How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies or Gnats

Gnats, also called fruit flies, are annoying little bugs that seem to come out of nowhere. Some common causes for fruit flies of course are fruits left out. It is best to place fruit in a freezer bag, but, I know that may not be as pretty as leaving it in a basket on your counter. But, a million gnats swarming your kitchen may not be very chic either.

The first way to get rid of fruit flies or gnats is to avoid getting them in the first place.

Clean up any spills you may have in the kitchen immediately. Especially anything spilled that may have sugar or starches in it. Think sodas, syrups, milk, fruit, alcohol, salsa, etc.

Do your dishes when you get done with a meal. Or, rinse out your dishes and make sure you run the water in the drains long enough to push all the food and food residue down the pipes.

Pouring bleach into your garbage disposal at least once a week will greatly reduce the risk of having a swarm of gnats above your sink. You can try other cleaners as well; I have just found bleach to be more efficient. I fill my sink half way with water and then add a cup of all purpose bleach. I let it set in the sink and soak for about 30 minutes before releasing the plug. Do not turn on the disposal for at least 30 more minutes. After time has elapsed, run some water and turn on the disposal.

Another trick to get rid of fruit flies, to freshen your disposal, and help clean the blades of your garbage disposal is to grind up lemon peels, or whole lemons, in your disposal every couple of weeks.

If you have gnats swarming in your kitchen now you can try a few various methods to get rid of as many of them as possible immediately. The following are some ridiculous sounding, but, fairly effective ways to capture the gnats.

-place a bowl of something sweet on the counter or close to the swarm. After about 30 minutes come check on the progress. If you still have hundreds swarming, try adding another bowl of something enticing to the gnats. After you have caught as many as you think you are going to, cover the bowl and let the gnats die out or empty the container furthest away from your house in the yard.

-Using your vacuum attachments can also be effective. I have found myself vacuuming the air to suck up as many of the gnats as I could. The heat will kill them as they come through the hose.

-You can use various bug sprays to get rid of the gnats as well; however, I prefer the least toxic and least odorous ways that I have mentioned above. But, if you need the gnats gone immediately, using bug spray is an effective solution to your gnat problem.