Old fruit fly traps

[Arne]

Yesterday was building some new shelves down in the basement. While pitching the excess junk out of the way I stumbled across last years fruit fly traps. One was all dried up with disgusting looking gunk in the bottom. The other still had liquid in it. Dumped it in the sink, lottsa fruit flys and a strong vinegar smell. My question is do I have the vinegar bacteria or whatever it is floating around in my winemaking cellar now? Will my wines be more likely to become vinegar? My traps were just real lemon bottles cut in half with some of whatever batch I was fermenting at the time. At least it helped get rid of some of the fruit flys. Arne.

 

[joea132]

Fruit flies themselves carry the vinegar bacteria. So realistically we all have that flying around our cellars. The thing to remember is it can't destroy your wine without oxygen. So adequately sulfite and stay topped up and you'll have nothing to worry about.

 

[Arne]

Thanks, Joe. Didn't realize the little buggers carried the finegar starter. Have a little trouble with keeping things topped up, but do a pretty good job with the sulfites. Dang wine gremlins always stealing a taste or more out of my carboys. Arne.

 

[TonyP]

I found fruit flies to be more accurate than a hydrometer: first fruit fly, rack to secondary; second fruit fly, stabilize and clarify; third fruit fly, bottle. Anyone getting a fourth fruit fly should serve their wine with a fork and knife.

 

[Arne]

LOL, Tony. Hopefully won't have to worry about them for a while. It was late summer before they showed up at my place. Think it was probably due to some garden produce being left on the counter for a bit too long. Once you get the first one tho, seems like you get a bunch. That is what started the trap making. I will be better about getting rid of them this year. They just sit there and guess I kinda forgot about them although they are in the open. Live and learn. Arne.