Gnat Infestation How to Get Rid Of a Gnat Infestation

Table Of Content

• What are the signs of a gnat infestation?
• What Attracts Gnats and How To Minimize Their Presence
• Homemade Gnat Spray
• Use Yellow Sticky Traps
• Put Away Your Food And Wipe Down Surfaces
• Make a Gnat Trap
• Help! What Are the Small, Tiny Brown Bugs in My House, and What Can I Do About Them?
• How to Catch Fruit Flies: A Guide to Stopping an Infestation

Their technicians will create a customized treatment plan for your home at a reasonable cost for pest control. They love to lay their eggs in the moist soil, so their larvae and pupae can easily access the organic material they need to survive and grow. If you’re interested in getting rid of gnats in your home, be sure not to overwater your plants and allow the soil to dry before watering again. Gnats are primarily attracted to sweet and fruity scents, but many species of gnats are also drawn to water and body heat. Perspiration and even the moisture of your eyes and nose can draw in gnats.

What are the signs of a gnat infestation?

Plug-in traps, like the Zevo Flying Insect Trap, can be extremely effective. Bug zappers typically attract flying insects with a UV light, then trap and collect the small bugs. Most modern zappers are safe for indoor use, so you can plug one in adjacent to your gnat problem. To better understand why you have a swarm, you need to know their life cycle and where they’re laying their eggs.

Garsum Fruit Fly Sticky Trap Review - The Daily Beast

Garsum Fruit Fly Sticky Trap Review.

Posted: Mon, 05 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]

What Attracts Gnats and How To Minimize Their Presence

How to Get Rid of Houseplant Gnats - Family Handyman

How to Get Rid of Houseplant Gnats.

Posted: Mon, 08 Apr 2024 07:00:00 GMT [source]

No, you don’t need to kill your plants to keep gnats out of your home. If the soil is still relatively damp, you might want to allow more time before adding more moisture into that pot, says Fredricks. Some types of moisture-seeking gnats tend to congregate around sink or tub drains. To combat these drain flies, mix ½ cup bleach into a gallon of water and slowly pour the mixture into the drain. To deter them overwatering plants should be avoided – let the soil dry out before you water again – and always use pots that don’t provide good drainage.

Homemade Gnat Spray

Sticky traps are a simple and cost-effective way to get rid of adult gnats. Gnats are attracted to the color yellow, and the traps entice them, where they get stuck to the adhesive. Schutter recommends cutting the sticky traps into squares and taping them to sticks (chopsticks, pencils, skewers, etc.). “Pop the sticks into problem pots, and you’ll see adult gnats start to get trapped almost immediately,” she says. You can employ several natural ways to eliminate gnats from your house plants.

Use Yellow Sticky Traps

Rotting fruits are high on the list of things that attract gnats, so make sure to get rid of those in the garbage can ASAP. So, if you ask yourself, ‘why are there so many gnats in my house, it could be because you have fruit lying around in your kitchen, etc. Put the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and liquid dish soap in the mason jar. To get into the house, gnats will make their way through the tiny holes in your window screens. To keep flies out of your home, be sure to fix any holes that you might have in your screens. You also want to make sure to seal up any cracks or gaps in your window or door frames, because this is another way these tiny flies can make their way inside.

Put Away Your Food And Wipe Down Surfaces

If you're up for it, catch one, squish it, and take a whiff. Pepper Moran is a pest control expert with over five years experience in educating homeowners on affordable and earth-friendly ways to protect their homes from pests. Removing the decaying matter before it’s too late may also prevent the eggs from hatching, which will save you a lot of hassle.

You can rest easy knowing that most indoor gnats are not the biting kind nor are they prone to spreading disease. But still, these unwelcome guests are a nuisance and it’s important to deal with them before an infestation gets worse. The first step to combating gnats is to know what kind of gnat you have buzzing around your space.

A gnat infestation can damage some houseplants, causing wilting, loss of leaves, and leaf yellowing. If you have interior house plants and think you have fungus gnats but aren't sure, yellow sticky traps can be placed in your plant pots near the base of the plant. This will help determine if you have any fungus gnat activity in the soil. Lucky for the gnats that want to move inside, many people have interior house plants, which provide fungus gnats with a year-round feeding and breeding source.

Head to our Just Curious section to see what else we can answer for you. The mere presence of these pesky insects in your house can leave you feeling twitchy. Take steps to prevent an infestation, and act quickly if the invaders set up shop in your home and garden. Gnats are highly unlikely to go away without intervention, says Morgan, which is why it’s important to know how to get rid of gnats. Drain flies, meanwhile, might fly out of a kitchen or bathroom sink when disturbed since they are – you guessed it – attracted to the environment of the drain.

To learn more about how to get rid of gnats and protect your home, contact your local Orkin branch. Gnats have a life cycle of 18 to 30 days, but they reproduce quickly and the infestation will last indefinitely until it’s handled. Take preventative steps to help support the effectiveness of your selected treatment methods and to keep swarms of gnats away for good. USA TODAY is exploring the questions you and others ask every day. From "How to get rid of fruit flies?" to "Are cockroaches dangerous?" − we're striving to find answers to the most common questions you ask every day.

In all reality, the main sign of a gnat infestation is several gnats flying through the air when you turn on the sink, move a house plant or disturb an old piece of fruit. These bugs don’t damage wood or leave trails of scat around, so take the first sight of these winged pests as a sign that there is an infestation. Once gnats invade your space, it can feel impossible to get rid of them. 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.

Fruits, vegetables and flowers growing in your garden can also appeal to gnats. Harvesting produce regularly and clearing away overripe produce and organic waste can help keep the natural gnat population low. This promotes the growth of fungus that serves as the primary food source of certain gnat species. 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.