How to Get Rid of Gnats
Updated: Mar. 23, 2023
Wonder how to get rid of annoying gnats around your home? These bugs can be tough to track down: Here's everything you need to know to get rid of gnats.
Gnats can prove particularly annoying once they get inside your house—especially since it can be difficult to notice them until an infestation is underway. Here’s how to get rid of gnats both indoors and out.
How to Get Rid of Gnats: Use a Gnat Trap
You can purchase highly effective, non-toxic gnat traps at an affordable price online. These traps eliminate fungus gnats—the most common indoor gnats—that breed in houseplants. According to the manufacturer, these traps control even the worst infestations without toxic pesticides.
How to Get Rid of Gnats in House: Homemade Gnat Trap
Or, you can make a homemade gnat trap with a shallow dish and red wine or vinegar, which will attract gnats. Some people use a container with a small opening, like a water bottle, so it’s more difficult for the gnats to fly away after they investigate the wine or vinegar. These traps also work on fruit flies, which are not the same as gnats.
Ways to Get Rid of Gnats: Get an Insect Fogger
For very bad outdoor infestations around your deck or patio, consider buying an insect fogger. These foggers are designed to disperse light clouds of pesticides to kill small pests like gnats and mosquitoes. Follow all safety precautions when using a fogger.
Don’t Give Gnats a Home
Gnats have short lifespans, so if you don’t give them a place to reproduce, eventually they won’t be a problem any more. While gnats don’t necessarily eat rotting fruit or vegetables, they may still linger around trash. To discourage them, keep your trash cans tightly closed, and bag all trash thoroughly so no gnats or fruit flies will find a way to them.
If you have fungus flies, you may be over watering your indoor plants. Don’t keep the soil too moist, and scrape off any noticeable fuzzy mold. Don’t bring damp outdoor plants straight into your home.
How to Get Rid of Drain Flies
Drain flies are attracted to sludge in your drains: You can often kill them yourself by pouring bleach or boiling water (be careful not to splash) down the drain.
