How to Get Rid of Gnats – 9 Effective and Safe Ways

Gnats like drain flies, fungus gnats, and fruit flies are tiny ¼-inch insects with flat wings and long legs. These bugs have brown, black, tan, and yellow colored stripes. While most gnats are largely beneficial (in pollinating plants), some are harmful pests. 

Further, gnats are fast reproducers (eggs will hatch to become larvae in only a few days) and they’re attracted to dirty, moist, and smelly locations such as kitchen sinks, toilets, bathrooms, and smelly foods and fruits. 

In this article, I’ll outline how you can control gnats in a safe and effective manner – but if you’re not a DIY person, I’ll recommend a suitable exterminator. 

9 Effective and Safe Ways How to Get Rid of Gnats 

1. Remove the Gnats Attractants 

First, you must work hard to remove the items or conditions that attract the gnats. Here are some ways you may use to get rid of the source of gnat attraction; 

• Clean up any food and drink spills: Gnats will be attracted to moisture and food debris, and thus I recommend that you clean up spills of such nature. The spills that you must clean off from your spaces or surfaces include spills of water, drinks (including milk, soda, or soup), and food. 
• Remove any trash immediately and regularly: The next step will involve disposing of the trash from your spaces. Gnats will love and jump onto any garbage to feed and thus you must take the trash out regularly. Therefore, this will reduce the amount of spilled moisture and food in your home – that would otherwise attract the gnats. 
  
• Cover your food Always: I also advise that you cover any food that is not to be eaten immediately. Thus, you’ll keep the gnats off foods that would give them nutrition – besides attracting the bugs into your spaces such as the kitchen or dining area. 
  • In addition, clean up any crumbs or spills on various surfaces, store the fruits store well in the refrigerator or cover them well inside the party – and finally, remove any overripe fruits from your spaces. 

• Clean the home and keep it dry: As noted above, dirt and spilled water will attract – and thus I recommend that you clean the house regularly and remember to keep the surfaces, including the floors and table tops clean and dry. One major update that would help in keeping the bugs off in regards to home cleanliness is using a vacuum cleaner – this will remove moisture while also getting rid of bugs such as fleas and bed bugs. 
• Examine if houseplants are overwatered: If your houseplants are overwatered, they’ll attract gnats too, and thus it’s good to examine them regularly. Any of these plants that are overwatered must be taken out to the sun to dry before returning them back to the house. 

They’ll gain entry into your spaces, especially the house via openings like doors, windows, and also the foundation. Notably, gnats can bite humans, and even some minor transmit diseases – but they won’t cause massive damage to your home. 

2. Use Gnat traps 

The next method I recommend is using gnat traps to remove the bugs. There are a variety of bug traps that you can use to catch these gnats. 

• Apple Cider Vinegar Gnat Trap: First, you can make some gnat traps using by mixing dish soap, apple cider vinegar, and water (all in equal parts) in a bowl or cup. The smell of vinegar will attract the gnats into the trap bowl while the soapy will trap them inside – they won’t jump or fly out. 
  • Place the vinegar trap near the gnats: The places include around drains, garbage cans, and fruit bowls shelf near where you have noticed the gnats. 
  • However, you’ll require to replace these traps in 2-3 days. The reason is that the gnats could fill up the vinegar trap and thus the tool might stop attracting bugs. 
  • Further, I recommend using many traps and this will raise the chances of trapping more gnats. 

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Besides Vinegar traps, there are other traps you can use, including drain traps, candle traps, or wine traps. Below is a description of how to make some of these traps. 

• Drain Cleaner Gnat trap: For the drain areas, you can pour some vinegar, oil, or drain cleaner (and plumbing leaks) into the drain. These liquids will attract the gnats and the bugs will get drowned in the water.

  • Also, I recommend you cover the different drains using some mesh screen to stop the entrance of gnats into the drains. 
  • Also, you must repeat the drain trap process on that drain within a few days and this will help re-invigorate the trap and hence attract more gnats. 
  • Clean the drain regularly by flushing it with some soap and hot water. 
  • Avoid putting garbage or trash into the drain but also repair all the leaking pipes to avoid the accumulation of water. 
• Wine Gnat trap: Gnats will get attracted to the smell of wine, especially red wine. So, to make the trap, simply fill red wine into a jar or glass and add some dish soap (3-5 tablespoons). Just like with the apple cider vinegar, the red wine will attract the gnats and the soapy water will trap the bugs. 
  • Red wine tends to attract gnats better. 
  • Also, the few drops of wine help break the wine’s surface tension, and thus the gnats will be unable to fly out. 
  • However, you may also add a few slices of fruit such as watermelon into the wine trap – this will enhance the attracting power of the bug trap. 
  • Position the wine traps near drains, garbage cans, and fruit bowls. 
  • Finally, replace the wine traps in 2-3 days.
• Candle Gnat trap: Candle traps would also be an effective method to bug those pests. Simply outline, you’ll need to place a lit candlestick in an upright position inside some shallow blow (with water + dish soap). I recommend you fill the bowl to around ¼-inch with the dish soap plus water mixture.  
  • However, these traps will be placed in a relatively dark room or area where you switch off the lights to create some darkness. 
  • The candlelight will attract the gnats to the trap (around the garbage can or fruit bowls) while the water (with dish soap) will drown the bugs.
• Bleach Drains: The next trap uses bleach – pouring it into the drain to kill the larvae and adult gnats. However, you must avoid the use of other chemicals while using bleach as this could lead to the formation of harmful chemicals. 
  • You’ll require to pour that blech directly into your drains – this must not be into a container or cup. 
  • Allow the bleach to sit in that drain for 5 to 10 minutes before you pour or run water down. 
  • Another precaution is that bleach may corrode your clothes or skin. 
  • Luckily, bleach is inexpensive but equally effective and safe in killing fleas. 

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Conclusion 

In summary, gnats will get attracted to moisture and food spills – becoming a nuisance to businesses and homes. You can control gnats using a number of ways including; the removal of attracts such as foods, or using traps such as vinegar traps, wine traps, and drain traps – but you can also use offers or sprays.

• However, if you won’t go the DIY route, I approve of using any of these gnat exterminators; either Orkin or Terminix.