Gnats don't just show up in the summer and go away when it's winter. They can reproduce inside your home, so it's best to think proactively to include indoor and outdoor pest control throughout the year. Inside, if you have house plants with moist soil, that may become a breeding ground for gnats.
Fungus gnats will not go away on their own. In order to ensure these bugs don't hang around for a long period of time, you'll need to take matters into your own hands and try several different methods to remove them.
Among the different species, the life cycle is about a month, so there are several generations throughout the spring and summer. Fortunately, as has been observed this year, problems with midges and gnats are usually temporary. Generally, these problems tend to evaporate with the onset of dry weather.
In cooler weather it can take 4 to 5 weeks or more to complete the life cycle, so winter treatment can take longer. That's why I always recommend treating for 2 months (8 weeks), but at least 4 weeks minimum if you've caught it early and only have a tiny infestation.
Use a small saucer to mix a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a few drops of dishwashing soap and a little sugar. Put the saucer near the gnats. Use more than one saucer, if needed. The gnats will be drawn to the sweet solution, fall in and get trapped.
The only way to get rid of gnats without killing them is to repel them with scents they don't like: vinegar, vanilla, pine oil, peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus, and lavender. Even dryer sheets could help. Of course, the first line of duty would be to get rid of the infestation's root cause.
Where do gnats come from? Gnats come to find a breeding ground and place to lay their eggs. They seek out moist places, decomposing organic matter and damp soil of houseplants, and can be found around your trash or recycling bin.
How to Know If You Have Gnats. Unlike roaches, which can be hard to spot because they mostly come out at night and hide during the day, gnats are easy to spot because they swarm at all hours of the day. If you see one and are wondering if there may be more, head to your plants, windows, and lights.
Fruit traps - Some homeowners use a jar of rotting fruit covered with perforated plastic wrap to lure and then trap gnats. Red Wine Traps Vinegar - Similar to a fruit trap, this option uses the gnats' attraction to these pungent liquids to trap them inside a jar.
Inside the home, gnats can be attracted to unsealed produce, fresh flowers, houseplants, food spillage and open or overflowing garbage cans. Gnats may also live in sink drains where food residue can collect. Dirty kitchen sink drains can provide food, water, shelter and breeding sites to many fly species.
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.
Their saliva can cause an allergic reaction, which for most people is usually mild. They can't bite through fabric, so they only affect exposed skin. They usually feed in the morning and evening.
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.
A diluted solution of Hydrogen Peroxide and water poured directly onto the soil will kill fungus gnat larvae on contact and help stop the gnats' life cycle.
In general, gnats go through the four life stages of egg, larva, pupa and adult, similar to other flies. The fungus gnats lay their eggs in moist organic debris or soil, which hatch into larvae. The larvae feed on organic matter such as leaf mold, mulch, compost, grass clippings, root hairs and fungi.
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. Traps can also be made out of red wine and dish soap, or rotting fruit.
Gnats have a strong aversion to various smells, including peppermint, lemon, eucalyptus, vanilla, lavender, citronella, and DEET, so you can use this characteristic to ward off gnats.
Gnats lay their eggs in moist or decomposing organic matter. Gnats in plants are a common observation by homeowners, as well as in and around trash cans with organic waste, and clogged drains. Identifying and eliminating these breeding sites is crucial in controlling gnat populations.
Start by getting a jar and filling it with apple cider vinegar, sugar, dish soap and water. Mix it well and place the solution near the problem areas. The gnats will be attracted to the smell of apple cider and sugar but will die on contact because of the soap.
BT is very effective in killing off the larvae and will disrupt the lifecycle of the population, meaning that you can be totally gnat free within a fortnight or so. Within days of applying the bits, you'll notice a huge dip in gnat numbers.
That happens because gnats love moisture and the scent of things they like to eat: mostly organic waste and matter like potting soil, fresh and rotting produce, plants, and sewage.
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.
Gnats are often attracted to moist environments, such as overwatered plants, garbage, or food residue. Finding and eliminating these sources is the first step in getting rid of them. Overwatered Plants: Reduce watering and allow the soil to dry out between waterings.
If you don't have vinegar at home, bleach will kill drain gnats, but it's a potent environmental pollutant, so you're better off running to the store for vinegar, which is actually more effective for cleaning your drain pipes.
The adult has about a 10 day lifespan but during that period may lay in excess of 250-300 eggs. The life cycle begins with the egg hatching in five to six days into a larva. Larvae feed for 10 to 14 days and then change into pupae in the soil.