How To Get Rid of Gnats

The presence of Gnats (either the biting or the non-biting species) can really be very disturbing and irritating since they keep moving rapidly in the entire room.

Gnats have a lifespan of 7 to 21 days. Gnats will be attracted by some common things including stagnant water around our houses, unwashed dishes, spoilt food stuffs and decaying organic matter near your houses.

So, here’s how to get rid of gnats; use – a rotten bananas trap, dish soap, apple cider vinegar and sugar trap, use of wine, use of bleach solution, sticky yellow traps, gnats fogging product, tobacco method, use of citronella candles and maintaining cleanliness in your house.

Details: How to Get Rid Of Gnats

1. Rotten bananas Trap gnats

Gnats do really like rotten fruits due to fermentation smell. This is an inexpensive and simple way to eliminate gnats.

1. Take some ripe bananas; keep them somewhere to overripe or to rot.
2. After a few days, take your rotten bananas slice them into small pieces, place them in a jar. Then poke scattered holes into the plastic stretch cover and cover the jar with it.
3. The gnats will move in and get stuck inside the jar; the plastic cover will hinder them from flying out.

Why do the rotten bananas trap work?

Gnats have the ability to smell rotting vegetables and fruits from miles away and get attracted towards them. So once they will smell the sweet scent of overripe bananas they will come in huge numbers to feast on them. Unfortunate they will get stuck inside the jar and the cover on top will prevent them from flying out. 

2. Dish Soap, Apple Cider Vinegar and Sugar Trap

Next, you’ll make a gnats trap by mixing a few drops of dish soap, apple cider vinegar and sugar. All what you need is a container; dish soap, sugar and apple cider vinegar.

1. Take a container; just add two tablespoons of vinegar and two cups of water in it. Mix thoroughly then add a table spoon of sugar and some soap dish drops. Mix them until the sugar dissolves.
2. The fragrance smell of the mixture will attract the gnats. When the gnats make contact with the vinegar solution, they won’t be able to crawl out.
3. Make sure you have several such traps and place them where the gnats are seen frequently in your room.
4. Also you can fill a spray bottle with this solution and anytime you come across any gnat circling around you, spray it off with it.

Why does the Soap, Vinegar & Sugar Trap work? 

This trap is an easy and quick to clear out all gnats. The gnats will be attracted to fragrance smell of vinegar and sugar in the container. Once they come into contact with this solution, they won’t escape due to the dish soap.

Note, this solution is harmless to your environment and your indoor plants.

3. Use of stale wine

Maybe you had some stale wine in your house? Don’t through it away,Make good use of it by trapping gnats .This is one of the bestways to attract them with wine scent. Any fermented drink works well to trap them.

Simply take that bottle wine with some little wine and place it next to affected area. Add a few drops of liquid soap in the bottle to assist in trapping them.

Why does stale wine trap work?

The gnats will fly inside the bottle and get stuck in this mixed liquid. This trap is similar to vinegar trap. Beer is can also work well in this case too.

4. Diluted bleach solution in the kitchen sinks and bathroom drains.

One thing you will notice, gnats love moist areas inside the house.

1. Take some water and mix it with some bleach in a bucket. Take caution when performing this task by putting on protective gloves and cover your nose not to inhale the gas from this mixture.
2. Pour it into your kitchen sinks and bathroom drains.
3. Give it some few minutes to kill all the pests in the drains and sinks
4. Do this as many times as possible until all gnats are completely destroyed.

5. Placing sticky fly traps in most populated areas

Take some sticky fly traps like yellow sticky traps; they will attract gnats with their bright color.  Place a few of them in your kitchen, bathroom and table room near the windows.

Gnats love damn sites, if you have plants in your house, place sticky fly trap under the leaves or on top soils.

Once the gnats land on the sticky surface, they will not be able to make any move. Then remove them after some days and throw them away.

You can repeat this severally until all gnats are completely destroyed from your house.

The good thing with these traps, they will also assist you get rid of other pests around your household like white flies and clothes moths.

6. Using gnats fogging product

This is a method involving use of pesticide spray which contains pyrethrin that kills pests. There are different types of fog products e.g.raids, zep and homemade pest sprays. Also if dealing with a highly infestation, Use an insect fogging product to eliminate them.

Ensure you follow the instructions on the manual on how to apply these pesticides. Also take protective measures like covering your nose not to inhale the gas which is harmful to your body.

Take a fog can and remove the top tab, press it into the air to release droplets of the pesticides. The fumes will settle on your house surfaces for some time killing gnats and any other pest in your house.

Make sure all food stuffs are well kept and drinking water to avoid contamination. Don’t forget to keep off that area not to inhale the product it’s not good for your health.

7. Spreading tobacco

Tobacco being one of the harmful products that brings about health risks to human beings, can now be used as a potential natural pesticide as it contains a lot of toxic nicotine.

Nicotine is a very fast nerve toxin to mammals and insects. Make sure you don’t scatter the tobacco near food stuffs, pets and children it’s harmful.

1. Take some tobacco and spread all over the place with gnats.A few minutes’ later gnats will inhale the nicotine in tobacco and get eliminated.
2. Prepare tobacco juice and spray the most infected areas. You just need some warm water, cigarette butts and liquid soap.
3. Mix the warm water with cigarette butts then add some liquid soap to help the spray stick to the surfaces.
4. For 30 minutes steep the solution. Put the mixture through a strainer into a bucket with a lid.
5. Pour some solution on the surfaces where gnats are, and put some into a spray bottle and squeeze to any gnat circling around the house. Any other pest in your house will also be destroyed in the process.

8. Using of citronella candles

Another feature of gnats is that they are attracted to light. In this homemade trap, all what you need is a candle, a tall candle stick, dish soap, a matchbox and a small basin.

1. Wait until its dark, take your candle and put it into the candle stick.
2. Take your basin and put some water in it, add some soap dish drops and mix it well.
3. Then place the candle stick holding your candle there.
4. Make sure there is no other source of light in the room. Take your matchbox and light the candle.

How does this trap work? This trap has two benefits;

1. First the gnats will be drawn near the candle by the light, some will get burnt their wings and die.
2. Others will go for reflection in the water instead. Once they fall in the water containing soap dish they won’t manager to survive again.

9. Maintain cleanliness in your house.

One can eliminate gnats by ensuring the house environment is not conducive for them by;

1. Take Trash out Frequently- rotting organic matter is like a great brunch for small pests. To keep them away remove the trash from the house frequently and while in the house ensure it is well sealed.
2. Take care of ripe fruits and food leftovers – Ensure you check on any fruit in the counter often to avoid them being spoilt in the house. Any food leftovers should be kept in a well covered place or refrigerated not to go bad.
3. Maintain clean drains – one of gnats site is damp areas. To avoid them ensure regular cleaning of bathroom drains, sinks and pipes. This can be done by water mixed with some bleach. Pour this mixture down the pipes and sinks and give it few minutes to clean up any dirt and pests.
4. Keep dishes clean – After meals, ensure the dirty utensils are cleaned up. Remember any dirty dishes left lying in the sink will attract gnats in your house.
5. Good storage of alcoholic beverages – any fermented drink attracts these little pests; ensure they are well covered to avoid any leakage in your house.
6. Gnats breed very fast in damp soils. If you have some plants in your house and you put excess water in them, these pests will lay eggs there hence increasing the problem. To avoid this change your plant to a new pot or take the plant far away from your house and clean that area.

Conclusion

In my conclusion, your home should be a place of comfort and happiness. Gnats’ presence is as bad as any other harmful pests occupying your home.

We have learnt the source of gnats into our houses and the ways to get rid of them. Most importantly, follow the steps well for effective results.

I have no doubt if you put into practice the ways indicated above, your house will not be favorable for any bug to occupy now and in the future.