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Fruit flies lay their eggs on the surface of, or directly beneath, the surface of the fruit. This will also become the food for the larvae before they complete their metamorphosis and become a winged adult. If you have houseplants, ensure they are not being overwatered, as this creates a year-round breeding and feeding source inside your home for gnats and other pests. Phorid gnats are easier to identify than fungus gnats because they fly in a zig-zag motion.
How to Prevent Gnats in the Future
Here's a primer on gnats and what to know about their breeding habits. It’s no big surprise that she likes to put what she writes about into practice, and is a serial house renovator. Both of these companies will implement a customized treatment plan for your home and educate you on ways to prevent a future infestation. We always recommend getting quotes from at least two companies to ensure you’re getting the best price on your service. So, make sure the AC is working properly in the summer, check for any leaks throughout the house, and add a dehumidifier to any rooms that tend to get damp.
How to Get Rid of Gnats on Houseplants—and Prevent Them From Coming Back - Martha Stewart
How to Get Rid of Gnats on Houseplants—and Prevent Them From Coming Back.
Posted: Thu, 05 Oct 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
8 Insects That May Be The Small Black Flying Bugs in Your House (That Aren’t Fruit Flies)
After they lay the eggs, the larvae feed on any decaying matter they find on their way. Neem cake is leftover seed pulp, a by-product of extracting neem oil from the seeds of the neem tree (Azadirachta indica). It's cheaper and less concentrated than the oil but still contains azadirachtin, the active ingredient that makes neem an effective insecticide. Azadirachtin doesn't kill insects; it disrupts their lifecycle.
Avoid Overwatering Houseplants
Alternatively, you can use a commercial drain cleaner to produce the same results. For fruit flies, try a similar method to lure and trap them. This is a good way to remind your household to eat fruit before it starts to spoil. Gnats breed on decaying, organic matter and moisture, so you'll need to assess the source of them. This should be relatively obvious, as they tend to gather around the problem, which will aid in identifying their type. Use the following ideas to get rid of gnats and learn how to fend them off for good.
Found throughout North America, fungus gnats, part of the Mycetophila genus, are typically the culprits for indoor gnat issues. Fungus gnats generally are between 1/8 and 1/4 inch long (4 to 7 mm) and can be brown, black, or yellowish. Amanda Rose Newton is a pest specialist and horticulture expert, reviewing pest control and gardening content for The Spruce's Cleaning and Gardening Review Board. Her passion for pest control and sustainable gardening allows her to review plant and pest content for best practices and accuracy. She is a board-certified entomologist and volunteers for USAIDs Farmer to Farmer program.
“Thoroughly clean and dry areas where gnats congregate.” These areas include kitchens, bathrooms—anywhere there’s moisture or food. Fruit and veggies are appealing to us – and to the fruit flies we don’t want in our homes, too. ‘They are attracted to the smells of ripening fruit and vegetables. They are also drawn to the decaying fruit and vegetables that may need to be appropriately covered in your garbage bin. For outdoor infestations, you can purchase an electric insect killer, or bug zapper, to install on your porch or patio.
Fungus Gnat Life Cycle
If houseplants are the source of your gnat issue, kill off any larvae in the soil of your houseplants by digging down 2 to 3 inches and turning the top of the soil over. Place 1 to 2 inches of sand on top of the soil to discourage standing water and deter gnats from laying eggs. Do you remember that half-rotten orange you found in your fruit basket once?
Outside Control of Non-Biting Gnats
To kill drain flies and their eggs nesting in pipes, mix 1/2 cup of bleach in a gallon of water and pour it slowly down the drain. Make sure there’s proper ventilation in the room when you do this and for an hour afterward. For best results, also scrub infested drain pipes with a wire brush and enzymatic cleanser. Fortunately, minor to moderate gnat infestations can often be exterminated with simple DIY methods and thorough cleaning. However, if you have a severe gnat infestation, it may take more than one of these methods to eradicate the pests. Although they’re tiny, gnats can cause a great deal of annoyance inside your home.
Wine Traps
In addition to these methods of getting gnats out of your kitchen, you can also use certain scents to repel them! Read more about 8 Scents That Gnats Hate And How To Use Them. Simply sprinkle about a half cup of baking soda into the opening of the garbage disposal then pour about a cup of white vinegar in and let sit for 10 minutes. For future planning, consider using smaller bags for any food waste, and then tightly seal the bag before adding to your trash can.
Some of these tiny pests can bite, but not all types of gnats have mouthparts that allow them to penetrate the skin. In fact, there are many different small insects with wings that are considered "gnats," according to Orkin. From fruit flies and drain flies to fungus gnats and buffalo gnats, these tiny pests have been known to infiltrate homes and become nuisances. Chances are you have a bottle of apple cider vinegar and some sugar sitting in your kitchen or pantry, and these two ingredients can help you get rid of gnats. Place a bowl near the infestation and fill it with vinegar before adding a teaspoon of plain sugar, which is what the gnats will be drawn to.
Place a candle holder in the water, and put a candle in the holder. Gnats are small, winged insects, often no larger than ¼-inch. They can have yellow, tan, black, or brown coloring, and they have long legs compared to their bodies, and wide, flat wings. Some gnats are simply pests, while others actually pollinate plants and play a beneficial role. If you suspect your houseplants’ soil is rife with gnat larvae, you may have to repot the plant.
If you have a bad gnat problem, strategically place fruit traps around your home to contain and get rid of them. So if you’re dealing with swarms of gnats in your home, keep reading because we, or shall we say the experts, have answers. There are also other devices that use fans to trap bugs and then dehydrate them, and they work without electrocution.
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