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Gnats enter your home from the outdoors and can find their way through pretty much any crack. They are attracted to moisture, which is why you’ll likely find them in the bathroom sink or drain, and to fruit, especially if it’s gone bad. If you have extra time a final type of trap can be made by turning off the lights, lighting a candle and placing the candlestick in a container of water. The gnats will be attracted to the flame like moths and then drown in the water. For very bad outdoor infestations around your deck or patio, consider buying an insect fogger. These foggers are designed to disperse light clouds of pesticides to kill small pests like gnats and mosquitoes.
Get Rid of Gnats with a Candle
If you're looking for an indoor option, consider peppermint essential oil. Sarah is a freelance journalist and editor writing for websites, national newspapers, and magazines. It's no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house revamper. For Realhomes.com, Sarah reviews coffee machines and vacuum cleaners, taking them through their paces at home to give us an honest, real life review and comparison of every model. You could, of course, opt for a citronella-scented candle also to help keep gnats away, especially on a patio.
8 Insects That May Be The Small Black Flying Bugs in Your House (That Aren’t Fruit Flies)
Home remedies for getting rid of gnats can be used for both indoor and outdoor infestations, as well as alongside other gnat treatment options. With warm weather comes a noticeable increase in gnat activity, both inside and outside the home. Fortunately, learning how to get rid of gnats is a simple task that requires just a few supplies. Use this guide to learn how to get rid of gnats in your house, in your garden and in your house plants. Traps can also be made out of red wine and dish soap, or rotting fruit. For the fruit Forbes advises to mash it up and place it in a container with plastic wrap over the top.
How To Get Rid of Gnats
Aerosol sprays with pyrethrins are very effective at killing adult gnats, Schutter says. If the flies won’t leave you alone, this clever trick using a bar of soap can put a stop to them. To be sure your outdoor spaces are free of pesky pests, check out clever products that keep bugs away. These non toxic fly catcher strips will trap an array of flying insects to keep your home bug free. Invest in an insecticidal spray that's safe for indoor use, like the Zevo Fly, Gnat & Fruit Fly Flying Insect Spray (which also happens to be a GH Seal holder).
What is the fastest way to get rid of gnats?
In many cases, it is best to discard the infested soil and replace it with a new, fresh sterile potting mix. There are different methods—albeit time-consuming methods—of sterilizing potting soil. For these methods to work, you should remove the plant from the container, rinse all soil from the roots, and submerge the entire plant in soapy water.
Luckily, there are some things you can do to help get rid of gnats quickly to prevent a future infestation. From setting sticky traps to apple cider vinegar solution, here’s how to get rid of gnats inside the home, and banish them once and for all. Gnats and many of their lookalikes are attracted to rotting organic materials. Gnats are attracted to sweet scents, moisture, garbage, houseplants, and other warm, moist environments like your bathroom or kitchen. Gnats also live and reproduce in sink drains and garbage disposals due to the food residue, water, and shelter that drains provide.
An Expert Guide on How to Get Rid of Gnats Inside Your House - Good Housekeeping
An Expert Guide on How to Get Rid of Gnats Inside Your House.
Posted: Mon, 15 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Just remember that mulch locks in moisture, so always check soil dampness levels before watering. Some people claim you can use cinnamon powder to kill off gnats and gnat larvae. The idea is that cinnamon has antifungal properties and destroys pathogens in the soil that larvae feed on. Over time, the tiny grubs should die off, and you’ll no longer have any flies. Most houseplant owners don’t bother with these time-consuming methods.
The microscopic silica cuts through the outer skin of gnats when they come into contact with it. The good news is that DE won’t affect your houseplants, pets, or humans. The key to getting rid of gnats for good is eliminating each stage of their life cycle.
Yellow sticky traps
Getting rid of the gnat eggs and larvae stops more bugs growing in the soil and helps break the life cycle. Gnat larvae live in soil, and these bugs munch their way through decaying plant matter. They quickly become larger and will grow to about 0.25” (6 mm) in two weeks.
How to Get Rid of Gnats for Good, According to an Entomologist - TODAY
How to Get Rid of Gnats for Good, According to an Entomologist.
Posted: Wed, 27 Mar 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]
“Thoroughly clean and dry areas where gnats congregate.” These areas include kitchens, bathrooms—anywhere there’s moisture or food. The bad news is that they can lay about 200 to 300 eggs during their brief lives. Each egg matures into a larva, and then transitions into a pupa and adult. Depending on the species, a gnat’s entire life cycle can be completed in as few as 3 weeks.
But maintenance and prevention will be an ongoing endeavor if you’re serious about getting rid of gnats for good. Keep your kitchen clean, your pipes flowing, and your produce off-limits to fruit flies, gnats, and other pesky invaders. The best way to eliminate pests like drain and fruit flies is by using one of our favorite home remedies for gnats and other pests. You only need homemade cleaning ingredients that you can easily find around your home and a two-quart bowl.
If you have houseplants, ensure they are not being overwatered, as this creates a year-round breeding and feeding source inside your home for gnats and other pests. If the soil in or around your home tends to be overly moist, try letting it dry out more between waterings to discourage gnats and other pests from being attracted to it. If you’ve heard that how to get rid of gnats with white vinegar? Make a spray with equal parts white vinegar and water, and add a couple of drops of dish soap.
You can invest in a soil moisture monitor to accurately measure the amount of water in your soil, which will help prevent overwatering. In order to get rid of drain gnats, pest control company Arceneaux recommends pouring a half cup of hydrogen peroxide or bleach in the drain. Gnats have short lifespans, so if you don’t give them a place to reproduce, eventually they won’t be a problem any more. While gnats don’t necessarily eat rotting fruit or vegetables, they may still linger around trash.
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