How To Get Rid Of Gnats Flies Ticks Mosquitoes And All Other Pesky Insects
Now that summer is here, homeowners have to reconcile with the fact that with warmer weather comes more bugs. Nobody wants an infestation of any kind whether it be mosquitoes that suck your blood while youre sleeping or little fungus gnats that wreak havoc on your kitchen. So, what can you do to get rid of all these pesky pests?
Sure, there are plenty of insect repellents out there, but they might not be the best for the environment or for your health. Skip the insecticides and harmful chemicals and opt for a more non-toxic, sustainable route to getting rid of gnats, flies, ticks, and mosquitoes.
And should you find yourself exhausted by the now full-time job of trying to rid your home of gnats, flies, ticks, and mosquitoes naturally, you can always buy a safe and nontoxic insect trap from Zevo. Zevos flying insect trap products simply plug into an outlet using multi-spectrum light technology and body head attractants, this plug-in attracts bugs whether theyre gnats, flies, mosquitoes, or whatever else you can name without the help of chemical insecticides and catches them inside with a sticky adhesive backing. Throw away the dead insects, then replace the cartridge.
Looking for ways to get rid of any other creepy, crawling critters? Keep reading for more all-natural ways to get rid of various insects!
Get Rid Of What Attracts Gnats Indoors
Keeping the food they crave out of reach is the first step in removing the incentive for them to return. Avoid leaving perishables out on kitchen countertops. This also includes not putting waste products like peels or scraps in uncovered containers like the sink.
Gnats can be kept out of trash by using trash cans with tightly fitting lids. As an added precaution against food particles, sinks should be cleaned on a regular basis. Also, dont forget to frequently maintain your garbage disposal and bathroom sink drains.
A metal pipe wire brush is useful for removing food debris from drains. Better yet, you can clean your drains and disposals while also killing the gnats with a mix of vinegar, baking soda, and salt. To make this, combine 1/4 cup each of salt and baking soda with 1 cup of vinegar. Use it once a week, youll see results!
One last thing: double check that the sinks drain basket is completely plugged. Gnats, flies, and food scraps prefer to hide in the tiny crevices and gaps in the drains gasket. You may prevent gnats from setting up shop in that spot by running a bead of silicone around your drain seal.
How To Prevent Gnats
Keep gnats from getting in your home in the first place in by sealing up cracks, holes and crevices in your doors, walls, windows and foundation. Repair or replace window screens with tears or rips.
Put food and beverages away after meals and clean up spills. Dont leave pet food out and wash pet bowls daily.
Check for leaks from indoor and outdoor plumbing and constantly damp soil around your downspouts or under your gutters. Clean up damp places where gnats like to breed, such as compost piles and leaf piles, and keep birdbaths, fountains and other water features clean.
Use trash cans with tightly fitting lids and remove indoor trash daily. Keep compost piles and outdoor trash containers at least 15 feet away from your house.
Keep fruits and vegetables refrigerated, not on the counter. Wash fruits and vegetables before putting them away.
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What Causes Lots Of Gnats In The House
Gnats are attracted by:
Warm, humid atmospheres, which you can fix by checking for leaks and damp, airing spaces and investing in a dehumidifier.
Poor housekeeping: wiping up spills, draining standing water, keeping drains clean, sealing garbage cans and putting away uneaten food, fruit and veg will help deter them.
Overwatered plants: you’ll notice them when you water plants, as they will suddenly appear from the soil in a plume. Allowing soil to dry out completely between watering will make soil less attractive to them.
How Can You Prevent Gnats From Getting Inside Your Home
You might not be able to prevent it completely since you never know if they are coming home with you on plants or even fruit. However, you can be proactive and do your best to prevent it. Simple things like taking out the trash, keeping fruits and vegetables covered and put away, and being mindful of how much you water your plants can significantly help.
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Natural Remedies To Rid Your Yard Of Gnats
There are so many tiny flying insects in the universe, but man, arent they annoying! Most of these little buggers are generalized as gnats they buzz over your head and get into your face while you sweat and curse. Well, you are certainly not alone.
To get rid of gnats, heres what to do:
Insects should stay out there somewhere, in the woods maybe, but they invade our backyards and homes all the time. What attracts them to your home, you wonder, and how do you get rid of them naturally? Let us find out.
The Bottom Line On Gnats
Gnats are bothersome, common household pests that are drawn to damp areas and rotting food. To keep them out of your home, remove anything that attracts gnats such as rotting fruit, poor quality potting soil, dirty dishes, and festering trash. Setting a sticky gnat trap or a home remedy natural gnat trap can also reduce numbers and infestations as you deal with the issue.
Gnats are also attracted to poor soil with inadequate drainage outside. To resolve the issue, aerate your lawn every year, replace poor soil with fresh soil, and apply a pest killer to the ground.
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Fogging For Gnats The Best Gnat Control ^
Now if you want to treat 5,000 sq/ft or more of yard, fogging will be the way to go. Anyone that fogs will find this method to be much faster compared to spraying liquids. Additionally, youll be using a lot less material to get the same area treated compared to liquid sprays. This is true because youll be able to stretch your liquid mixtures to cover a lot more area. Basically youll use about 1/10 as much chemical which means youll save on chemical costs and on time.
Youll also get way better coverage because mist applications get most every side of any plants being treated so gnats and their eggs wont be able to hide or be missed in the landscape.
Can Gnats Lay Eggs In Clothes
Gnats may lay eggs in clothes if they are left damp and undisturbed for a period of time, so making sure your laundry room is equipped to properly dry your clothing is essential. If gnats have laid eggs on damp clothes, there is a chance that larvae will hatch within a few days or weeks.
If you find gnat eggs or larvae on clothing, do not throw the item away. Instead, lay the clothing out as best you can outside and sprinkle it with salt to kill the maggots. Throw the clothing into a large bin bag and put it in the washing machine at a high temperature to kill any remaining bugs or bacteria before drying thoroughly. Make sure to dispose of the plastic bag carefully incase any remaining maggots are left inside.
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When Should You Expect To See Gnats
Depending on the area in which you live, spring weather is often accompanied by warmer temperatures and a decent amount of rain. Humid, semi-warm environments are extremely inviting and habitable for gnats. This is why you start to see them as warmer spring temperatures give way to summer.
Mid-May to late June is the most likely time frame in which you will see and experience gnats swarming your environment. Even though they have a short lifespan about 18-30 days long, gnats can reproduce new populations within 17 days. This is the reason why infestations can become overwhelming and difficult to reduce.
The good news is, as warmer summer temperatures start getting more consistent, the gnat population will begin to die off.
Best Insecticides To Kill Gnats
If you eliminate likely breeding areas and go through your house to get rid of adult gnats, youll likely stop seeing them within a short period.
With that said, there may be some infestations severe enough to require a more aggressive approach. If this is the case in your home, the best method for getting rid of gnats is to use a chemical insect fogger.
Foggers can clear your home of gnats and other pests, but they are also messy and should be handled with care, and have your house completely cleared of people, for the duration recommended. Generally, its best to try less aggressive methods first and only use a fogger if you feel its necessary.
For a less intrusive chemical approach, you may consider using the yellow sticky traps from Gideal also available at Amazon.
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How To Remove Gnats From The Kitchen
Well, the simplest way to get rid of gnats in your kitchen is to find out what kind of gnat it is. Not all types are difficult or even able to be eradicated completely. The most important thing that I learned about getting rid of gnats after reading many helpful articles was that if you can figure out which type of gnat is plaguing your life, it really makes a difference in how you can successfully get rid of them.
Not all types of gnats are difficult to eradicate completely. Two common types of Gnats include fungus gnats and drain flies. The first thing you will need to do is separate the two so you know which one you are dealing with. Fungus gnats are small black flies, also known as sour root flies, because they love the nectar of flowers and overripe fruit that have broken down into alcohol on the floor of your flower or kitchen. They lay their eggs just above the soil line in humid, dark, damp environments such as a cupboard which is warm and wet, often from the steam of a tea kettle.
Fruit flies are very similar to fungus gnats but can be distinguished by the color of their wings and body, which is typically yellow. They are attracted to the same type of food that fungus gnats enjoy, such as fermented rotting fruit and veggies, dirty dishes left in the sink, and even overripe bananas!
Kill & Repel Outdoors
An ever-present swarm of gnats in your yard will make lawn work and outdoor entertaining like BBQs and playdates miserable activities. Don’t worry, we’re not going to let that happen to you. Here’s how to reclaim your lawn and get the gnat-free yard you and your family deserve.
First, let’s prep your yard. It’s simple: the more cluttered, overgrown and moist your lawn, the more gnats you’re going to experience. So before we spray your lawn for bugs, including gnats, you’ll want to clean it up by trimming shrubbery and removing bug-attracting elements like piles of leaves, wood or brush, and items that collect rainwater or produce moisture, such as unused equipment, gear and appliances as well as leaky hoses and plumbing.
Next, spray your entire lawn-including shrubs and bases of trees-with family-safe, pet-friendly PCO Choice. Apply twice the first month, two weeks apart, and then just once a month after that.
For best results, start spraying as soon as the weather first warms and keep applying until freezing conditions return . If you live in a warmer region like The South, monthly treatments should be done all year long.
For additional bug protection, broadcast Insect-Repelling Cedar Granules throughout your yard and garden.
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Repel Them With Scent
Gnats are naturally drawn to fruity scents in fact, your shampoo, body wash, or perfume may be what makes you a desirable target for these pesky flying pests.
An easy way to combat this is by using unscented soaps or avoiding that spritz of cologne during the summer. Or, you can switch up your favorite scent with something they dont like. Try Lighting citronella candles, using lemon or vanilla sprays. While gnats are a fan of sweet-smelling fruit, they cant seem to stand vanilla, lemon, or even lavender. A little spritz can at least keep them at bay.
How Do You Get Rid Of Gnats Once And For All
Pour a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar into a bowl or jar, then stir in a few drops of dish soap. The bugs will be attracted to the sweet smell, and the sticky soap will prevent them from being able to fly away. Some people also like to mix in a little sugar, as well, to really amp up the sweetness.
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How Do You Get Rid Of Gnats
When getting rid of gnats, you may have to treat the problem both inside and outside your home. The best way to get rid of gnats is to find a combination of solutions that address both indoor and outdoor gnat infestations.
How to Get Rid of Gnats in Your House
- Identify and remove the source of the infestation. The source may be rotting produce, old food spillage in a sink or a trash can, a houseplant or anything else that creates a good food source and breeding site for gnats.
- Purchase a gnat trap or gnat zapper or create a DIY gnat trap to catch and kill the gnats in the house.
- Use a gnat spray to kill gnats in flight or to spray down areas of infestation.
How to Get Rid of Gnats Outside
- Identify and remove potential source of infestations. The source of outdoor gnat infestations may be harder to identify than indoor sources, but you can begin by bagging and removing leaf and clipping piles, relocating compost bins and drain standing water spots if possible.
- Allow the lawn and garden beds to dry more thoroughly between waterings.
- Hang gnat traps in areas you notice gnat swarms and change the fly paper frequently.
- Electric or flame torches can help repel gnats and other insects from your outdoor spaces.
- Use outdoor gnat spray or DIY gnat spray on plants that attract gnats.
Use Citronella As A Bug Repellent
Citronella candles are a popular and easy way to repel gnats. They produce a strong smell that bugs donât like, and they come in various forms, such as incense, oil, or candles. While not as powerful as other bug repellents, they are more atmospheric and can last a long time.
You can buy a large pack of citronella tea light candles and place them around your yard for maximum repellent power.
Another option is to stock your outdoor space with plants naturally produce citronella oil, such as lemongrass or lemon balm. Finally, if you have a patio, you can plant the plants around it for an added barrier against gnats.
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How To Get Rid Of Swarming Gnats In Our Yard
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Nothing can ruin an outdoor get-together more quickly than the nuisance of gnats swarming around you and your guests. While intrinsically harmless, these tiny, pesky fungus gnats have a way of emerging at the most inopportune times. Technically flies, these fungus gnats look more like mosquitoes, but are merely one-eighth of an inch long. Gnats are pesty year-round in the coastal regions, such as the West Coast. Fortunately, there are several ways to control these gnats in your yard.
Why Am I Getting So Many Gnats In My House
The leading causes of having many gnats in your house are moist breeding grounds for gnats. It includes food spillage, wet potting soil, overwatered grass or plants, garbage cans, potted plants, puddles in the kitchen or outside your house, leaky pipes under the sink, condensation around windows, and vents.
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Trapping Gnats Using Honey & Vinegar
Have you ever heard that gnats cannot resist honey and vinegar?
The trick lies in placing a pot or container which contains a little bit of honey in the open and watching as gnats scramble unto their death, trying to get a taste of honey in the container.
Another brilliant idea is to mix warm water, scented liquid soap, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and a little bit of sugar.
Starch is sticky, and for this reason, gnats come flying home to their death as they get trapped in the mixture.
Use Plants That Get Rid Of Gnats
Variety is the spice of life and when it comes to gnats, you can keep them away with a variety of plants. The wonderful thing about using plants is that not only do they look nice in your garden, but they will also help keep more than just gnats away! Just be sure to plan things strategically so as not too overcrowd certain areas or forget another section altogether.
Planting a garden of herbs and flowers is an excellent way to keep pests away. If youre looking for more natural ways to deter gnats, try planting geraniums, lemon thyme, lavender or Mexican marigold near your outdoor space as these will keep the pesky bugs away!
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