How to Get Rid Of Gnats and Fruit Flies

Gnats, more commonly known as fruit flies, are very annoying and pesky. They can multiply over night and become extremely hard to get rid of. Gnats generally live up to ten days. While this might seem like a short amount of time to you, it's plenty of time for them to lay eggs and reproduce over night. You can remove these pests from your home with a few environmental friendly tips and tricks.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. You can easily prevent gnats at the source of the problem. The reason that gnats are known as fruit flies, is because they breed near open fruits and vegetables. One way to stop the pest is to stop leaving out fruits. If you must leave out your fruit in a bowl, make sure that the fruits are covered by a towel or plastic wrap.

2. Fruits and vegetables are not the only attraction to gnats. Any and all food that is left out in the open is a source and breeding ground for these flies. You should always clean up after cooking, followed by washing all dishes and draining the water after wards. You should also refrain from dumping food into trash cans as much as possible. If you do so, make sure you have a lid or cover on your trash bin.

3. Another way to control gnats is to use fruit fly traps. You can buy them from your local store for under five dollars, or you can make your own fruit fly traps at home. Either way, if you have the little critters flying around in your home - it's a good idea.

4. For those who are interested in making your own fruit fly traps at home - there is a simple way to go about it. You can make a bowl trap for the gnats in little to no time. All you need to do is grab a slice of ripe fruit, and add it to a bowl with a bit of wine at the bottom. Cover the bowl VERY tightly with plastic wrap. Poke very small holes in the plastic wrap. (Remember - too big of holes will only allow them to fly back out.) Leave it overnight and surely in the morning you will see all your pesky gnats in the bowl.

Tips & Warnings

• You can simply suck up gnats with your vacuum attachment.
• Good old fashion cleaning is the best way to prevent gnats.
• Be sure to wash fruit off before eating, especially if you notice gnats flying around your home.

Resources

• eHow Home and Garden Topics Guide

[cherold598]

on 6/15/2009 Great ideas for getting rid of fruit flies. 5*

[Upon-Request]

on 6/15/2009 Never heard of drowning them in wine! If only all the pests in the world could be handled that way. ;)

[gahazeleyes]

on 6/15/2009 Wow, very informative. Thanks

[apalmer]

on 6/15/2009 Great idea on how to get rid of those nasty gnats!

[jdds08]

on 6/15/2009 No matter how careful we are, they seem to come in with bananas alright. A wine bottle with a tiny bit leftover in it, with a bit of plastic works well too. Good topic Christen.