Fruit fly infestation is driving me bananas - Hayley Matthews

I don't know how many people I've heard complaining about a fruit fly infestation recently and we're no exception. First I noticed a few near an old banana but now they're everywhere - help!

So as Ive taken it upon myself to tackle the nations fruit fly problems, I thought it best to share the following advice. If you don’t store your food properly then you're asking for trouble in the form of an infestation.

As much as I like to be all "Jamie Oliver" and have all my fruit and veg in a big basket - we've to keep fruits and vegetables refrigerated, which also slows down their ripening and wash them first - always.

I then looked at how to move them on. I don't like killing anything but in general flies are manky wee things, and like to nest in unsanitary places. You know the spots; animal feces, clogged drains, compost piles, sewages, and the favourite - garbage bins.

Mr Hayley thinks the bin strikes have done it but I think it's been the bananas and hot weather. So as we filled a jar with vinegar and lemon juice (as recommended by the internet), we waited, but nothing. I think they'd been reading the same internet advice as we had because they all just sat around the jar, not going in to the mixture and when I tried to cover it they all scooted off!

I nearly gave up all hope and accepted my new visitors as long term lodgers until I saw them all swirling in a bottle of half opened red wine. Wine! So in true Scottish style, the one thing to catch your fruit flies with is alcohol, or they may prefer a bottle of strawberry MD 20/20!