Annalene asked me to write this article. There are a number of methods to get rid of fruit flies, and all of them are easy and simple to do with no chemicals necessary. I don't have flies problems as much, but will sure come in handy when we go to a summer home.

First we need to know why Fruit Flies and other flies visit homes and cause nuisance. We have to get rid of those situations. Here are some tips how to avoid Fruit Flies:

Once a fruit fly finds its way into your home, it'll find a medium (fermenting fruit) and lay up to 500 eggs which will take about a week to become foraging, breeding adults. Fruit fly infestations seem to happen overnight, here are some tips to prevent it from happening:

Fruit flies get in through windows. Make sure you check all of your windows for cracks in the sealing or tears in your screens. Also, make sure your screen's frames are flush against their fittings.

Fruit flies love dumpsters. If you live next to a dumpster, it would be wise to make sure any entrances or windows facing that area are sealed. Also, get your landlord to make sure the dumpster's lid closes correctly.

Fruit flies feed on garbage. Make sure you don't leave garbage in your garbage can too long. Take your garbage out regularly to ensure that you don't give young fruit flies the chance to mature in your home.

Fruit flies love dirty kitchens. Like the common house fly, fruit flies are attracted to sugars and sweet foods. Make sure any messes from meals cooked in the kitchen are cleaned quickly. Use a water + bleach solution to wipe down counters.

Fruit flies will find your pantry. If you have a pantry where you keep fruits and vegetables that can't be refrigerated, make sure you don't leave produce in there too long. Fruit flies are bound to find it and reproduce quickly.

Fruit flies like moisture. Make sure you keep places clean where food and water are bound to mix. Flush bleach down drains and sinks regularly to make sure flies don't breed in them.

Even after doing the above steps, some may just creep in; here are some natural methods to get rid of the fruit flies and other flies:

With Vinegar:

Fruit flies are tiny little flies that are attracted by the fermentation of over ripe, fruits and vegetables, vinegar, fruit juices and yeasts that you might have sitting on your counter in the kitchen or pantry.

If you wish to make a trap to eliminate these little blighters, simply fill a jar with one of their favorite foods, vinegar.

Insert a paper or metal funnel into the mouth of the baited jar. The flies will fly in through the funnel but will not be able to fly out which will help clear out your kitchen of these little pests.

Ref: Vinegarbook.co.uk

With a Banana:

1. Get a small jar you don't plan on using again (like a baby food jar or something similar) and wash it out well. Make sure it is not a jar with a funky smell such as a used pickle jar or anything that use to have strong spices. You want a clean, odorless jar.

2. Take a chunk of banana and place inside the jar. This is why you want a clean, odorless jar - so that the banana smell won't be overpowered by other not-so-tempting smells. Banana seems to work the best, but you can experiment.

3. Fit a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the jar, making sure that it fits tight and well sealed around the edges. Then take a pen or pencil and poke 4 to 5 holes in the plastic, just big enough for a fruit fly to fit into. Once a fruit fly crawls in, it can't get out. You would think they would just fly back out through the holes, but they won't!

4. Place the jar in an area where you have seen the most fruit flies. Depending on the amount of fruit flies you have, you can expect to start seeing the jar fill up within just a few hours. After 24 hours, you will discover just how bad your fruit fly problem is!

Ref: Ezinearticles.

With Cedar Wood

Cedar Wood is a natural, fresh smelling bug repellant. Sounds strange, doesn't it. Like an Old Wives' Tale? How about an Old Mother's tale... My mother brought home little cedar blocks of wood and said that having them around the house would help get rid of flies. My whole family thought it was time to start looking for a home for her.

But it seems to work. Looking around the internet, you'll see products like Cedar Moth repellant balls and Cedar Fly Repellant blocks. Apparently Cedar has a natural bug repellant in it, which can either kill flies and bugs, or just simply keep them away. And, they can be quite a decoration as well. We tend to put them on a table while eating.

Cedar-Wood-Fly-Repellant-2.jpgPeople have used them in their cupboards for a long time apparently, using them to keep the moths out, and leaving the cupboard smelling forest fresh...

Ref: Homedeco.za

With Bug zappers

Fruit flies like light about as much as moths and houseflies so a portable, inexpensive bug zapper may be the way to go. Try to turn off all of the other lights in the area to eliminate competition from other light sources.

With Fly paper

Fly paper is one of the oldest and ugliest insect traps around. It works poorly for catching fruit flies, too. Stick with the other methods unless you just happen to have some laying around. When deploying fly paper for fruit flies, hanging it near a bright light will increase its effectiveness.

Ref: Howtogetridofstuff.com