How To Deal With Barflies
Now when most people think of barflies they think of a dirty bar. If this is the perception of your bar then people are also going to think of your bar as having dirty glassware, dirty beer lines and flies in your spirit bottles. You don’t want people to think like this because people talk…
Barflies are little tiny 3mm long fruit flies. they prefer to gather around things like spoilt fruits and anywhere where there is a sugar presence, which is most of the bar, but are not fussy. Barfly infestations can be seen mostly when you are opening the bar in the morning where they have all night to feed and breed (the two best things in life, even if you are 3mm long).
All bars have to deal with them on some level. The larvae can only survive in moist decaying habitats, think of the bin lips, the wet cloth you dropped down the back of the station on your first day. Chances are there are a few hot spots within your bar to deal with. Identify them.
What To Do?
Clean, clean, clean
Now you didn’t need me to tell you that but it’s important to mention as barflies only have a 48-hour life cycle. Stopping this cycle is imperative to ridding the little blighters. To make it easier I will highlight the important areas and important procedures.
- Wipe down all your bottles on the back bar and speed rails (build-up of sugar)
- Soda Guns and Holsters (pure, pure sugar)
- The beer taps
- Under any ledges (anywhere where you don’t daily clean)
- If you have cloth or sponges lying around put them in a container and put in fridge (reduces Humidity)
- Mops and Brooms, Leave them off the bar
- Make sure there is no standing water (This is a source of humidity in the air that the flies love)
Make sure all wet areas are dried after cleaning.
If you need a cleaning roster see here
There is no point at all in going after the flies that you can see around you. if they are flying they are going to die in 48 hours. You must go after the breeding ground like in the film Aliens…
Keep your bar clean and destroy all chance of breeding and they should be gone within 3 days. If not comment below and we will help you get to the bottom of the problem.
Post a Comment
Sean
I have cooled beer lines that create condensation on the outsides. Can’t keep them dry at all. Insecticide doesn’t work. Bar is scrubbed & as dry as I can get it. Would flypaper work or would that be a waste of time?
Joel Mitchell
your best bet is to set a few traps (stay on top of the cleaning though as you are, this will stop them in the long run)
But to stop the flys here is what you need to do
Pour just enough cider vinegar to cover the bottom of a jar or a glass.
Add a drop of dish soap (it will break the surface tension of the vinegar so the fruit flies can’t just sit atop the liquid).
Now, cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top.
They will be like lemmings – add two or three of these to discreet areas behind your bar and remember to change them every couple of days
Hope that helps
Kayla
My co-bartenders and I have scrubbed our bar up and down, obviously missing something somewhere. Is there anything I can do to cut down the ones flying around when I open my bar until we do solve it? It’s embarrassing and I hate serving my guests with little flies all around.
Joel Mitchell
Hi Kayla! Thanks for reaching out
your best bet is to set a few traps (stay on top of the cleaning though, this will stop them in the long run)
But to stop the flyers here is what you need to do
Pour just enough cider vinegar to cover the bottom of a jar or a glass.
Add a drop of dish soap (it will break the surface tension of the vinegar so the fruit flies can’t just sit atop the liquid).
Now, cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top.
They will be like lemmings – add two or three of these to discreet areas behind your bar and remember to change them every couple of days
Hope that helps