What is this type of fly?

[bergkamp]

Hey guys. I'm from London in the United Kingdom. Had a question about some flies that have invaded my house. I thought they were fruit flies and did the whole vinegar in a shallow cup with cling film with holes trick as well as the open shallow cup of apple cidee vinegar with drops of soap but not 1 fly has been caught with the 3 traps of each I have laid out.

I startdd looking online at what other types of flies their may be because wholst looking I'd realised fruit flies have red eyes. These don't seem to have red eyes. They are about 2mm long and very skinny. Don't think they are gnats either because they don't have the long legs that make them look more similar to mosquitos. They aren't drain flies either because I know how those look. So I'm stumped what they could be? They are in the kitchen, the halls and even in the bedrooms and don't seem to be attracted to fruits or anything soecific really.

[bergkamp]

Bump. Anyone have any idea? Thanks.

[marsdenda]

Looks similar to a Drosophilia or vinger fly. Often around if you have any ripening fruit around the house.

Dave

[Adam Cotton]

marsdenda
I guess you mean vinegar fly.


bergkamp,
If you search for 'vinegar fly' you will get many links to trapping or removal methods, perhaps that will help.

Adam.

[bergkamp]

Thanks for the response guys. For some reason they are not attracted to fruits or vinegar. I tried to put those apple cider vinegar with sarran wrap with holes as well as the apple cider vinegar with drops of soap traps but it's been days and not caught a single one.

After a few days I tried seeing if they were attracted to fruits or salads so left a cut ripe apple on a table around where they are flying and not a single one landed on it. I observed it for about 30 mins then left. Came back and they were still not on the apple.

They fly around in the mornings and then then in the afternoon they land on the walls and don't move as if they're asleep. Like 100s of them. Looks like they are preparing for war or something.

[bergkamp]

They aren't fruit or vinegar flies guys. Tried everything. Hid all food, put out vinegar with soap mixture, vinegar alone, vinegar and soap with sarran wrap with holes, vinegar alone with sarran wrap with holes, vinegar in a cup with a paper funnel, even a half eaten apple in a cup with a paper funnel. These have been out for the last week and no bites. The various vinegar as well as the vinegar and soap combos have not attracted even one fly. Not one.

I'm at my wits end trying to figure it out. They are everywhere in the house now. I even bought some Raid and emptied a whole 300ml can in the kitchen and adjoining room and kept the doors and windos closed for a couple hours but when I went back in a few hours later to check there were still some there.

[tv]

They do have a lot of the characteristics that I associate with drosophilidae, with the wings folded over and the relative eye/body ratio. Could it be that it's just a fungus loving species or something that doesn't have the attraction to fruit/vinegar?

Do you live in a house with a crawl space? I lived in a place in college that had cinderblock walls and the floor didn't seal against the wall. So when the flies got into the crawl space under the house, they could then walk right up the wall into the house. If it's getting cooler in your area, it could be the flies are looking for a warm place.

[bergkamp]

Hey, thanks for the response. It's definitely getting colder. Not sure what the reasoning for this invasion is to be honest. We've lived in the same house since 2007 and never seen anything like this.

They have swarmed the kitchen and the adjoining room and on the walls there are like hundreds.

Theyve also reached the rest of the house and are on the walls and ceilings. They actually look like an army just waiting to attack. Parts of the wall look like its been painted like a dalmation with mini spots everywhere.

The day before yesterday I sprayed the kitchen and adjoining room and emptied another can or raid spray in there with the doors and windows sealed yet the next morning they were everywhere again.

Edit: By the way no crawl space. In the UK we don't really have spaces under houses at all. Our houses are built withiut being raised from the ground.