap making you are doing. I was thinking of making soap this winter. DD has been after me for years to start.

 

[Beekissed]

The chocolate almond soap sounds delicious! Well, you know what I mean......

 

[Farmfresh]

In one of my soap recipes I use baker's cocoa as a coloring agent. The soap recipe is divided into thirds and the cocoa is mixed in about 1/3 while the rest remains white. The white soap is then swirled with cocoa colored portion. It makes a beautiful brown and white bar that looks and smells faintly like fudge!

I have had people say they thought they should be eating it instead of washing with it!

 

[FarmerChick]

oh wow I hear you on the jeans.
you sure have to try on alot to find the perfect jeans! and when you have them, you live in them..haha

sounds like you are doing well---that is great!!!

 

[punkin]

In one of my soap recipes I use baker's cocoa as a coloring agent. The soap recipe is divided into thirds and the cocoa is mixed in about 1/3 while the rest remains white. The white soap is then swirled with cocoa colored portion. It makes a beautiful brown and white bar that looks and smells faintly like fudge!

I have had people say they thought they should be eating it instead of washing with it!

That's exactly what I did! Although, I didn't get it to swirl as much in the bottom of the mold. One end is white and the other is maybe swirled a little too much. But, the bars still look great!

 

[punkin]

The chocolate almond soap sounds delicious! Well, you know what I mean......

It smells like an Almond Joy candy bar, which is one of my faves!