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For the fruit Forbes advises to mash it up and place it in a container with plastic wrap over the top. "Gnat" is actually an umbrella term referring to a wide variety of small insects. To get rid of gnats in the house a few different strategies are recommended. Traps, bleach and even exterminators can be effective solutions depending on the severity of your infestation. The tiny bugs often hover above your fruit bowl or drain, bite the skin, and persist as a general nuisance until dealt with.
Allow Soil to Dry Out
Carefully dilute one-half cup of bleach with about one gallon of water and pour it down the affected drain. Most gnats are not harmful to humans, though some can give you bites a little, like mosquito bites. Fungus gnats are those that love your houseplants; in large numbers, they can damage plants' roots and growth. Fruit flies are attracted to rotten fruit but love any sweet liquids, such as vinegar and red wine. Drain flies can be found buzzing around your home's drains, while midges are more likely to gather around standing water, such as your backyard's water features. Gnats breed frequently and are often seen in swarms, but they are more of a nuisance than a danger.
Use Sticky Paper or Cards
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. These eggs are too small to see, making them difficult to avoid. If you continue to have appealing habitats for gnats in your home, no, they will not likely go away on their own. If you remove old food and beverages, take out the trash and are sure to eliminate high-moisture environments an infestation may subside. If the flies won’t leave you alone, this clever trick using a bar of soap can put a stop to them.
Find Pest Control Experts Near You
What's more, it deodorizes your sink, so gnats are less likely to be drawn to your pipework. Be sure to cover the plug with a damp cloth so the vinegar-soda reaction works its way downwards through your pipes and doesn't flow over into the sink. 'Gnats prefer moist surroundings, therefore they are frequently found close to water sources or in places with high humidity levels,' begins Rich Mullins, plumbing expert at H2O Plumbing. As such, it is helpful to regularly flush out drains (especially if they have a garbage disposal) to stop gnats from living in your plugholes, he says. Traps can also be made out of red wine and dish soap, or rotting fruit.
Bug zapper
Fungus gnats have black elongated bodies and resemble mosquitoes, while fruit flies are brown and have rounder bodies. Drain flies, on the other hand, are fuzzy creatures with large, moth-like wings, often found around sink drains. So now that you know what gnats look like, the first step to getting rid of your gnat problem is to figure out the cause. As mentioned earlier, moist soil and overwatered plants are a prime breeding ground for gnats. Plus, fungus gnats are attracted to compost and even dead foliage.
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Letting plants dry out a bit between watering will kill larvae, preventing them from thriving off of the fungus on the plant’s roots. If things get really bad, you may find yourself in need of a more serious bug killer. Insecticide is one option, though we caution against using it if you have small children around (and as always, you'll want to be sure you're following manufacturer directions). This Hot Shot Kitchen Bug Killer is one option that specifically targets gnats, in addition to several other household pests.
How to Prevent Gnats?
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. There are a few easy ways to get rid of gnats, but they only work if you tackle the problem head-on and quickly. In other words, don’t wait until the problem is truly out of control to consider your options because, at that point, there aren’t many.
Signs of a Gnat Infestation
There are several types of gnats known to become annoyances in homes. According to Hodges, gnats are also attracted to damp soil, so it’s important to properly store potting soil in a dry, sheltered area away from sun and moisture before and during use. 'They normally feed on decaying organic material, but when found in our homes, they are a real nuisance. To prevent and control this species of fly, do not overwater your plants. You can easily monitor for the presence of these pests with yellow sticky traps. There are simple water level indicators or monitors that can be bought from garden centers to ensure that plants are not over or underwatered.
What Are the Signs that You Have a Gnat Infestation?
Your garbage can, particularly in the kitchen, should have a lid that seals tight when not in use. The trash, along with any indoor compost, should be taken out regularly. So, make sure the AC is working properly in the summer, check for any leaks throughout the house, and add a dehumidifier to any rooms that tend to get damp.
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. Soil taken from the ground can harbor fungus gnat larvae, so always use sterile potting soil when potting plants to bring into your home. If you already have potted plants inside, consider repotting them in sterile soil and treating them with BTI. A gnat infestation is like a common cold in that you never realize how good you have it until you (or your plants) are unwell. Thankfully, unlike with a cold, there are a number of cures to a gnat infestation to get rid of those pesky critters for good!
Keep an eye out for these pests flitting around light fixtures and windows. Gnats are attracted to sweet scents, moisture, garbage, houseplants, and other warm, moist environments like your bathroom or kitchen. Gnats also live and reproduce in sink drains and garbage disposals due to the food residue, water, and shelter that drains provide.
Moist soil in plants make an ideal, warm environment for fungal gnats to congregate. While decomposing organic matter, wastes and sewage from damaged pipes and drains are the perfect breeding ground for gnats. Remember that traps and zappers only kill adult gnats, not eggs and larvae. Thus, if you have a lingering gnat infestation, a professional pest control company can help address it. Licensed professionals have access to better equipment, insecticides, and training, so they’ll be able to spot the source of the infestation and treat it efficiently. The best companies have expertise in ridding your home of eggs, larvae, and adult gnats.
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.
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.
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