“Gnats thrive in moist environments, which is why you're used to seeing them in the spring and summer, especially after rainfall or if you live in a humid area,” said Sean Knox, owner of Knox Pest Control.
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.
During excessive rain, many insects invade homes looking for shelter, includingspiders,ants, androaches. Flood conditions can force some bugs, includingantsandyellow jackets, out of their nests in the ground. When this happens, ant colonies can quickly invade homes looking for food and dry ground.
The most common reason for gnats outside your home is the presence of suitable habitats for breeding. They're looking for moist soil with nearby food sources.
Make the natural habitat inhospitable. This means drying out the soil they live in because fungus gnat larvae need moist soil. If you let it dry out completely before your next watering, it will get rid of the gnats in the soil and discourage new adults from laying their eggs.
Gnats are seasonal pests that thrive during the spring. With proper methods of control, they may eventually go away as the year progresses. Gnats have a short life cycle and will often disappear when the cold months start.
So in order to get rid of fungus gnats, let the top 2 inches of soil dry before watering, you can also use bottom watering technique, hydrogen peroxide, BT solution, mosquito bits, and spinosad to get rid of fungus gnats as well.
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.
Excess moisture in and around your home, such as damp soil, wet houseplants, or leaky pipes, can attract gnats looking for breeding sites.
These tiny bugs serve as an important food source for many animals, including birds, bats and large insects, the Washington Post(Opens in a new window) reports. In addition, they help pollinate plants and flowers.
Because rainwater weighs down and damages their wings, most flying insects will stay outside and cover under leaves, inside knotholes in trees, under your roofline, or your window frames. They will go wherever they can quickly find shelter.
Most areas of your home receive enough protection from the weather that they can be treated when it's raining. Even the outside walls are somewhat protected by the roof overhang in most cases. If your pest control treatment needs to be changed or modified to accommodate the rain, your technician will advise you.
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.
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.
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.
Gnat bites range in appearance depending upon the sensitivity of your body's reaction and the number of bites you sustained. Bites are most likely to occur on uncovered skin such as ankles and legs, arms, neck, and head.
Conclusions. Based on the results obtained from our study, it is evident that Bounce original brand fabric softener dryer sheets repel fungus gnats.
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.
Homemade gnat repellent spray: A mixture of dish soap, water, baking soda, and vinegar can be filled into a spray bottle. The mixture should contain a few drops of dish soap, a tablespoon of vinegar, and baking soda per cup of water. A few sprays of this mixture is an effective gnat repellent.
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.
All plants can generally tolerate hydrogen peroxide, however it must be diluted. If it is left at full strength, it can bleach or damage leaves.
2 Steps to Gnat-Free
Discard the soil immediately, and replace this top layer with sand, which is free of organic matter and dries out quickly—an unappealing medium for fungus-gnat eggs. Let the soil below dry out completely before the next watering.