What is the fruit-fly like fly that inhabits my brew area?

[Earendil]

I say "fruit fly like" because the buggers don't actually go after fruit. I've tried fighting them the normal way by luring them, but they seem to only be interested in beer. I'm mostly curious what these things are, but if anyone has seen these suckers before and knows what they like more than beer, let me know!

The order of things they are attracted to the most:

RIS > Any Home Brew > Store beer > Apple Cider Vinegar > Kitchen Window > random surface > fruit (apples, pears, bananas).

I live in Washington State for what it's worth, so I'm quite familiar with the normal kind of fruit flies, and in fact fought them for a week at the end of summer. But these suckers are aggressive, and will dive bomb a beer within minutes. They are as quick to follow and find beer as yellow jackets are meet in the heat of summer.

Maybe I've managed to breed a mutant strain?

 

[TheMadKing]

I live in WA too and I get them too.

Mix 2 parts red wine or apple cider vinegar with 1 part water and a small dollup of dish soap and stir it. Put out 3-4 of those near your problem areas.

They seem to come from my potted plants too btw.

It drops em like... Flies

 

[kh54s10]

They sound like fruit flies to me. Maybe there are different species. What you describe sounds like what I get here in RI.

 

[Ike]

Drain flies?

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=drain+fly

 

[Malted_hops]

They seem to come from my potted plants too btw.

If they are coming from your plants, they are fungus gnats. They live in the soil of your plants. Use Neem Oil to get rid of them, Home Depot/ Lowes should have it. Add it to the water you are watering your plants with. It will take about 2 to 3 weeks to kill them all. There are other faster acting poisons, but Neem oil is least toxic to you. To prevent re-infestations, quit over-watering your plants.

 

[TheMadKing]

If they are coming from your plants, they are fungus gnats. They live in the soil of your plants. Use Neem Oil to get rid of them, Home Depot/ Lowes should have it. Add it to the water you are watering your plants with. It will take about 2 to 3 weeks to kill them all. There are other faster acting poisons, but Neem oil is least toxic to you. To prevent re-infestations, quit over-watering your plants.

lol you're funny.

My plants are poor desperate creatures that are constantly on the cusp of death due to my lack of watering. But I will definitely try that, thank you!

 

[PlexVector]

I live in WA too and I get them too.

Mix 2 parts red wine or apple cider vinegar with 1 part water and a small dollup of dish soap and stir it. Put out 3-4 of those near your problem areas.

They seem to come from my potted plants too btw.

It drops em like... Flies

If they are coming from your plants, they are fungus gnats. They live in the soil of your plants. Use Neem Oil to get rid of them, Home Depot/ Lowes should have it. Add it to the water you are watering your plants with. It will take about 2 to 3 weeks to kill them all. There are other faster acting poisons, but Neem oil is least toxic to you. To prevent re-infestations, quit over-watering your plants.

lol you're funny.

My plants are poor desperate creatures that are constantly on the cusp of death due to my lack of watering. But I will definitely try that, thank you!

Well then that explains it: The little buggers are thirsty as hell! Maybe water the plants more and they wont bother your beer...

 

[m00ps]

I made a thread on this. Made some apple cider / vinegar / fresh wort traps
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=556131

 

[stella_tigre]

I've got a whole mini ecosystem in my kitchen window where the outdoor herbs are overwintering. Fungus gnats are not the problem they were last year, but maybe the tiny spiderlings have eaten them. I had a hatching of tiny (2mm) grasshoppers which seem to have all died or gotten et, several similarly tiny wasp looking critters.

Agree about fruit flies, I take a jar, fill with watered down cider vineger or wine dregs, and put plastic wrap over the top with a hole in it. Hopefully they find the way in but not out. Edit - oh yes and a drop of soap.

 

[PlexVector]

I've got a whole mini ecosystem in my kitchen window where the outdoor herbs are overwintering. Fungus gnats are not the problem they were last year, but maybe the tiny spiderlings have eaten them. I had a hatching of tiny (2mm) grasshoppers which seem to have all died or gotten et, several similarly tiny wasp looking critters.

Agree about fruit flies, I take a jar, fill with watered down cider vineger or wine dregs, and put plastic wrap over the top with a hole in it. Hopefully they find the way in but not out. Edit - oh yes and a drop of soap.

Die clean I always say...

 

[BlueHouseBrewhaus]

Regardless of how you treat them, do NOT let them get into your brew any time after it is cool. Fruit flies carry acetobacter. I lost two batches to aceto infections last year before I figured out it was the fruit flies. I now keep a towel over my fermenter and bottling bucket during bottling as well as keeping a few bowls of vinegar around the kitchen.