You can prevent insect bites by wearing protective clothing, using insect repellants, and avoiding being outdoors during early morning or dusk when gnats are most active.
Fruit flies and fungus gnats, both commonly referred to as 'gnats,' rely heavily on their strong sense of smell to navigate. You can take advantage of this trait and repel gnats by using scents they hate such as peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus, vanilla, lavender, citronella, and DEET.
Use an insect repellant on the clothing you wear and on your skin and in your hair. Many lotions contain insect repellant that will keep gnats away. Use a nontoxic spray in and under your hair and around your neck. Use insect repellants only as directed for safety.
In addition, gnats may also be attracted to certain scents, such as perfumes or lotions, which can increase the likelihood of being bitten. Other factors that can make individuals more susceptible to gnat bites include sweat, body odor, and certain blood types. Not all species of gnats bite humans or animals.
Make your own natural version by combining a cup of water with a tablespoon each of vinegar and baking soda, adding in a drop of dish soap. Shake the mixture in a spray bottle, and spray where gnats seem to congregate in your house. The solution is even safe to use (sparingly) around houseplants.
Use an over-the-counter anti-itch or antihistamine cream, such as hydrocortisone, or a homemade baking soda paste(link is external and opens in a new window). Do not use topical antibiotics, like mupirocin, unless there are signs of an infection or instructed by your doctor.
Repel 100 Insect Repellent, Repels Mosquitos, Ticks and Gnats, For Severe Conditions, Protects For Up To 10 Hours, 98% DEET (Pump Spray) 1 fl Ounce.
Insect Repellent Hats
Help keep mosquitoes, flies, and other biting bugs away from your face, head, and neck with Insect Shield Bug Repellent Hats. Our insect repellent packable hat, brim hat, sun hat, and caps also repel gnats and midges (no-see-ums).
Conclusions. Based on the results obtained from our study, it is evident that Bounce original brand fabric softener dryer sheets repel fungus gnats.
Use Lavender Spray Or Plants
Gnats are not fans of the aroma of lavender, so whether you want to plant your lavender because you enjoy the look as well as the scent or choose to use a liquid substitute to this scent, gnats will avoid it.
Breath, Sweat & Tears. A gnat is always searching for moisture and salt, which are found in sweat and tears. Unfortunately, the pests are vectors for pink eye. They are also drawn to the smell of bad breath and to the carbon dioxide people expel when exhaling.
Homemade gnat killer spray: A mixture of half a cup of water, half a cup of isopropyl alcohol, and a teaspoon of dish liquid can be filled in a spray bottle. This mixture can be sprayed on the gnats directly to kill them.
Cover Up - Wearing Long Sleeves, Head Nets and Long Pants to reduce bodily exposure to biting gnats is helpful. Repellents - Using insect repellents approved for biting gnat prevention is only marginally effective and usually is nowhere near as successful as when used to repel mosquitoes.
Allergic reaction
Most people won't have severe symptoms after being bitten or stung by an insect. However, some people can react badly to them because they've developed antibodies to the venom. You're more likely to have an allergic reaction if you're stung by an insect.
Gnats are primarily attracted to sweet and fruity scents, but many species of gnats are also drawn to water and body heat. Perspiration and even the moisture of your eyes and nose can draw in gnats. Fruits, vegetables and flowers growing in your garden or food residue in your sink can attract these pests.
The best way to avoid getting bitten by gnats is to wear an insect repellent.
Research has shown that a couple of chemical compounds commonly found in the sheets (linalool and beta-citronellol) will deter the gnats and mosquitoes from hanging around, making this a reasonable and easier-to-use alternative to spray-on bug repellent.
Bugs are naturally attracted to bright colors like white, yellow or orange. Colors like green and blue won't register as vividly when seen in the UV spectrum, deterring bugs away from these colored objects.
Gnat bites look like small red, itchy bumps. Since gnats are so small, you may never know that they are feeding on you.
Additionally, houseplants can harbor gnats, particularly fungus gnats, which lay their eggs in moist soil. The larvae then feed on organic matter in the soil, potentially harming plants and causing an infestation. Overwatering plants only makes this situation worse.
First, gnats hate the smell of vinegar. You can use apple cider vinegar to your advantage. Put some in a small dish and add a few drops of dish soap. This traps the gnats and keeps them away from you.
Water is great for your health in many ways, including itch relief. Drinking more water keeps your skin hydrated from the inside out and flushes out toxins that can cause irritation. Remember, caffeine and alcohol are dehydrating and can worsen itching.
Toothpaste can help relieve the itch of a mosquito bite by acting as an astringent, drawing the venom from the bite as it dries. The menthol in toothpaste also creates a cooling effect similar to ice, which can help ease irritation.
Other factors such as blood type and breathing patterns also seem to play a role. Type O blood appears to attract the pests. So does breathing heavily — such as after a workout — which exudes more carbon dioxide around you, which attracts mosquitoes.