17 Easy and Effective Ways to Get Rid of Gnats, Indoors and Out
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If you have a gnat problem, you may have noticed them swarming around your house plants. Fungus gnats are the most common type of gnat found around house plants. While fungus gnats do not bite people, fungus gnats can damage your plants. Read on to learn how to get rid of these pesky critters, with tips from the experts on how to banish and prevent gnat infestations.
Avoid Overwatering Houseplants
The vinegar is what will ultimately kill them, but you also need a way to keep them in the bowl long enough for that to happen. Either cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke small holes on the top, or add a bit of dish soap to the vinegar and sugar concoction. In a small bowl, mix a half cup of warm water plus two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, and about six drops of liquid dish soap. Gnats will be lured in by the sugary mixture, but once they dip in for a drink, the sticky dish soap will trap them.
Other Ways to Sterilize the Potting Soil and Get Rid of Bugs in Houseplant Soil
Then, you can set up quarterly or bi-monthly scheduled treatments to continually prevent any issues in the future. These eggs are too small to see, making them difficult to avoid. Unlike other insect or bug infestations, handling bees takes expertise and deep knowledge of honeybees. “If you don’t know bees, you’re never going to be able to remove the bees,” said Sean Kennedy, a beekeeper in Washington, D.C., whose apiary is at the Embassy of Switzerland. While honeybees are known to be harmless unless they are defending their hive, related Africanized bees are not.
Fungus Gnat or Fruit Flies?
I Tried This Very Simple Tip To Prevent Fruit Flies–And It Really Works - Southern Living
I Tried This Very Simple Tip To Prevent Fruit Flies–And It Really Works.
Posted: Fri, 05 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
They have faint black and white speckling on their heart-shaped wings and tiny white hairs on their body. Don't overwater your soil; clean your drains with a stiff scrub brush and drain cleaner, and ensure your compost bin has a tight lid. Fungus gnats have a very distinct odor when crushed between your fingers. The best way to get rid of gnats is to prevent them from coming into your house in the first place, says Gabriella Dyson, Head of Solved at Homes & Gardens.
How to Make a Fly Trap with Vinegar
They feed on soil fungi that result from overwatering plants, according to Fredricks. Gnats typically come out in the summer, but potted plants in a warm house can be quite cozy for gnats, thus annoying you all year long. Fungus from mold or mildew in your home can also be a contributing factor. Gnats are attracted to damp spots to lay eggs, particularly affecting houseplants since they like to lay eggs in moist soil. 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.
You will need to take proper measures to get rid of them, such as putting away your fruits, flushing out your drains, or changing the soil in your indoor plants’ pots. You can also attract fruit flies with red wine and a couple drops of dish soap in a glass or jar. The dish soap separates from the wine, so whenever a gnat lands on the solution, it sinks and drowns.
“We get called when homeowners can’t find the source of the bugs,” he says. Likewise, he says the source of the bugs might be unreachable, which could indicate it’s time to call in the pros. Read on to learn about several additional methods that will help you get rid of gnats indoors. Although it works better with larger bugs (such as mosquitoes), a bug zapper is always a good option. Nowadays, there are plenty of brands and designs that are safe to use indoors, such as the KATCHY device pictured here. These noiseless machines should be able to catch the majority of gnats and flies in your home, and the best part is, you won't have to lift a finger to make the magic happen.
Since the gnats are attracted to the flame, they'll either hit the flame itself or fall into the water and drown. While the candle is lit, we recommend staying in the room to observe the flame until it's time for it to be blown out. 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. If pests are hovering around the sink drain, grab a bottle of bleach and mix a half cup of it with a full gallon of water.
And some extermination services offer guarantees that state if the infestation reoccurs within a certain amount of time, they’ll treat it again. Don't leave ripened fruit or vegetables—like bananas, onions, tomatoes, or potatoes—exposed; keep them in the refrigerator until the problem is resolved. Fruit flies also tend to like alcohol and other sugary drinks, so be wary of keeping things like an open bottle of wine and juice products out on the counter. The average lifespan of a fruit fly is 40 to 50 days—aka much longer than any of us would like. Gnats, on the other hand, have shorter lifespans, but their ability to reproduce at rapid speeds means once you swat one, there's pretty much always another one buzzing around. Not only are they a nuisance, but flies can also transport bacteria (think Salmonella and E.coli).
Then, slowly pour the diluted mixture down the drain to kill any gnats and potential larvae. Alternatively, you can use a commercial drain cleaner to produce the same results. For gnat problems on and around your houseplants, consider using diatomaceous earth. Sprinkle the fine powder in a thin layer on the soil; it will work to kill gnat larvae.
Fruit flies, drain flies, and fungus gnats tend to be the most common household pests. You can often tell which species you’re dealing with by where you find them and how they behave. To get rid of drain flies or drain gnats, simply pour drain cleaner down the drain. Using the manufacturer’s instructions, pour some of the cleaner down the drain slowly to kill flying gnats and the larvae. Be sure to wear a mask, gloves and eye protection as drain cleaner can be particularly noxious stuff. One way to go on the offensive with fungus gnats is to use biological controls.
Here's how to prevent and get rid of fruit flies and gnats indoors. Gnats are irritating little creatures that can crop up in your home looking for produce, flowers, houseplants, and any other exposed foodstuff to munch on. At worst, you can wind up with a pregnant gnat laying as many as 300 eggs in your house. So, if you have even the slightest gnat infestation, it's important to get rid of them fast. Sticky traps are a simple and cost-effective way to get rid of adult gnats.
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. Along with vinegar, fruit flies like the smell of fruity beer and wine. Leave out an almost-empty open bottle of stale beer or old wine — the skinny neck will keep the flies trapped. Using cinnamon in soil is also said to get rid of gnats in the house. The good news is that there are multiple ways to eradicate gnats in and around your home. Morgan says if you’ve exhausted all the home remedies and just can’t eradicate the gnats, it might be time to call in the pros.
Place a few pieces of overripe or rotting fruit in a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap and secure with a rubber band. The idea is that once gnats and fruit flies make their way in through the tiny holes, they get trapped within the plastic and can’t fly out. Mix a solution of half a cup of warm water, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of sugar, and about six drops of liquid dish soap into a small bowl. Once gnats go in for a drink, the sticky dish soap will trap them. Simply place the bowl in the areas where you've noticed a swarm of gnats.
The first three stages—egg, larva, and pupa—all take place in houseplant soil. Beneficial nematodes to kill fungus gnat larvae—Some types of microscopic roundworms (Nematoda) are useful because they feed on fungus gnat larvae. The benefits are that they don’t affect your plant but kill off tiny bugs in the houseplant soil.
'Vinegar traps can be made by placing a small amount of apple cider vinegar in a clear bowl or jar. Cover the top tightly with plastic wrap and poke several holes in the top, which will allow the adult gnats to enter but will not allow them out. The wet soil of indoor pots can create a breeding ground for gnats. So, take it easy on watering them or look into low-maintenance plants that require small amounts of water to thrive. This is a good way to remind your household to eat fruit before it starts to spoil.
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