How can you kill gnats

Fortunately, there are ways to rid your home and plants of gnats, fruit flies, and drain flies. Solutions below include both traps that will attract any type of gnat and specific solutions for clearing your plants of fungus gnats and your drains of drain flies.

Price recommends placing a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and a tablespoon of sugar in a bowl and then stirring the contents. The gnats will be attracted to the sugar and vinegar, but the dish soap will coat their wings making them unable to fly away. If you have some stale wine, Price suggests pouring it in a small vessel and then adding two drops of dish soap.

If you choose this method, Price advises covering a jar of rotting fruit with plastic wrap and then punching holes in the wrap. Vera Peterson, president of Molly Maid , recommends using a small household fan to get rid of gnats.

If the gnats are congregating around your drain, Peterson recommends another concoction: Pour 1 cup of vinegar and a half cup of salt and baking soda down the drain. Let it sit for at least two hours and then pour boiling water down the drain. In addition to using one of the methods above, Peterson recommends pouring a small pot of boiling water down your drain on a weekly basis to prevent it from developing into an environment gnats are attracted to.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Peterson recommends keeping your home — and especially your kitchen sink drains and toilets clean and clear. Dispose of any fruit or other produce past its prime, and do the same with any cut flowers. Regarding houseplants, Pangborn says gnats are looking for consistently moist environments where they can lay eggs — and that's why potted plants are so attractive to them. Gnat infestations typically occur with plants that need a lot of water or plants that are overwatered.

After you remove the pot, let the excess water drain before putting it back in its saucer or cachepot. And she has one last piece of advice. Whether they're in your home or outside, gnats are problematic. You probably have most of the ingredients that can be used to bait and trap them, such as vinegar, wine, and rotting fruit. Once you have treated your gnat infestation, there are a few tips to help prevent a future infestation.

Yes, flypaper can be an effective method to kill gnats. However, some flypaper formulas have an unpleasant odor and may not be an aesthetically pleasing treatment option, as they hang from your walls and ceilings. Gnats are attracted to sweet scents from fruit, moisture, garbage, houseplants, and other warm, moist areas like your bathroom or kitchen. To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews thisoldhousereviews. Cookie banner We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from.

By choosing I Accept , you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. How to Get Rid of Gnats. Pinterest Email Pocket Flipboard. Thanks for signing up! Check your inbox for a welcome email. Email required. By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice and European users agree to the data transfer policy. Visit Site. Gnats that swarm around the sink or above tub drains are particularly aggravating. If some hover near the surface of the drain, try this trick to get rid of the gnats: Dilute some bleach with water, and then pour it down the drain.

One-half cup of bleach to one gallon of water should be enough. The next time you have a rotten or overripe banana, mash it into a container, such as a mason jar. Next, put plastic wrap over the top of the jar before puncturing the plastic with a scattering of holes.

Gnats will wiggle through the openings to get to the fruit, but the transparent cover will prevent them from flying back out. If you notice just a gnat or two circling the room, this method is for you: Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of one cup of water, one tablespoon of vinegar, and a few drops of dish soap. The next time you see a gnat flying around, zap it in the air with a spritz. Disclosure: BobVila.