3 Ingenious Fruit Fly Traps You Haven't Already Tried

zondag 15 september 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Adriana Velez 7 hours ago

We had a fruit fly invasion this week at the office. And it was maddening. One Stir staffer spent the day with a squirt bottle of soapy water, shooting it every time anything flew near her. No doubt about it, those little bugs are annoying. How do you get rid of them -- without setting off a toxic bomb of bug spray everywhere?

There's that trick of putting vinegar or something sweet in a jar and covering it with punctured plastic wrap, but that didn't do the trick for me last time I got an invasion. So I'm looking for other non-toxic, DIY fruit fly traps. 

Soda Bottle Trap

Take an empty, two-liter soda bottle and cut off the top third.Fill the bottle with a 1/4 inch of juice, wine, tequila, or apple cider, and squirt in a little liquid soap. The liquid soap is supposed to create surface tension so the fruit flies don't just hang out on the surface of the juice, but actually drown in it.Invert the top of the soda bottle upside-down and set that in the bottle. Seal the two parts together with duct tape.Enjoy as your fruit flies fly in and fail to escape.

Alternatively, you can curl a piece of paper into a funnel and insert that, point down, instead of the inverted bottle top.

Incense

Fruit flies can't handle the smoke. Rather than set your kitchen on fire (in a fury, we understand...) light some incense -- a handful of sticks, maybe more than you'd ordinarily use at once.

Milk and Sugar

1. Combine 1 pint of milk, 1/4 pound of sugar, and 2 ounces ground pepper in a saucepan. Simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Pour liquid into small, shallow bowls in affected areas. Collect bowls after fruit flies fall in and drown.

Destroy Breeding Grounds

Once you've killed off the fruit flies you could see, clean areas where they were breeding with bleach (your fruit bowl, for instance). Fruit flies often breed inside drains and garbage disposals, so pour some bleach down the sink as well.

How do you kill off fruit flies?

Image via John Tann/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

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6 Reasons Not to Worry If You Haven’t Found Your Soul Mate

vrijdag 16 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Kiri Blakeley 16 hours ago

Do you believe in soul mates? It's easy to get caught up in the idea of the ideal "soul mate." Someone who is absolutely perfect for you in every way, who is wandering around out there, just waiting for that magical moment when the two of you will instantly merge into one and everything from that moment on will be loving, sparkly, and free from any kind of real world distress. You two will immediately recognize each other as "soul mates," and live happily ever after. Hey, we've been brought up on this idea since we were kids and had it jammed down our throats with a million romcoms. But the older we get, the less we might believe in this fairytale. One married woman has written about how she doesn't believe in "soul mates." And, hey, that's okay. Here's six reasons why it's fine if you haven't found your soul mate.

1. It might stop you from finding someone to love. Depending on what your idea of a "soul mate" is, you could actually be missing out on a lot of love. Maybe he's the friend you share good times with but who doesn't fit your ideal. Maybe he's the guy you've been dating forever, but who has -- gasp! -- some flaws. It's time to take your head out of the storybooks and look around at the real men in your life.

2. There's no such thing. The idea that there is just one person out of the billions on the planet for you is insane. If you've found someone who is your "soul mate," that's great. But what were the odds that he happened to come across your path? Not very good. Your soul mate is what you make of him.

3. It's unrealistic. The idea that anyone can fulfill every single wish, hope, and dream you have; who can be everything you want on an emotional, physical, and mental level -- well, that's just a tad unrealistic. Better to look for people who suit you on many levels and whom you can work with to make the relationship better and stronger. And whose flaws are at least forgiveable if not adorable.

4. Your soul mate might be bad for you. Often when we feel connected to someone in some deep, mysterious way we can't explain it's because that person is hitting some very powerful but subconscious buttons. That could mean that we feel compelled to act out childhood traumas with that person. In other words, our soul mate might not be the healthiest choice for us. It can be better to be with someone who makes us feel loved and safe rather than constantly excited and tingly.

5. Soul mates can keep you trapped. If you're convinced someone is your soul mate and the relationship isn't good or healthy, you could be reluctant to move on because you tell yourself you can't leave your "soul mate." Never mind that your soulmate has all kinds of difficult issues.

6. Soul mates change. The person you might have thought of as your soulmate at 16 might be very different from the soul mate you'd want at 40.

If you feel you've found your soul mate and are happy, then that's awesome for you. But it's not a broad, sweeping generalization that should be applied to the romantic world. There's a saying: Happiness is wanting what you have. So if you're not with your "soul mate" but are with an awesome guy, then think of him as your soul mate!

Do you believe in soul mates?

Image via Denise Mayumi/Flickr

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Farrah Abraham Recording a New Song?!! -- But We Still Haven’t Recovered From Her First One!

donderdag 1 augustus 2013

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota
by Adriana Velez 1 hour ago

Prepare ye for the End of Days! Or at least prepare to cover your ears. Farrah Abraham is back in the studio and may be recording another song. Yesterday Farrah tweeted, "In the studio :))))))" Dear God, does she mean recording studio, as in singing another song that will make our ears bleed? Or does she mean studio where she'll film another "sex tape"? Because honestly, I've heard her sing, and I've seen her porn, and I'm not sure which was more traumatizing. No, actually I do: It was the singing.

Can we talk Farrah out of this? Is it too late? Can someone find out where this studio is so we can cut off its power supply?

It may actually be too late. That tweet was from yesterday, and how long could it possibly take for her to record the world's most painful music, anyway? Not long at all, guessing from her last effort. In case you missed it, or your hypnotherapy successfully erased the song from your memory, here's Farrah's musical debut, "Finally Getting Up From Rock Bottom."

WHAT AM I DOING? No, don't play that. Oh God, the autotune abuse alone ... Saaaaave yourselves. The horror.

Maybe it's enough if I just remind you of the lyrics: "Dude (ahhh) Dude (ahhh) Dude (ahhh) / Myself out of my own frame / Sick and fight, dreamin' up / Doesn't deserve my thing / No boy, I am always have / It just takes time ..." Actually, I can't understand a word she's singing. And now I have to go see my hypnotherapist again, dammit. Maybe I should sue Farrah Abraham for pain and suffering plus damages. Again. SIGH.

No, I cannot blame Farrah this time. I take responsibility for my own bleeding ears. When her new song comes out (if she releases it), I can resist hate-listening to it. Oh I'll be tempted! I'll want to hate-listen and then blog about it. But I! Can! Resist! So can you. Friends don't let friends listen to Farrah sing. That is all.

Would you listen to another Farrah Abraham song?

Image via F1Abraham/Twitter

Click "Like" for the latest on the Teen Moms. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

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