Gnats Everywhere! I Hate Gnats!

Insect exterminators call them by different names like fruit flies, fungus gnats or midges. To most of us they are just Gnats. I hate gnats! The late summer and fall season is the time the gnats come out to breed and can be especially bothersome. The male gnats will often fly in large swarms, called a "ghost", particularly at dusk. Household screens are not a deterrent to gnats so nothing seems to obstruct their entry into a home. The little pest is extremely obnoxious when it bites, crawls in your hair and ears or tries to crawl up your nose. Here are some suggestions that might help get rid of gnats in your home. It is helpful to know what kind of gnat you are dealing with.

How to get rid of Fungus gnats:

Fungus gnats are attracted to every kind of potted plant, tree or flower. They are especially fond of plants that are watered generously. I found these gnats breeding in a pot of African Violet, which caused me to eliminate all potted plants from my home! Not overwatering plants is helpful and if gnats start to swarm, treat plants and soil with insecticide or call an exterminator to get rid of them.

How to get rid of Fruit flies:

Fruit flies are attracted to discarded fruit in garbage cans and other areas. Empty pop cans are also a fruit fly favorite. To get rid of the fruit fly population, wrap leftover fruit pieces in plastic bags before putting in the trash bin. Empty garbage bins regularly and rinse pop cans before discarding.

How to get rid of Midges:

This name includes no-see-ums, sand flies or punkies and they bite! They are found in almost any aquatic or semi-aquatic habitat throughout the world. The female midge sucks blood from some kind of host animal to complete her egg cycle. Blood ingested by biting midges captured in an area can provide legally admissible DNA identification of persons present in the area.

Midges breed in organic material. They also like the janitor's closet with wet mops, animal waste, drains and any moisture sources. To get rid of the midge population, thoroughly rinse mops and hang to dry. Keep drains clean and rid garbage cans of standing water.

How to get rid of Drain flies:

Drain flies love the p-trap (curved pipe) at the bottom of sink drains. To get rid of the infestation and reproduction in the pipes, flush drains regularly. A solution such as Drano or Liquid Plumber will clean the pipes and kill gnat larvae. I flush my traps with Clorox Cleanup regularly.

Conclusion:

A friend of mine told me to put a shallow bowl on the counter with ½ cup of apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid. She said this would attract the gnats and get rid of them. After two days of the kitchen smelling heavily of apple cider vinegar, I had only trapped one gnat. My expectations were not met. Keeping rotting wood, limbs and composting leaves removed from our property has done more to get rid of the gnats than anything else I have tried.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of species of gnats and I have only listed four. Gnats are impossible to completely eliminate, but they can be diminished with perseverance.