Gnat Removal
Frustrated by buzzing critters following you around the house? Our tutorial will tell you how to get rid of gnats and avoid future infestations.
Fungus gnats, fruit flies, and drain flies are all examples of gnats, which are little flying insects. Fungus gnats have black bodies and lengthy legs, fruit flies are brown and spherical, and drain flies have moth-like wings and are drawn to water. Because gnats reproduce quickly, managing an infestation as soon as possible is critical.
What Causes Gnat Infestations?
Gnats often enter your home from the outside via cracks or gaps in your foundation, walls, windows, or doors. In addition, gnats are commonly found in garbage cans, rotting fruit, and other wet areas where organic waste degrades. They’re also common around sinks, drains, and toilets.
9 Methods for Getting Rid of Gnats
There are several methods for getting rid of gnats, ranging from traps to expert assistance. If you have a significant gnat infestation, it may be necessary to use more than one of these strategies to eliminate the bugs.
1. Make use of fly paper.
There is no more reliable—or curiously satisfying—solution than fly paper, which simply traps flying bugs on its sticky surface. You may either hang “ribbon fly paper” in gnat-prone regions of your home or use window fly paper, which covers a whole window in an adhesive sheet.
2. Make Your Gnat Trap
A vinegar trap is the most common alternative since it is simple and inexpensive to make. In a mixing bowl, combine a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and a tablespoon of sugar. Place your bowl in a gnat-infested location, such as your kitchen or bathroom. The mix of sugar and apple cider vinegar attracts gnats, and the dish soap catches and drowns the gnats.
If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, a mixture of red wine and dish soap can be used to make a gnat trap. If your gnat infestation is horrible, place a few bowls of this wine trap combination throughout the home.
Finally, a fruit trap can be helpful. Homeowners can cover an overripe fruit jar with plastic wrap and puncture small holes in the wrap’s surface. When the gnats detect a food supply, they will enter the jar and become imprisoned.
3. Make use of an insect zapper.
A bug zapper is always an excellent alternative, even though it works better with larger pests (such as mosquitoes). Nowadays, several brands and designs are suitable for indoor usage. These quiet devices should be able to capture the bulk of gnats and flies in your house, and the best thing is that you won’t have to raise a finger to make it happen.
4. Make Use of a Spray
If you have a little bug problem, a spray bottle with one tablespoon of vinegar and a tiny bit of dish soap may suffice. Overwatering is most frequently the cause of gnats buzzing over houseplants or crawling in your potting soil. To treat these gnats, spray the plant with a moderate pesticide, such as neem oil or dish soap dissolved in warm water. If you use dish soap, you must gently wash away the solution after two hours.
5. Clean Your Drains Using Baking Soda
Create a mixture combining a half cup of salt, half a cup of baking soda, and one cup of vinegar. Pour the mixture down the drain if you detect gnats near your kitchen sink or bathtub. Pour the mixture carefully down each drain or garbage disposal until there are no more gnats in your sight.
6. Entice them with rotting fruit.
Yes, the exact item that started the infestation might be the ultimate option for getting rid of it. Cover a big bowl with plastic wrap and fasten with a rubber band after adding a few pieces of overripe fruit. Make a few holes at the top using a toothpick. Gnats and fruit flies will soon rush to the fruit, entering via the small holes—but they won’t know how to get out.
7. Construct a Candle Trap
Place a candle in a candle holder and fill the container with water halfway up. Turn off the lights and light the candle. The gnats will fly to the flame and be burnt or drown if they fall into the water. This trap is less practical than a wine or vinegar trap, and you’ll have to remember to blow out the light before bed.
8. Pour hot water down the drain.
Gnats frequently lay eggs in kitchen sink drains, particularly in garbage disposals. They enjoy the warm, damp atmosphere and any food and bacterium buildup. Boiling water in the sink will kill any eggs in the drain.
9. Engage the Services of a Professional Pest Control Company
A professional pest control firm can assist you if you have a persistent gnat infestation. The top pest control firms have experience treating gnat larvae and adult gnats and will build a personalized treatment plan for your house at a fair rate.
Gnat Infestation Prevention
After you’ve treated your gnat infestation, you may do a few things to avoid another one.
Wipe up food and drinks after meals: Do not leave food or drinks out, and clean up any spills as soon as possible.
Take out your garbage every night and utilize a trash container that is well sealed: Gnats are frequently drawn to rubbish. Gnats will be less likely to enter your home and assemble around your trash if you take out your trash every night and use a sealed trash container.
Water plants less frequently: Only water your indoor plants as needed. Gnats may exploit the region where you overwater your plants for moisture and to lay eggs if you overwater them.
Put fruit in the fridge
Because gnats are drawn to the fragrance of fruit, leaving fruit out on your countertops might attract them. So instead of leaving your fruits out, place them in the refrigerator.
Remove humidity from your house inside and outside: Homeowners should fix plumbing leaks and sink drain stoppages. Also, clean up any wet places near rain gutters and birdbaths to prevent outdoor gnat issues.
Set up yellow sticky traps as a preventative measure: To keep an infestation at bay, place them near any issue spots, such as ripe fruit or houseplants.
Maintain the cleanliness of your drains
Maintain drains regularly using baking soda and vinegar or a specialist cleaning solution to keep food particles and fungus gnat larvae at bay.
Overwatering plants is a breeding environment for gnats, and overwatering them creates wet soil, which is ideal for an infestation. If you observe gnats swarming about your houseplants, ensure they are in a container with a drainage hole and reduce your watering routine. Because they can introduce gnats into the house, properly inspect any new plants for gnats before bringing them into your home.
Our Final Thoughts
Homeowners who want to save time and money might hire a professional pest control company. Pest control companies will execute a personalized treatment strategy for your house and educate you on how to avoid repeat infestations. We always recommend getting quotations from at least two vendors to guarantee you’re receiving the most incredible pricing on your service. As always, Clean Heart Maids is here to help you keep your home fresh and clean, so when you are ready, schedule an appointment! A clean home is a happy home.