How to Repel Gnats

Gnats are small flying insects that are simply annoying. They tend to hover in front of your face or sometimes fly on top of your head. This is so because they are attracted to carbon dioxide. Gnats are usually light-colored or tan, about 1/8 of an inch in length and are otherwise known as fruit flies. These type of flies likes to hang on warm and moist places where they can breed and easily get food. Their numbers usually peaks during the summer and they tend to multiply very rapidly. You can often see them buzzing around garbage bins, rotten fruits and vegetables, drainage pipes, or saturated house plants. To get rid of these tiny whirring pests, apply the following tips.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Bottle and vinegar
• Bug repellent spray

1. Do the vinegar trap. Prepare an old plastic bottle and poke holes on its cap. Put some vinegar on the bottle but do not fill it up all the way. Leave a little bit of space to where the gnats can accumulate. Position the vinegar-filled bottle on areas where you often see them buzz around. Gnats are attracted to the vinegar scent and soon enough they will make their way to the bottle and go inside it, but won't be able to come out. This is a very effective trap and is easy to prepare, so make more and capture every single gnat around your home.

2. Entice gnats with their favorite food and then get rid of them. You can do this by placing some rotten fruits or vegetables on a plate and position them near the door or window. They will soon track the smell of the trap and swarm on it. When they do, finish them all with a bug repellent spray.

3. Prepare a deep bowl, fill it with a mixture of vinegar and dish soap. Gnats will be attracted to the smell of vinegar and will dive on to the bowl to get it. The way inside the bowl is easy, but the way out is impossible. The purpose of mixing the dish soap is to make the surroundings of the bowl slippery, so when they try to struggle their way out of the bowl, they will always come sliding back in. In other words, they will be trapped inside the bowl.

4. Try using pheromones. These effective gnat extinguisher is nontoxic and comes in a form of sticky sticks that can be hang around doors and windows. Gnats are lured by its scent and once they get to it, they are unable to find their way out.

5. Check your plants for some buzzing gnats. If you happen to notice gnats buzzing around your indoor or outdoor plants, this may indicate that they have nested around that very area. Try to sneak onto their nests by spraying them with bug repelling spray such as Gnatrol.

6. Keep your home clean and properly protected from gnats. Wipe counter tops and tables with bleach and flush some ammonia into your kitchen sink to keep all types of flies away. Eliminate areas inside and outside your home, dispose rotten vegetables and fruits on tightly sealed garbage bags or bins and properly dispose trash to prevent it from building up. Also cover cracks and holes around windows or doors to where gnats can easily pass through. You may also want to install some protective fine door and window screens as well.

7. Control the use of outside lightings. Gnats are attracted to lights so try to turn of the lights in your porch, the front or back door, as soon as you are done using it. Do not leave it on, for it will only lure gnats into your home.

8. Purchase some bug repellents to use around your home. Insect repellent sprays, such as Deet (Off), are excellent for driving gnats away. You may also try using Avon's Skin So Soft to repel gnats from your skin.

Tips & Warnings

• Always keep bug repellent or insecticide sprays out of the reach of children and pets.