Gnats aren’t harmful, but regardless, they can be annoying. Fortunately, there are different ways of exterminating these pests without costing you a fortune. We’ll be discussing some homemade but effective remedies to get rid of gnats. Similarly, we’ll also look at ways to prevent gnats’ infestation.
How to Deal with Gnat Infestations
1. Use Plastic Wrap to Cover a Bowel of Fruit (mashed banana)
Gnats are attracted to rotten fruit. The idea here is to trap them using mashed bananas. So simply put a mashed banana in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap to attract gnats.
Poke little holes on the plastic bag to allow the gnats access to the mashed banana. They won’t be able to come out of the plastic bag once they get in.
This technique doesn’t kill the gnats, so you have to dispose of both the banana and the plastic wrap in the trash. You can prepare the trap in a disposable bowl so you could just dispose of everything at once.
2. Pour Diluted Bleach Down the Drainage
This method is ideal where gnats congregate around or near the drainage. Mix 1⁄2 cup of bleach with 3.8L of water and gently pour it down the drain. This would kill any gnat within the drain. Continue this process routinely until you ride your drain of gnats.
Caution: wear protective gloves and a mask when you are working with bleach. You may also wear old clothes to avoid messing with your good ones should the bleach splash on you accidentally.
3. Use Home Made Spray
Mix vinegar and dish soap in water in a spray bottle and spray it on gnats. It’s a non-toxic and effective way of eliminating gnats. So you don’t have to worry about hurting your kids, pets, or plants.
4. Mix Apple Cider Vinegar, Sugar, Dish Soap, and Water
Take 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, 1⁄2 cup of warm water, and 1⁄2 teaspoon of dish soap.
Mix everything in a bowl and keep in gnats infected room. Leave the mixture overnight and clean it in the morning.
The scent of the apple cider vinegar and sugar helps to attract the gnats. On getting to the bowl, they will be trapped in the water by the dish soap.
Alternatively, you can use dish soap and red wine to the same effect. The scent of the red wine attracts the gnats, and the dish soap trapped them in a bowl. Continue this process until you clear the gnats’ infestation.
Get Rid of Things That Attract Gnats
1. Discard Rotten Fruits properly
Gnats are attracted by the smell of over-ripe or rotten fruits. If possible, always store your fruits in the refrigerator to preserve them from rotting fast. Discard all fruits on your counter that have started attracting bugs or rotting.
Similarly, keep any collected food scraps in a covered container; don’t leave them in an exposed bowl or bucket. Or simply take the scraps outside and keep them in the compost heap.
2. Always Maintain a Clean Sink Void of Dirty Dishes
Keep your sink clean at all times to keep gnats at bay. They love to feast in moist areas where food bits are littered around. Make sure you always wash your dish after a meal or put them into a dishwasher. At the least, ensure that your sink and dishes are clean before the close of each day.
Furthermore, always run your garbage disposal after rinsing your dishes to prevent food scraps from accumulating in there.
Finally, prepared food should not be allowed to sit on the counter for more than 30 minutes. But rather, store them in reusable containers and keep them in the fridge.
3. Empty all Trashes with Food Scraps Daily
This method is suitable in the kitchen, where foods are easily thrown away. Emptying food trashes in the kitchen daily can help to check gnats.
Similarly, make sure all your open trash cans outside your house aren’t located close to any window. This is because gnats could easily find their way to your room through the window when they get attracted by the trash.
Note: your trash cans should have a lid that seals. Keeping trash can open can potentially attract gnats. Conversely, trash cans with a lid that closes firmly do not attract gnats.
4. Move Plants with moist soil Outdoor
If you have any plant with moist soil that is attracting gnats, move it outside the house until the soil dries out a bit. You can keep such a plant outside your house or in the garage until the soil begins to dry out.
On the flip side, some plants are known to repel gnats. You can pot and keep them indoors, or simply plant them outside to fight gnats’ infestation outdoors. Some of these gnats repelling plants are geraniums, lavender, lemon thyme, and marigolds.
How to Keep Gnats off Your Body
1. Repel Gnats with a Dryer Sheet When Outdoor
Putting a dryer sheet in your pocket when you are outdoors can protect you from gnats. Lemon balm and lavender are some great choices for a dryer sheet. Simply wrap it around your belt loop or put it in your pocket to keep gnats at bay.
Similarly, a dryer sheet is also potent at repelling mosquitoes. For an outfit without a belt loop or pocket, you can pin the dryer sheet to your clothes.
2. Wear a Sunglass and Bandana
Wearing sunglass and bandana can help keep gnats away from your eyes, nose, and mouth. This practice should be done when walking through areas that are heavily infested with gnats. You may remove these items once you’re out of the gnats-infested area.
3. Use Peppermint Cream as Natural Gnat Repellant
Mix 1⁄2 cup of Shea butter with peppermint essential oil in a clean container. Rub it onto your hands, arms, legs, and neck, plus other exposed parts of your body. This would naturally repel gnats away from you.
You can also use any moisturizer in place of Shea butter, but make sure the moisturizer doesn’t have added scent.
Conclusion
Gnats are harmless pests. They don’t bite but can be so annoying. Do well to keep gnats from your dwelling places. And when outdoor, be prepared to protect yourself from gnats, especially if you would be going close to water sources.
Thank you for your time reading this post; if you have questions and or something you want to share, please kindly leave your comment below, and I’ll be happy to write back to you.
Cynthia
Gnats – UGH!!!! I’ve had good luck with pouring boiling water down the kitchen drain (not recommended for porcelain sinks). Still, I like your suggestions for natural remedies such as lemongrass, peppermint, and various flowers! Another solution I’ve found is to clean the kitchen (or house!) thoroughly. You’re bound to come across the apple core that missed the trash can or the juice spill behind the sofa!
admin
Thank you, Cynthia,
Thank you for stopping by; I appreciate it very much. Thanks also for reading the article How to Get Rid Gnats. Following the natural remedies will help a lot. Thank you so much.
All the best,
Joyce
AL. S.
Thanks for all these great hacks and tricks to get rid of gnats. I’m assuming gnats are the same thing as fruit flies; we had lots and lots of them when I was growing up on the farm. They are so annoying. If I ever have gnat problems again, I will definitely remember these easy remedies.
admin
Hello AL,
Thank you so much for your comment and for stopping by here on my website. Reading about How to Get Rid of Gnats with Home Remedies. Thanks to that, you found this article useful for your future cleaning of Gnats.
All the best,
Joyce
Sharon
Hi Joyce,
Home remedies are the best. As I read the post, I was reminded that many people like me could not use a toxic chemical to get rid of small gnats. I find the summertime is the worst for gnats because usually there more people in/out of your home, which means a lot of food is left on countertops, dirty dishes are left in the sink for most of the day, and the trash can is full without a lid. I thank you for the information on how to get rid of gnat infestations and what attracts gnats.
Amazing post!
admin
Hi, Sharon,
Thanks for stopping by here on my site and reading the article about How to Get Rid of Gnats with Home Remedies. Wow, I’m glad to read your very positive comments. Thanks that you like this post for your next cleaning. Using these natural remedies. Thank you so much.
Best wishes,
Thanks,
Joyce