How to get rid of flying gnats

Lure and kill gnats with a mixture of apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and dish soap. (Alternatively, achieve the same result simply by combining red wine and dish soap.) Pour diluted bleach down the sink or tub drain, if you find gnats hovering near plumbing fixtures.

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 small black or dark-brown insects and they look like tiny flies. 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.

Repel them with Scent.

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.

Mainly a springtime pest, these little insects emerge as the winter thaws, and they are attracted to moisture. Gnat population could simply be attributed to how moist an environment is. The more rain and precipitation, the more gnats you’re likely to have. It doesn’t have to be just rain, either.

Gnats are active mostly during the day, especially around mid-morning and dusk. Biting usually peaks during a three-week period in late spring or early summer, and is usually more severe following droughts.

Bounce dryer sheets have been found to repel adult fungus gnats in the laboratory. Linalool is the most prevalent compound in the dryer sheets. It is often used in perfumes, but is found naturally in lavender and basil plants. It is likely the cause of the repellant behavior in this laboratory study.

Generally, gnats die in cold temperatures and thrive when temperatures are between 75 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

As the adults lay their eggs and multiply, the infestation continues to grow. Rest assured, however, that you can get rid of fungus gnats without having to trash all of your plants. If the infestation is new, let the soil of infected plants dry out completely, which kills the larvae.

Fungus gnat adults may live from about one to two weeks and complete one life cycle in about 18-30 days. Moth fly adults live for about 14 days and complete their life cycle in about 7-21 days.

Do gnats turn into maggots? No. “Maggot” is a term for insect larvae, usually fly larvae.

From egg to adult.

Is a gnat a baby fly? No, but they go through the same developmental stages. Each begins as an egg, then hatches into a larval – or worm-like – stage. Next, the larvae enter the pupal stage, which is often called a cocoon.

Nematodes such as Stenernema feltiae and predatory mite Hypoaspis miles are both predators that attack the fungus gnat larvae in the soil.

The fungus gnat – a common indoor pest that thrives in the overwatered soil of potted plants or greenhouses – lives out its life cycle in three to four weeks at temperatures of 77 degrees Fahrenheit or higher.

Bacillus thuringiensis var. Israelensis (BTI) is a naturally occurring bacteria that kills fungus gnat larvae. It is completely safe for people, pets and the earth, and very effectively targets unwelcome pests beneath the soil surface.

Flying Insect Spray

If you don’t want to wait for a trap to kill the fungus gnats, take them out quickly with a spray formulated with essential oils, like Ortho® Home Defense® Flying Bug Killer with Essential Oils. It kills quickly and is safe to use around kids and pets when used as directed.

You can fill the bottom of a deep bowl with apple cider vinegar or red wine, then add several drops of liquid dish soap. Put it near your infested house plants. The gnats love it, and will fall into it and die. Replace it every couple of days.

For infested plants, allow the soil to thoroughly dry between waterings. If the plant is of a type that cannot be allowed to dry out, immerse the pot in water and allow it to stand for an hour or so. This should drown the fungus gnat larvae.