Facts About Gnat Repellent: What You Need to Know

Gnats are a non-biting insect that typically attack and live off of surrounding plant life. There are a wide variety of gnat species. They are a general nuisance, often traveling in large swarms around area with high moisture such as laws, water gardens, pools, patio areas, puddles and other stagnant waters. Although most species do not bite, their swarms can be an irritant to people who spend time outdoors for various reasons.

The nature of a gnat repellent is meant to prevent gnats from penetrating into and inhabiting areas most frequented by humans or animals. Most insects are attracted to body heat, so the more activity you engage in, the more likely you are to attract bugs, such as mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, no-see-ums, and other biting insects.

There are many options when considering a gnat repellent . Chemical varieties are readily available as are organic, natural and environmentally safe methods. Most organic or natural gnat repellent options are designed to be safe for human contact as well as for local plant life and will eliminate gnats without killing the plants they reside on or eat from. These natural methods use the power of substances such as lemon grass, mint and garlic - all of which have odors that most outdoor insects cannot tolerate.

While most people do not bother with the elimination of gnats, there may be a reason why they need to be eliminated from a certain area, such as for an outdoor social event like a party or other gather. Most natural gnat repellent methods take longer to work than chemical methods and should applied at least a day in advance of the outdoor social event. If using for a one-time only application, natural methods may work best, however, for use over a prolonged period of time, natural methods will need to be consistently reapplied, usually more often than their chemical counterparts.

Despite their natural ingredients, not every gnat repellent is available for purchase in every state due to certain local regulations and laws. Most gnat repellents will not work as effectively on mature adult gnats as on larvae.

You may need to take some time to experiment with different methods that may work for you and for your gnat control problem. Experiment with a wide variety of gnat repellents in order to find the one that works best with your environment and skin chemistry. After you find the right one, you should be able to use it effectively for years to come.