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.
Combine equal parts vinegar and soap and then add a few tablespoons of sugar – once you mix it all together you can place the bowl wherever the gnats have been gathering. They will be attracted to the sugar and vinegar and drown in the mixture.
In a small bowl, mix a half cup of warm water plus two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, and about six drops of liquid dish soap. Gnats will be lured in by the sugary mixture, but once they dip in for a drink, the sticky dish soap will trap them.
One method includes setting a bowl near the infestation and pouring apple cider vinegar, a teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon of dish soap into the bowl. The sugar will attract the gnats, the dish soap will prevent them from escaping and the vinegar will kill them.
Vinegar will work best for fruit flies, the most common gnats we find in our homes, but won't work as well when getting rid of fungus gnats, points out Tom Dobrinska, a board-certified entomologist with Ehrlich Pest Control. 'The term “gnat” is a generic term that covers a variety of small flies.
Hydrogen Peroxide
A peroxide solution apparently kills larvae and eggs on contact, effectively killing off all infant gnats and disrupting the lifecycle. You should be able to buy hydrogen peroxide from any high street pharmacy or online. Mix 1 part 9% hydrogen peroxide with 6 parts water.
Apple Cider Vinegar Trap
Fill a glass or a bowl with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a half cup of warm water, and about 5 drops of liquid dish soap and stir well. Gnats will be attracted to the sweet sugar and pungent vinegar, but the sticky dish soap will disable them from escaping.
The most popular option is a vinegar trap, which is simple and cost-effective to create. Simply place a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and a tablespoon of sugar in a bowl and stir. Set your bowl in an area where gnats are prevalent, such as your kitchen or bathroom.
Gnats are attracted to moisture, so you're most likely to encounter them in the summer months—they often hang out in moist areas of your home like your kitchen drain or potted soil. That also means factors like food spills, unsealed garbage cans, or potted houseplants can all contribute to an infestation.
Vinegar itself does not get rid of gnats, but it is a good luring tactic to attract gnats into a trap. Vinegar smells sweet, so gnats will fly into a trap to get a drink. Using another substance like liquid dish soap helps to trap the gnats, that way they end up dying in the vinegar mixture.
Or, you can switch up your favorite scent with something they don't like. Try Lighting citronella candles, using lemon or vanilla sprays. While gnats are a fan of sweet-smelling fruit, they can't seem to stand vanilla, lemon, or even lavender. A little spritz can at least keep them at bay.
Attracted to damp soil, fungus gnats usually get into homes by flying inside or from infested houseplants brought inside the house. Fungus gnats infest soil and feed upon decaying or damaged plant roots as well as fungi found in the soil.
Gnats are seasonal; they are a springtime pest. Once we get consistent summer weather, they will go away. Their life cycle is short - usually mid-May to late June is when we see gnats. Gnats don't cause major damage to homes.
“These pests are attracted to moisture, so you may see swarms in areas with damp soils, standing water, or even houseplants that have been overwatered,” Ludwiczak adds. “The breeding habits of gnats are most active during warmer months, which is why they seem to be especially prevalent during summer.”
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.
Beat Pests with Vinegar
The bugs will fly into the vinegar and drown. This is a simple way to eliminate fruit flies without commercial pesticides. For quicker results, you can put a little vinegar in a spray bottle and spray the gnats (be careful not to get any vinegar in your eyes).
'If you are dealing with gnats in your bedroom, they may be attracted to any potted plants you have in there, since bedrooms don't typically offer the same sources of food that a kitchen does (where gnats are most common),' says Jeremy Yamaguchi and I'm the CEO of Lawn Love.
Dryer sheets can also be used to protect houseplants from annoying pests. Since they have been proven to repel fungus gnats, placing several dryer sheets near your houseplants could protect them from these root-eating pests.
They lay their eggs in moist soil or decaying fruit which the larva eats before hatching. Gnats can lay 100's of eggs so your infestation problem will get worse unless it's handled quickly.
With red wine
Just as gnats are attracted to the smell of apple cider vinegar and rotting fruit, they love the smell of red wine. Mix half a cup of red wine with a few drops of dish soap in a cup or bowl, or leave the dregs of an old bottle of red wine, add some dish soap, and put where the gnats are a problem.
Gnats are generally harmless to humans but pose dangers to your plants as the presence of gnat larvae can stunt their growth. Fortunately, one of the most effective home remedies involves an inexpensive and readily available household item, the Dawn dish soap.
Wet and covered in vinegar, the gnats will be unable to crawl back up the sides, or to fly out, which means the pool will start collecting dead gnats in a big hurry. Just leave your trap near where the gnats show up most frequently, and wait a day or two. The problem should resolve itself in fairly short order.
It will kill fungus gnat larvae on contact. After a few minutes, the fizzing will stop, and the hydrogen peroxide breaks down into harmless oxygen and water molecules.