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The best companies have expertise in ridding your home of eggs, larvae, and adult gnats. Their technicians will create a customized treatment plan for your home at a reasonable cost for pest control. If all else fails, or you’re not interested in making a DIY solution, try placing a store-bought fly trap such as flypaper, cards, or ribbons near where gnats gather. Some of these products are even designed to sit in the soil alongside a potted plant to catch fungus gnats. Once the sticky side is sufficiently filled, toss it and add a new one. You can also try a bug zapper that’s aimed at catching smaller insects or, if the problem really persists, call a reliable pest control company.
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She has a wealth of editorial experience testing the latest, ‘must-have’ home appliances, writing buying guides and the handy ‘how to’ features. Prevention is always better than the cure, so trying to prevent gnats from coming in should be your first line of defence. Gretchen Heber is a writer, marketer, and entrepreneur based in Texas.
Gnat Life Cycle
One of the biggest mistakes to avoid when getting flies out of the house is relying too heavily on chemical killers. Not only can these be irritating for your skin and airways, but they can also damage your home. Numerous bug zappers are available for indoor and outdoor use, many of which were tested in our tested guide to the best bug zappers. Choose one that’s maybe a bit smaller and less obtrusive than others, and pick one that is suitable for indoor use, like our top indoor pick from Aspectek. We back up our pest control recommendations with a detailed rating methodology that we use to objectively score each provider.
Dilute bleach for drain gnats
These products kill gnats with an electric charge when they fly into the device. Bug zappers are an excellent way to deter biting gnats in your yard but will not fully eliminate their population, only reduce it. Also, you shouldn’t install a product that’s meant to be used outdoors inside your home. If the gnats don’t appear to be attracted to fruit or vinegar, you can also make a trap out of a candle. Place the lit candle in a dish of soapy water to attract the gnats and turn out the overhead light. They may burn up in the flame or drop into the water and drown.
How to get rid of fruit flies in your house - AgriLife Today - AgriLife Today
How to get rid of fruit flies in your house - AgriLife Today.
Posted: Mon, 06 Jul 2020 07:00:00 GMT [source]
With proper methods of control, they may eventually go away as the year progresses. Gnats have a short life cycle and will often disappear when the cold months start. You could always kill gnats the old-fashioned way—by swatting them with a fly swatter or your hands. This is one of the more difficult ways to eradicate gnats because the insects are so agile and acrobatic. They can perform complex aerial maneuvers akin to that of a fighter jet.
Some gnats lay their eggs in soil, where the larvae can damage plant roots. Gnats also come from sink drains and if you spot them near your drains you need to do something about them, because drains are breeding grounds for gnats. If the answer is positive, pour half a cup of ammonia down the sink drain and refrain from using the tap for the next few hours. This will hinder gnats breeding sessions and will get rid of them, as they get repelled by ammonia. This will clear the drain of clogs and help prevent gnat infestation. Gnats are lured towards ripe fruits and aromatic food items (well, aromatic also includes garbage!).
Look for a moisture source
Because fungus gnats are attracted to moisture and decaying matter, let your plant dry out thoroughly before watering it again. You could see drain flies, fruit flies, biting gnats, midges, or mosquitoes, all of which can be mistaken for gnats. When it comes to household gnats, the infestation is typically due to a source of organic material they're drawn to. First, it's essential to identify the specific pest in your home. Sometimes called "no-see-ums" due to their tiny size, gnats are commonly confused with other flying pests.
Glue or sticky traps are strips of paper or tape with an adhesive coating that traps gnats. You can set these traps anywhere in your home that sees gnat activity. Note that the traps will need to be replaced often and may have limited effectiveness for large infestations.
How To Get Rid Of Gnats
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. Luckily, getting rid of gnats is a simple process, and with numerous ways to deal with gnats in the house, there is bound to be a method that works for you and your home. While some species of gnats can bite and sting, the species most commonly found inside the house are more of a nuisance than a danger to humans.
This will help determine if you have any fungus gnat activity in the soil. 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. Gnats are any of several species of small flies that swarm in great numbers. Kyle Morgan, owner of Care Pest Pros in Spicewood, Texas, says the bugs are mainly a problem outdoors in spring and summer, but they’ll hang out indoors all year round. Not only are these “clouds” of gnats generally annoying, some species also bite humans and pets.
Vera Peterson, president of Molly Maid, recommends using a small household fan to get rid of gnats. "Turn your fan on a low setting — this moving air will make it tough for gnats to fly, creating a miserable environment for them," she explains. "They end up in your yard or around your house from a couple of different sources," he says. "For example, they can be brought in from a plant that has eggs in the soil, mulch that may have eggs or larvae, or from a neighboring property, woods, farm, or nearby wetlands."
To kill drain flies and their eggs nesting in pipes, mix 1/2 cup of bleach in a gallon of water and pour it slowly down the drain. Make sure there’s proper ventilation in the room when you do this and for an hour afterward. For best results, also scrub infested drain pipes with a wire brush and enzymatic cleanser.
Fungus gnats mostly thrive in moist environments in the household. They are common in households with houseplants, and they lay eggs in wet soil. Their presence in plant nurseries means that you can bring them into your house with a plant without realizing it.
While fruit flies aren’t technically gnats, they are similar in size and just as annoying. Fruit flies can have red or black eyes, are primarily tan, and have a black or gray abdomen. As their name implies, these pests are attracted to fresh or decaying fruit, other organic matter, and moisture. In fact, there are many different small insects with wings that are considered "gnats," according to Orkin.
Though safe around people and pets, don't allow the spray to come into contact with eyes or skin, and the flammable liquid should never be used near electrical wiring. If you're wondering how to get rid of gnats quickly, look no further. These pests are frequently referred to as gnats, even though they don't look much like them up close. Both are generally outdoor pests, but they can end up inside, especially during summer evenings when it is warm, and they are attracted to sources of light around the home. Gnats and small flies that appear inside homes are drawn to rotting organic matter, which they use for both a feeding and breeding site.
After all, if you know that, it should be easier to keep these tiny and very unwelcome flies away. While some gnats can contaminate your food by transferring bacteria from a dirty surface, Price says that in most cases, gnats are just a nuisance. And there are plenty of solutions that require little more than what you've already got lying around. But first, you should know what type of gnat you're dealing with.
