How to Get Rid of Gnats or Fruit Fly Pests Without Chemicals

Move garbage cans outside, and keep them covered with tight-fitting lids. Fruit flies breed in damp, secluded environments and thrive in dirty garbage cans. It may be an inconvenience to walk outside to throw away garbage, but it will reduce the number of gnats and fruit flies in your house.

Clean your kitchen every day. While this may seem like a common-sense part of your routine, fruit flies can breed in even the smallest bits of liquid. Wipe up any spills immediately, and keep your fruit in containers with plenty of ventilation to minimize spawning locations.

Rinse beverage cans and juice bottles with water before throwing them in the garbage. Fruit flies are attracted to the sweet residue left in the bottom of cans and bottles, and rinsing them thoroughly cuts back on the occurrence of these pesky insects.

Spray your sink and counters with white vinegar. Coat the surfaces in a thin layer of vinegar, and allow it to air-dry. Vinegar is a natural sanitizer that eliminates food residue that may draw in fruit flies and gnats.

Pour 2 tbsp. of sweet wine into a saucer, and add three or four drops of liquid dish soap. Fill the saucer with water, and stir gently to produce a foamy lather. Fruit flies and gnats will be attracted to the smell of the sweet wine and will become trapped in the bubbles and drown before they can escape.

Place a peeled banana in a small bowl, and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Poke five evenly-spaced holes through the plastic wrap with a toothpick, and place the bowl in the area where you most often see fruit flies. The small insects have a very strong sense of smell, and the sweet scent of the banana will entice them to fly through the holes in the plastic, where they will become trapped and die. Replace the banana twice a week, or when the bowl fills with flies.