fruit flys in sprouting grains

[cr@zy(hickenl@dy?]

I have been sprouting barley for a little over a month now. I do a 8 day cycle the first day it soaks and it sprouts the other 7 days. I've noticed that some fruit flus have taken up residence amongst my pans over the past week. At first it was one or two now there are a good 20. Has anyone experienced this and or have any advice on getting rid of them?
I've attached a couple pics of my set up in case anyone is interested. It's a $50 shelf unit I got on sale and drilled holes in all but the purple trays. Those I use as the soaker pan (resting the hole pan inside with the grain) and a drip pan for the excess watering.

 

[lazy gardener]

Lovely set up. They do make pheromone traps for fruit flies. Those might help. I was talking about fruit flies with some friends yesterday, and some one suggested putting out a bowl of ACV with some sugar in it. cover that with a piece of saran wrap, and poke some holes in it. The fruit flies enter, but can't get back out, and eventually drown. Worth a try.

 

[Labradors]

I don't know about sprouting grains, but I ripen my tomatoes on the counter top. If I spot fruit flies, it normally means that one of the tomatoes has a little mold in it. I would inspect your trays for mold!

Fruit flies also bother my little containers of fermenting tomato seeds. I now cover those with plastic wrap.

I bought some bags made of very fine mesh so that I could keep my tomatoes safe from the fruit flies and that works when I remember to use them.

 

[lazy gardener]

How long do you ferment your tomato seeds, and do you rinse them? The last batch I fermented smelled not so good when I rinsed and dried them.

 

[BirdsAndTheBees]

Put a drop of dish soap into the acv. It breaks the surface tension of the liquid and you catch more flys.

 

[lazy gardener]

TY.

 

[cr@zy(hickenl@dy?]

I've tried the ACV thing years ago for a different fruit fly issue and I didn't find it that great. I didn't have sugar in it however maybe that's the trick. Maybe I'll try that along with the dish soap idea

 

[cr@zy(hickenl@dy?]

I don't know about sprouting grains, but I ripen my tomatoes on the counter top. If I spot fruit flies, it normally means that one of the tomatoes has a little mold in it. I would inspect your trays for mold!

No mold. I've checked and rechecked that.
I was understanding that it's not the mold that attracts the fly s to the fruit. It's the fly s that cause/start the mold possess and speed it along. I'm sure I read that somewhere years ago. I believed it since I've seen them on green bananas and brand new apples.
I'm for sure gona keep an eye out for it though. Thanks

 

[lazy gardener]

Agreed with above. When they lay their eggs, I believe they actually pierce the skin of the fruit.

 

[Labradors]

Lazy, I ferment the tomato seeds until a mold mat forms (4 or 5 days in warm weather), then I scrape off the mat, pour the seeds into a strainer and flush well with lots of water. I tip them out onto a plate, separate them with the point of a knife and leave them to dry on a sunny windowsill.

Linda