How to Get Rid of Gnats
By: Want To Know It
Having problems getting rid of gnats? Think they’re gone and they just keep coming back? Our seven different solutions to getting rid of gnats should help! This post will cover the life cycle of the humble (and annoying) gnat and give you seven different solution to eliminating gnats!
Before talking about how to get rid of gnats, it is important to discuss their life cycle. Firstly, gnats generally feed on plants and male gnats tend to swarm together. Gnats live for up to four months and generally live around fruit, vegetables and plants. A female gnat can produce up to 400 eggs during her life so you must try to kill the gnats as soon as you see you have a problem. Gnats lay eggs in moist environments. Now that you know the gnat basics you can now look at the seven different methods on how to get rid of gnats.
Seven Methods:
- Re-potting all your plants in new and sterile soil can help get rid of gnats if they are breeding in your potted plants. This is a rather drastic solution, but it is very likely to get rid of the gnats.
- Do not water your plants excessively. As gnats like a moist environment and also like to breed around plants, watering your plants less may eliminate gnats. This is also a good preventative method if you want to avoid a gnat infestation.
- Try adding some soap or dishwashing detergent to the water you use for watering your plants. I’ve heard some success stories from this method, but others say it is not the best solution to get rid of gnats. Different methods work for different people!
- You can also try a homemade concoction to get rid of gnats. Simply add one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to a bowl of water. Then add a little wine or fruit juice to the water. Place the bowl near any potted plants you have to get rid of gnats. As the previous method, I’ve heard mixed successes with this solution.
- Store all your fresh fruit and vegetables in the fridge. All the gnats that hang around your kitchen will go away!
- Try some Neem oil. You can try putting it in pot plants and rubbing it on surfaces where you tend to see the gnats. You need to use the oil regularly (minimum twice weekly) to eliminate them.
- If the gnats are coming out of your drains, try pouring a little vegetable oil down the drain. To determine if the gnats are coming from the drain place a piece of tape over the drain, leaving a little room for air flow, and leave the tape for about 12-24 hours. If there are gnats on the bottom of the tape when you remove it then you have discovered the source of your gnat problem.
Note: Do NOT pour bleach down the drain as it will damage your drain!
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