How to Get Rid of Gnats for Good, According to an Entomologist
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Pour wine that’s past its prime into a small dish; add a couple of drops of dish soap. Gnats will flock to the “open bar” and get stuck in the mire. Both of these companies will implement a customized treatment plan for your home and educate you on ways to prevent a future infestation.
Wine Traps
Most modern zappers are safe for indoor use, so you can plug one in adjacent to your gnat problem. Gnats and many of their lookalikes are attracted to rotting organic materials. Whether they’re hovering by the hundreds around your fruit bowl, clouding your vegetable garden, or swarming your face—attracted to moisture and salt—gnats are unwelcome visitors. Fortunately, there are numerous remedies available to rid your home and yard of gnats. If the gnats are infesting your houseplants, you can either purchase a mild insecticidal spray or make one yourself. Fill an empty spray bottle with lukewarm water and mix in a few drops of mild dish soap.
Where do fruit flies come from? They don't just 'magically appear.' - USA TODAY
Where do fruit flies come from? They don't just 'magically appear.'.
Posted: Thu, 20 Jul 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Bleach Drains
If gnats have laid eggs on damp clothes, there is a chance that larvae (maggots) will hatch within a few days or weeks. As such, it is helpful to regularly flush out drains (especially if they have a garbage disposal) to stop gnats from living in your plugholes, he says. Peppermint oil is a great natural pest control option, especially when made into a bug spray with water and a few drops of liquid dish soap. From getting rid of mice to getting rid of cockroaches, peppermint has the wonderful ability to deter pests from entering your home and bothering you in the first place. If none of these solutions seem to be working and the gnats keep returning, it may be time to call in a professional. A pest control company can help you tackle a serious or persistent infestation.
How to Prevent Gnats in the Future
Before we introduce you to the home remedies for gnats, you’ll want to know how the pests got inside in the first place and where they come from. We already mentioned houseplants, above, in relation to the moisture that brings gnats to a house. The specific type that indoor plants can encourage are fungus gnats.
Take a ripe banana (overripe is better) and place a few of its pieces in a wide bowl. Pierce some holes into the plastic wrap with a pen and leave it near the gnats. The banana attracts the gnats inside the bowl through the holes, however, gnats won’t be able to get out of the bowl. Eventually they will die and you and your house will be free. This might be hard for some greenthumbs, but skip watering those plants.
It doesn’t help that gnats breed frequently, so they will always come back if not dealt with immediately. Just get rid of it — whether it’s moldy fruit on the counter or food that has built up in your garbage disposal. Leftover food will attract gnats and create all kinds of unwanted smells in your kitchen. On the same note, throw out your garbage, and until you do, make sure it stays in a sealed container.
You may have unknowingly brought home a plant from a garden center that was infested with gnats—or brought freshly picked produce infested with gnats indoors. Fruit flies, drain flies, and fungus gnats tend to be the most common household pests. You can often tell which species you’re dealing with by where you find them and how they behave. Once indoors, gnats often infest trash cans, rotten fruit, and other moist places where decomposing organic matter exists. They can also be found near sinks, drains, and toilets, since they can reproduce in the grime inside pipes. One of the most effective methods for controlling and getting rid of gnats is by using a bug zapper.
Drain flies are a type of fly typically found in places with stagnant water like drains, sewers, and septic tanks. They stand out from fruit flies and fungus gnats due to their larger wings and furry body, which resembles a moth’s body. Mix a solution of half a cup of warm water, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of sugar, and about six drops of liquid dish soap into a small bowl.
Clear food spillages, throw overripe fruits and stale food items. Use a lid to cover the garbage tin and dispose garbage on a regular basis. Put wire mesh screens on doors and windows to prevent entry of gnats. The quickest way to get rid of gnats is to use a bug zapper or collection device that attracts the bugs, kills them and collects them in a removable canister.
The larvae are about a quarter of an inch long and have a dark head. The larvae are the biggest problem for people because they can feed on plant roots if their preferred food of algae and fungus runs out. Gnats are primarily attracted to sweet and fruity scents, but many species of gnats are also drawn to water and body heat.
Adult female gnats can lay up to 300 eggs in their short, 10-day lifespan. When getting rid of gnats, you may have to treat the problem both inside and outside your home. The best way to get rid of gnats is to find a combination of insecticide solutions and natural methods that deal with different types of gnat infestations. Catching gnats in your house can be done by building a trap with dish soap, apple cider vinegar and sugar.
These tricks and tips will help homeowners learn how to get rid of gnats the next time these pests pop up. Eliminating troublesome gnat infestations starts with identifying gnats vs. fruit flies. Although gnats are difficult to control, a combination of store-bought treatments, DIY solutions and preventative actions can work in both your home and your garden. Whichever methods you choose, you can find the supplies you need to get rid of gnats using The Home Depot Mobile App.
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