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Gnats won’t infest your home’s appliances but will infest the food. Once they get in from the window, door, or even your window AC unit, they can be a nuisance. If you eat in your room, that also provides them a source of food that they can munch on.
Common Types of Gnats
The cause of your gnat problem can vary depending on the type of gnat invading your home. Since fungus gnats typically live and breed in your indoor plants’ potted soil, too much moisture and organic matter in the soil is likely the cause. On the other hand, fruit flies are drawn to decaying fruits, so the bananas sitting on your counter or the bowl of apples on your table could be the cause of that issue. Drain flies are another common type of gnat in homes across the country, and they live and breed in the organic matter in your drain.
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Preventing Gnat Infestations
You could see drain flies, fruit flies, biting gnats, midges, or mosquitoes, all of which can be mistaken for gnats. When it comes to household gnats, the infestation is typically due to a source of organic material they're drawn to. First, it's essential to identify the specific pest in your home.
Are gnats dangerous? Do they bite?
Sometimes, you may find them on the ceiling, walls, bedroom, or kitchen. These may be outcompeted gnats that are looking for a new environment to live in or they may have come from the outdoors because it’s cooler or warmer inside your property. Gants are found in damp, undisturbed places like sinks, showers, toilets, garbage bins, drains, tubs, dumpsters, and trash cans. They may also hide in your empty beer bottles, outside garbage bin, compost heap, or garden.
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Tips for Preventing Gnats
Sometimes a more direct approach is helpful with gnats, especially when you only have a few. For a spot treatment that's effective and easy to put together, combine warm water with a few tablespoons of vinegar and a few drops of dish soap in a spray bottle. Combine well, and spray any gnats you see, whether they're flying or on the counter. If you have interior house plants and think you have fungus gnats but aren't sure, yellow sticky traps can be placed in your plant pots near the base of the plant. This will help determine if you have any fungus gnat activity in the soil.
The dregs of your spoiled wine work remarkably similar to an apple cider vinegar trap. Add a few drops of dish soap to the bottom of your nearly-empty wine bottle for a simple-as-can-be gnat trap. If houseplants are the source of your gnat issue, kill off any larvae in the soil of your houseplants by digging down 2 to 3 inches and turning the top of the soil over. Allow the soil to dry out, killing the larvae in the soil. Place 1 to 2 inches of sand on top of the soil to discourage standing water and deter gnats from laying eggs. Gnats are attracted to damp spots to lay eggs, particularly affecting houseplants since they like to lay eggs in moist soil.
Before killing gnats, the first thing to do is make sure that they are, in fact, gnats. There are many different types of itty-bitty flying insects, and each requires a slightly different elimination tactic. You may actually find yourself needing to know how to get rid of fruit flies or how to get rid of drain flies instead. If you know what to look for, it's easy to distinguish between bugs. Fungus gnats look black and feature long legs while fruit flies are typically brown and rounder in shape. Drain flies have a fuzzier appearance and larger wings, and as the name suggests, they hang out around sink drains.
How To: Get Rid of Flying Ants
It’s usually some kind of waste product, like dirty dishes or rotting fruits. If you continue to have appealing habitats for gnats in your home, no, they will not likely go away on their own. If you remove old food and beverages, take out the trash and are sure to eliminate high-moisture environments an infestation may subside. Gnats enter your home from the outdoors and can find their way through pretty much any crack. They are attracted to moisture, which is why you’ll likely find them in the bathroom sink or drain, and to fruit, especially if it’s gone bad.
The gnats will go crazy for the decaying fruit, but the extra-small holes mean they won't be able to escape. You can avoid getting rid of gnats entirely by preventing them in the first place. To do this, avoid keeping out overripe fruits or vegetables and keep your sink and kitchen counters clean. Just get rid of it — whether it’s moldy fruit on the counter or food that has built up in your garbage disposal. Leftover food will attract gnats and create all kinds of unwanted smells in your kitchen. On the same note, throw out your garbage, and until you do, make sure it stays in a sealed container.
You may have unknowingly brought home a plant from a garden center that was infested with gnats—or brought freshly picked produce infested with gnats indoors. Some bite humans and pets; some can even destroy plants. Fortunately, there are numerous remedies available to rid your home and yard of gnats. Gnats are attracted to moisture, so they are often found near bodies of water, moist soil or even freshly cut grass.
To make it, combine 1 tablespoon of sugar and 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with warm water in a bowl. Then, add a few drops of dish soap (any kind will do) and mix to combine well. Leave the bowl near your gnat problem and watch them dive in. The sweetness of the apple cider vinegar and sugar attracts the gnats, while the dish soap gets them stuck. Most gnats are not harmful to humans, though some can give you bites a little, like mosquito bites.
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