We hardly ever pay heed to the unwelcoming guests residing in many corners and crevices of our home until their buzzing presence escalates to discomfort. Owing to such nuisance we seek professional assistance by calling over the guys at pest control to help us get rid of these tiny, havoc wreaking creatures. However, prior to digging a hole inside our pocket we often fail to search alternatives to our problems, a league of simple yet extraordinary home remedies for getting rid of these unpleasant insects.
Gnats are one of those species of insects that make living in your house a hell with their presence. Several conditions pave way for our home to become a brooding ground zero for infestation led by various types of insects. Unlike other insects they do not house near specific areas; rather they tend to fly across the entire area of your house because of their wings, making their existence to known to everyone. Also gnats in the house are really hard to dispose of, and hence, getting rid of them becomes a state of acute emergency. Here, we have brought a bunch of easy and simple home remedies on getting rid of gnats.
What causes gnats?
- Attracted by moisture conditions gnats are often found in summer or winter seasons. The humidity and moisture found in climate is a leading cause for the inception of gnat’s presence in your home.
- Fungus is the most favorite diet for gnats and thus, they can be found hovering near scrape food, meals, vegetables or fruits left unattended or unnoticed.
- Damp places tend to harbor gnats and their eggs. Lakes, ponds, potholes or presence of wet areas are welcoming zone for gnats.
- Gnats mostly are found near trash cans and waste disposals that are left out in the open. Careless management of trash and waste in an area leads to huge overgrowth of gnats.
- Kitchens are the hotspots for gnats. Logging of water around pipes and drains result in breeding of gnats.
- The root cause of the annoying presence of gnats is untidiness, poor sanitation and improper disposal of garbage. Places that are not maintained properly are bound to be infested.
Home Remedies to Get Rid of Gnat Problems in House – Make Your Task Easier
1. Apple Vinegar
Amongst various home remedies for getting rid of gnats, the easiest and the simplest one is making a vinegar trap. All that is needed is a jar, apple cider vinegar, and you are all set. A jar filled with apple vinegar attracts gnats. Once the gnats enter into the jar they aren’t allowed to leave. After all the gnats have been trapped you can throw the jar and get rid of them.
2. White Vinegar
If you haven’t got apple vinegar then no worries, you can always substitute it with standard white vinegar. It shall produce same results and even the underlying procedure remains unchanged. Getting rid of gnats using vinegar is a simple and traditional approach which any individual can employ.
3. Banana Peel
Another remedy to deal with gnat infestation in your home is using banana slices or banana peels/leftovers. The procedure is simple and doesn’t require professional expertise. Take a jar and place some banana slices or peels in it. Cover it with the help of a plastic wrap and poke a few holes to let the gnats inside. Once all the gnats are trapped you can dispose the jar off.
4. Red Wine
Trapping gnats using a mixture of vinegar and dish soap is clearly an easy and efficient method. However, one can also use an alternate where to deal with gnats vinegar is easily replaced by Red Wine. Take a container filled with leftover of red wine. Add a drop of dish wash. The aroma of red wine attracts the gnats. Once they try to sit on the surface, dish wash breaks the surface tension and gnats straightaway fall down into the solution and are instantly killed.
5. Soda Bottle
Generally in absence of jars, one can use soda bottles to trap gnats. After cutting the top third of a soda bottle it behaves in a similar fashion as a funnel. The funnel provides an inlet for gnats to enter. It is essential to seal the open side of soda bottle to prevent gnats from escaping.
6. Rotten Fruits
On similar foot notes of entrapping gnats by banana peels, use of rotten fruits to attract and capture fungus gnats is hugely advised and followed by several people.
7. Olive Oil
Normally gnats prefer kitchen sink or drainage for breeding or hideouts. Pouring olive oil in the kitchen sink is the best homemade recipe to deal with gnats in kitchen, house drains and other remote places prone to gnats.
8. Vegetable Oil
Olive oil is expensive and wee bit complex to make at home. In such cases one can use vegetable oil that is cheap and as reliable as olive oil for getting rid of gnats.
9. Rubbing Alcohol
Dilute solution of alcohol water can be sprayed in the areas where gnats are thriving. It acts as an efficient gnat repellent.
10. Citronella Oil
A solution of Citronella oil, water, and liquid dish wash acts as a gnat repellent and can be sprayed in gardens, near trash cans or sink. They do not cause harm to either plants or pets and hence, are preferred by many people.
11. Vanilla
Gnats run afar from the scent of vanilla. The mixture of vanilla extract and water can be sprayed all around the house to repel gnats.
12. Ammonia
Ammonia is one of the excellent homemade remedies to get rid of gnats but is deemed harmful. Hence, it must be used carefully and diligently. It is the sole answer to your question regarding how to kill gnats.
13. Homemade Gnat Spray
Of many homemade remedies to get rid of gnats one is to prepare a homemade gnat spray that acts as an insect repellent using appropriate composition of lemon scented dish wash and water.
14. Fruit Juices
Fruit juices work similar to vinegar and are mostly used to lure and trap gnats so as to send them out straightaway.
15. Bleaching Solution
Besides pouring ammonia and vegetable oil in the kitchen sink, use of bleaching solution can also work the magic. However, care must be taken that it is not mixed with ammonia.
16. Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets can be laid out in gardens to prevent soil gnats from breeding or harboring in your pots. They dry out the soil that kills the larvae of newly formed gnats.
17. Lavender Oil
Soaking a sponge in lavender oil attracts the gnats and absorbs them thereby entrapping them inside the sponge. A lavender plant can also be placed in the garden to prevent the manifestation of gnats.
Precautions to prevent gnats from re-infesting:
- Keep your house in a clean state
- Don’t leave leftover food uncovered near the kitchen
- Avoid overwatering plants
- Prevent filling of stagnant water near your house or garden
- Use a lidded dustbin for garbage disposal
- Shut all windows and doors properly
- Dispose rotten fruits regularly
So if you are irritated by the constant presence of gnats in your homes, try any of the aforementioned home remedies to get rid of them. In case the infestation is prolonged and all the above methods are rendered ineffective put a call for professional help to deal with extreme gnat infestation.