A Few Tips to Rid Your House of Gnats
If the gnat problem is in your kitchen, be sure to thoroughly clean the areas of the kitchen that don't get daily attention, such as, kick plates, under appliances, like the microwave, toaster, coffee maker, etc., your garbage can, maybe even under your refrigerator and stove, and any other inconspicuous place where the gnats could possibly be laying their eggs.
If you have children or pets in the home, you may want to forego using a bug spray or bug bomb to get rid of them completely, so instead you could make a homemade trap. First, fill a small bowl or jar with a little apple cider vinegar or a few chunks of a banana, place plastic wrap on top of the bowl or jar and secure it with a rubber band, then poke several small holes in the plastic wrap and let the trap sit somewhere in your kitchen out of your way, but in an area where the gnats will be sure to find it. Be sure to empty the bowl outside and make a fresh trap every few days so the newly laid eggs won't hatch in your house. Keep doing this until all the gnats are gone.
If for some reason you'd prefer not to make a homemade trap, there are always the flytraps and bug sprays made especially for eliminating small flies and gnats. However, these methods could be hazardous to your health, as well as the health of any children or pets you may have in the home.
If you think the gnats may be coming up from your sink drains, you could either pour about a ¼ to a ½ a cup of ammonia down your sink drains and let it sit for a few hours before running water down the drains, or pour about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil down all your sink drains at night to prevent the gnats from breeding. The oil floats on the top of the water and prevents the gnats from hatching. Hopefully these tips I've given you will help to rid your house of those pesky little gnats.
Published by Megan Freed
I recently moved to northwest Iowa with my husband and our 4 daughters. View profile
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- Make a homemade trap to get rid of the gnats.
6 Comments
Post a CommentStrawberry wine works well too - In addition to the glass half full of wine, I made a trap out of the sticky tape and put it on top of the glass of wine - flies can get trapped on the way in - and on the way out if they make it that far -
Also Black Flag makes an excellent product - a yellow siicky tube with white 'caps' on both ends - fill the caps/dish portions with an attractant and they stick to the sticky tube- much less messy than the fly tape ribbons, and they seem to prefer it, too :)
Sprinkling some Borax in the drains after use keeps moisture down, and flies seem to not like it -
Also, if you have a caged pet, change the bedding often, as flies lay eggs in the bedding - I also sprinkle the bottom of the cage with Baking soda before laying down the bedding- which cuts down on the smell and moisture between cleanings :)
omg i had gnats everywhere come to find out i went fishing one day and brung in the worms in container so they will not get hot. so bout week later gnats everywhere for days until i found out where they came from got applle cider and fly stips and in few days they was all gone. but i didnt't tell my wife where they really came from. next time i will throw worms in water to fish.
Looking forward to trying these new tips...my garbage disposal was broke for 2 months before landlord sent anyone to fix it...now i have thousands! of gnats in my house. they all seem to like hanging out in my bathroom and in my bedroom closet....also in living room and laundry room. i've tried bleach down the drains and even leaving the bleach bottle open, but the gnats eventually hung out on the bleach bottle...not too sure bleach works after all. i also heard lemon-scented candles work but have yet to try!!
Great article on how to get rid of gnats, however, you mentioned that you should not use bug spray because it could be harmful to pets and children. There are a few green friendly sprays, such as EcoSMART. The other ways to trap or kill the bugs were neat ideas, but if you're a renter, your landlord probably won't be happy with you pouring ammonia down the drain. Also, would you really want to waste food in the state the economy is? That may not be a lot to some people, but to consumers such as college students, wasting is not a option. As said before, a green friendly bug spray would do the trick. Again, good article and different ideas!
I have the same problem.
I have a ferret that I give fruit to & have water dishes for her & the 2 cats in the house. My sister told me to use lavender oil. They hate that nice smell. I put it on my cat & got rid of his fleas too. And put some on cotton balls all over the house. And wiped it around the edge of the food & water dishes & pured it down the drains too.
It is 100% all natural & safe for all pets & people. The gnats only like things that are wet and/or rotten. That put off a vinegar smell. So vinegar wont work.
Good luck!
Please HELP gnats outside in area of run off water from neighbors, near my door. Talk with neighbors who seem not to see a sign of this, we can't come in or got the door without fighting gnats. PLEASE HELP! What can I do to get rid of the gnats; not the neighbors? (SMILE)