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I have 2 questions

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posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 08:38 AM
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a reply to: aboutface

Most grocery stores are very well air conditioned, AND feature heavy grade refrigerators, which keep the produce very cool so as to prolong its shelf life. Many flies when coming into contact with such an atmosphere, simply either leave that location, or find some place to fall asleep, in my experience at least.

You also have to remember that many grocery stores feature commercial grade bug zapper equipment, hanging over doorways, and in areas where flies might congregate. Between the wall mounted zappers, and the cooler temperatures within such stores, it is little wonder that flies are not as invasive in such locales, as they are in other places.



posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 08:46 AM
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a reply to: TrueBrit

That is a pretty good answer!
A lot of that will stop the bugs.

I've worked grocery for many years before doing what I am doing now, and a lot of the reason for no fruit flies in produce and fruit has to do with the temps they are kept at while in storage, and a cool grocery store with good AC units. Also if you have a good produce guy, he will be taking care of the produce behind the scenes so that it will always look good . That includes taking layers off of lettuces and rebagging them, removing bruised or damaged fruit (which WILL create a fruit fly problem if not taken care of, so they have to make sure it all stays in good shape) and in some stores, they have a water sprayer system that sprays the produce so that it stays fresh and keeps the bugs away. (no, they don't use pesticides in the sprayers)

People will notice after they go home with a bunch of bananas that often after about 1 to 2 days, they will see a fruit fly.. and then 2...and then 3....

Bananas are usually the source. The fruit flies are there, or at least the eggs are, and once they hit a certain temp, they pop up out of no where.



posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 09:44 AM
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a reply to: TrueBrit

Nope, the fruit displays are out in the open, no cooling or zappers (I've never seen one in a store) to be seen, in our local stores anyway. There are the mist sprayers for the produce section for sure.



posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 09:55 AM
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a reply to: aboutface

Nice rant!!

My question is why does my produce only last a few days now when it use to last over a week?! I just bought some banana's and within 3 days they were almost black! I did nothing different in how I store them, the temp inside my apt stays the same. They were yellow with a hint of green in some areas when I bought them.

I also stopped buying bags of produce like onions and red potatoes because they were going bad within a week where previously I could store them for up to a month in the pantry!! I also stopped buying bagged apples including organic ones, why? Because half that bag is always BAD! They look great on the outside yet when I cut them open only days later to make snacks for my son half of them are black inside.

I wish I could grow all my own produce but I live in an apt and well that isn't going to happen. I do grow my own herbs and get what fresh produce I can from my moms garden. I am just tired of grocery stores selling me crap that doesn't last.


Funny thing is when I buy from the farmers market or get it from my mom it lasts for a couple weeks! It really makes me wonder HOW LONG that stuff has been sitting before it makes it to the stores!



posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 10:07 AM
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a reply to: aboutface

I would be very surprised if the store has no bug zappers. I think for some countries it is a regulatory requirement that stores take certain measures against pests for public health reasons. Remember, the industrial zappers attract flies that enter a building toward them from great distance, so it would not have to be right near the produce you are talking about.



posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 11:36 AM
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a reply to: aboutface
I dont know why, but i really does!
maybe they dont like shiny stuff ... a friend saw it on face#*%k a while back



posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 12:31 PM
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a reply to: TrueBrit

You have most definitely piqued my curiosity, Sir. On my next trip out I will make a point of finding out about these zappers. Who knows what I will find, eh? I might even take a couple of photos. Of course if anyone has some photos of these grocery store zappers, feel free to add them to the thread.




posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 12:36 PM
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a reply to: countingdown

Okay, you have caused me to experiment. I will do this at once and report to this thread what changes I observe, although they would have to be inside before spotting the coins. However doubtful I may be, consider it under way




posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 01:27 PM
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a reply to: aboutface
I hate flies too



posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 01:31 PM
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wife just discovered that spay glass cleaner kills em dead
She's using Mister something (we're in the UK) I dont know if you have that where you are,
but there's no ingredients (must be dangerous)
edit on 18-7-2014 by countingdown because: dont want to be seen as advertising



posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 01:47 PM
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I remember a story that they use somekind of "buzzer"... a low frequency sound emitted from something similar to neon lights which is unpleasant to the bugs.

The U.K. actually used similar devices to try and stop youngsters hanging about outside after hours.

I will see if I can find an old link to add.

Linky Poo

Best I could find for now.
edit on Jul492531America/ChicagoFri, 18 Jul 2014 13:49:25 -0500_8254931 by Mister_Bit because: Added a linky poo



posted on Jul, 18 2014 @ 03:16 PM
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I'm pretty sure larger commercial stores have various pest-control measures on a set schedule throughout the year both inside and outside the building to minimize any pest problems. I worked at Target and the only place I ever saw a problem was around the shelf set aside for donations--and a fruit fly trap pretty much took care of that right away. There was a good amount of food-safety regulations to follow and reporting procedures to follow should you see anything of concern. And I didn't even work at a store with a full grocery department--the guidelines in a Super Target are even more.



posted on Jul, 19 2014 @ 11:48 PM
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it could be the way stores are pressurized. I may be wrong but I seem to recall as I enter a lot of stores I feel a blast of air hit me as I walk in. maybe they make it so it's too powerful for a fly to enter against that current of air. I don't know just a thought I had.



posted on Jul, 19 2014 @ 11:56 PM
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a reply to: aboutface

I've heard of the sandwich bag full of water but never heard of adding coins... Apparently they see their reflection enlarged in the water bag and they think that it's a larger insect, a predator perhaps, ready to eat them up, so they run off scared.

Not sure if it helps for fruit flies though as a member mentioned they lie dormant in their eggs until the right conditions then spring to life as if out of nowhere... It's supposed to work for the common house fly though.



posted on Jul, 20 2014 @ 11:14 AM
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a reply to: 3n19m470

Ah, the shiny coins would act like a mirror and the water enlarges the image? That would make sense sort of. Thanks a lot for your input.


edit on 20-7-2014 by aboutface because: (no reason given)



posted on Jul, 24 2014 @ 04:25 PM
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LADA! Answer found!

I went to the grocery store again today and asked. They contract out to a maintenance company who come on a regular basis to empty the traps. There are no zappers at all, no deliberate air blasts to discourage flies and insects. Instead there are strategically placed high UV lights to attract the bugs and fruit flies, house flies and insects. They are found near fresh food displays and at entrances. One example is illustrated below. The flies and insects are attracted to the light and once there, are trapped on a sort of gluey board which is regularly changed and the light housing cleaned for debris. Simple, unobtrusive, and Voilà the commercial flytrap sold to restaurants and grocery stores. I hope some of you still see this, as by now this thread must be buried deep inside ATS to the level of middle earth or thereabouts, LOL.
Here is one type:




posted on Aug, 26 2021 @ 08:13 AM
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a reply to: aboutface

I haven't researched this, but my take is this..

When fruit flies lay eggs or whatever it is they do into those fruit, those eggs take some time and temperature to hatch.

They're in some kind of 'dormant form' when they're in the store, so obviously you don't see them (yet). When you take them home, they have time to hatch and 'wake up', and thus, start bothering you. I don't think they would read your sign, so that's a useless solution.

What I do is keep the fruit in an airtight containment unit until it's time to eat the fruit, so any fruit flies can't either breathe or at least can't get out until I start eating them. Then if I see flying fruit flies (or banana flies), I'll just use a combination of vacuum cleaner, water bottle with an adjustable 'squirter' system where I can create a 'big cloud of watery mist' all around them little buggers, so they can't fly (how ironic considering their name), and keeping my kitchen as clean and the surfaces and accessible places as food-free as possible, and take away 'bio trash' as quickly as possible.

Even with these methods, they sometimes bug me, but I just wrote here to give my theory about why you don't (yet) see them in the supermarkets (although I see them there, too, from time to time), but you see them in your home.

It could also be a ploy to get people to eat unhealthier desserts, like synthetic food - chocolate bars, factory-manufactured cookies and such.







 
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