# Need advice about fruit flies



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I would check for small hive beetles or fermented honey...


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## SmilenEz (Apr 24, 2013)

Michael Bush said:


> I would check for small hive beetles or fermented honey...


Thank you Michael, so you think I should go into the hive? I understood that we wernt supposed to disturb the hive during the winter months while they are in their cluster. How does honey ferment? Haha I can google that.


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## Rusty Hills Farm (Mar 24, 2010)

Isn't Prunedale in Monterrey County? That would make it about zone 8 or so. If that is where you are, you'll need to pay closer attention to your hives all year 'round so that SHBs and mites don't get ahead of you. SHB infestations can cause honey to ferment and that would indeed attract fruit flies. 

HTH

Rusty


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Thank you Michael, so you think I should go into the hive? I understood that we wernt supposed to disturb the hive during the winter months while they are in their cluster.

If fruit flies are flying they are not in their cluster.

>How does honey ferment?

Honey is sugar. The only thing that stops it from fermenting is the low water content (high sugar content). If the honey absorbs too much moisture it will ferment. Honey is very hydrophilic (likes water) so it will absorb moisture from the air. Small hive beetle not only cause the water content to rise, they inoculate the honey with yeast and make a foaming slimy mess of things...

It is the smell of fermentation that attracts fruit flies.


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## SmilenEz (Apr 24, 2013)

Rusty Hills Farm said:


> Isn't Prunedale in Monterrey County? That would make it about zone 8 or so. If that is where you are, you'll need to pay closer attention to your hives all year 'round so that SHBs and mites don't get ahead of you. SHB infestations can cause honey to ferment and that would indeed attract fruit flies.
> 
> HTH
> 
> Rusty


Yes thats correct, Monterery county. It has been down into the low 20's as a low and low 40's as a high. This weekend it will be upper 60's low 70's so I will go in there and see what I can find. How do I get rid of them, just replace all the frames. Then torch the corroted frames?


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## Rusty Hills Farm (Mar 24, 2010)

I use screened bottom boards with oil traps beneath the screen. Makes a world of difference! Before I discovered the oil traps, I had 2 hives slimed by SHBs and lost both hives. I was so disgusted by the mess they made that I burned the frames, bleached the boxes and then repainted them. Lots of folks don't get that extreme. They clean up the frames and reuse them. I did try that on one hive that had damage on only a few frames but my bees wouldn't reuse them, so I scrapped them and gave the hive replacement frames.

Good luck with your cleanup!

Rusty


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