A bug infestation is the last thing you will want in your home. However, it is easy to get yourself in a situation where you have them in your space. It takes something as simple as spilling sugar on the counter or forgetting to take the trash out, and you have a gnat mess to deal with. Some of the effective remedies to help you get rid of gnats include luring and killing them with apple cider vinegar, pouring bleach down drains, and sinks, setting a gnat trap with the help of bananas and using a water-vinegar-dish soap combination in a spray bottle to kill the gnats individually. You can also use a bug zapper, flypaper, and a chemical spray to help you get rid of these bugs.
Effective Products for Getting Rid of Gnats & Fruit Flies for 2022
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Editor’s Picks |
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Most Effective |
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Runner Up |
Katchy Original Indoor Insect Trap |
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Cheapest |
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Natural |
Most Effective: Hot Shot Kitchen Bug Killer
We found this to be the most effective solution for when the gnats and fruit flies just won’t go because it is a botanical product designed to tackle this particular problem. It can be used as a fruit fly spray as well as for killing other insects within the kitchen and even pantries. It is recommended as a space spray, meaning that it can be used to treat the house weekly or every so often. Ensure that you use the spray according to the instructions of the manufacturer to avoid any accidents.
Runner Up: Katchy Original Indoor Insect Trap
Insect traps are commonly used in environments with bigger insects such as mosquitoes. However, they can be an effective solution as you try to deal with gnats. A good gnat trap should be safe to use indoors and convenient. The Katchy Original Indoor InsectTrap is one such device. It has a fan that works by sucking in the insects and a sticky board that traps the insects once they are in. They are quiet and will be able to capture gnats and houseflies in your home without your intervention. The design of the device is also attractive and will fit flawlessly into your home. The only form of investment you will be making involves buying and setting up the trap in an area with a high volume of gnats.
Best for budget: Black Flag Fly Paper
Flypaper is not only satisfying but a trusted and cheap solution that has been used for ages. As one of the most effective fruit flies traps, it works by simply catching flying bugs on their sticky surfaces. There are two ways you can work with flypaper; you can place it in an area that has a lot of gnats and fruit flies, or you can use window flypaper that will cover the entire window. Whichever way you will choose shall be effective, and you will have solved your gnat problem with the cheapest solution to kill gnats.
Best Natural: A rotten fruit trap
It is common to hear that you should use a thief to catch a thief. This exactly what you will do when using the rotten fruit trap to catch fruit flies and gnats and kill them. To get rid of gnats you will need to add pieces of a ripe banana into a large bowl and mash it to a pulp. Next, cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and use a rubber band to hold the plastic in place. You should then poke a few holes on the plastic wrap. The smell of the banana will attract the gnats, and they will flock the fruit bowl and make their way through the holes. Fortunately for you, they will not be able to reemerge from the bowl, then the gnats will soon die.
Best Electronic: Pest Soldier
This is a ultrasonic Pest Repeller, it works by electronic plug in. According to the manufacture, it is equipment with newest chip technology, which is better then the other ultrasonic repellers on the market. The technology behind it uses electromagnetic waves to drive away mice, rats, spiders, ants, bugs, cockroaches, mosquitoes, fruit flies, flea, crickets, gnats, insects and rodents. Easy to use, just plug it into the socket wall in the room and it will do the rest.
Do-It-Yourself Solutions to Get Rid of Gnats
If you do not like the idea of applying chemical solutions to address the issue. If this sounds like you, not all hope is gone. There are some effective do-it-yourself steps that can be applied to ensure that gnats and fruit flies are gone from your home. They include:
Cleaning up: This is the first thing you should do when you discover that you have gnats in your home. When you clean, you eliminate the food source that is attracting them to your home in the first place. A good idea would be to stock your products in the fridge and remove any rotten items and take them to the bin. If you have vegetables and fruits, wash them as soon as you reach home as they are known to carry eggs and larvae and seal and store them. When these items are kept securely in place, fruit flies do not have a source of food to keep them around.
Setting up a candle trap: This is an easy old school trick that you can use as a gnat and fruit fly trap. All you need is a candle and candlestick.
Place your candle on the candlestick then place the candlestick in a pan filled with water. After this, you will need to turn off the lights and wait for the insects to make their way to the light. There is a chance they will get scorched, and if they do not, they will fall into the water in the pan.
Remember that candles can cause a fire if left unattended. You will need to attend to the flame until it burns out or until you blow it out.
Use a wine trap: When talking of wine traps, we are not asking you to use all your wine supply to try and get rid of these little insects. Instead, this gnat trap DIY requires you to use expired wine that has almost turned into vinegar.
Pour out some of your expired wine into a small bowl and add some dish soap into your solution. Next, you shall place the wine and dish soap mixture into places that are laden with gnats. This solution can also be used as a fruit fly trap DIY, so do not be afraid to use it if you have fruit flies.
What kind of spray will help to get rid of gnats?
A botanical spray such as the one we mentioned above is efficient for getting rid of gnats, especially when you have tried other methods, and they have failed. Other worthy tries apart from the spray would be using a Hot Shot No-Pest Strip.
Interesting Facts about Gnats
- Female gnats can bite, but male gnats do not. The female bite is painful and can cause skin infection in humans and animals.
- They have a lifespan of about four to five months and can lay up to 300 eggs per day
- They attack in large swarms, which is one of the reasons that make them a nuisance in the home.
- They come into human residences mostly during the winter to find warmer environments.
- Females are attracted to a black color and need blood to live as opposed to males who only need nectar to survive.
How to Prevent Gnats & Fruit Flies
The first step to preventing gnats from infesting is to clean your dishes immediately after you are done with eating. Any remains should be disposed of in the trashcan, which should then be sealed. Remains of food are a breeding ground for gnats. It is important to cover your trash bags so that you do not let odour spread into the outside surroundings because it will attract other pests as well.
Also, check pots around your home to ensure that gnats are not coming from there. Some gnat species, such as the fungus gnat, thrive in poor-quality soils.
Also, get rid of damp areas as gnats like this type of surrounding for their survival. Damp areas in your home include drains, bathrooms, and sinks. By reducing dampness around these areas using a humidifier would go a long way to ensure you do not get gnats in your home.
FAQ
HOW DO GNATS LOOK?
They are small, slender have six feet and a pair of wings that they use when flying. They usually are approximately an eighth to quarter-inch long. Their antennae are lengthy and are small even after they mature.
CAN GNATS POSE A THREAT TO ME AND MY HOUSEHOLD?
Some gnats like the fungus gnat can cause damage to your houseplants in the larvae stage. Female gnats that bite feed on humans, pets, and livestock and other species such as the black gnat can spread diseases.
WHY DO I HAVE GNATS?
You are more likely to see gnats during the summer as the humid and moist weather is conducive for their breeding. In winter months, they are more likely to come into your home because it is warmer. Also, some types of soil provide a conducive environment for some gnat species. Lastly, you may have carried them or their eggs from the market with your product.
WHERE DO FRUIT FLIES COME FROM?
You probably never thought about the origin of fruit flies until they became a problem in your home. However, the answer to this question is simple. These flies breed in decaying organic matter and can be found on the surface of overripe fruits. It advised that you wash fruit even if it is just from the market because fruit fly eggs may already be on the fruit waiting to hatch.
WHAT DO FRUIT FLIES EAT?
They eat fruits and sugary substances. Also, they love to indulge in the fermenting sugars found in alcoholic beverages, hence the wine and apple cider vinegar tricks that we mentioned above. They also like the nectar from flowers and prefer to stay in warm places where their larvae can hatch.
