My family and I have experienced many health problems because of the most annoying insects, called gnats or nats (sometimes spelled as knats).
I have used a number of different methods to successfully get rid of them. This blog is about tips and solutions that I have learned and would like to pass on to others fighting gnats in their homes.
Many resources recommend different ways to get rid of gnats, which include various products and chemicals. While some of these products are good at solving the problem, they can be potentially toxic/harmful to your kids, houseplants, kitchen wares, and pets.
I have tried most of these methods and have chosen great remedies against gnats that would also be safe for your home and its inhabitants.
What are gnats?
Gnats are a species of pesky insects that are common in about the entire world. There is a vast variety of gnat species, which are hard to identify and rarely worth the trouble to do so.
Other pesky insects are flies, mosquitoes and ants, all of which are found in multitude by nearly every property owner in America. But, few insects are quite as pesky as gnat.
If you’re living near any body of water, you will surely see them when warm weather comes around, especially during June and July. During this time, the Buffalo Gnats are out in full force, you will constantly see these small bugs flying through your house. The whole family may be bitten with major swelling around the bites, and sometimes the bites can be painful.
Roaches
Termites
$385+
$590+
What are the sources of gnats?
Indoor sources: Drain sinks, food remains,rotten fruits, wet floors.
Outdoor sources: Houseplants, Dogs and cats or any other house pets.
Why should you get rid of gnats in your house?
1- Insects can contribute to the spread of infectious diseases.
2- The bites and swelling are painful
3- Stubborn peskiness and the annoyance they cause in your kitchen and all over your home.
4- They constantly buzz around your ears and your face and give the illusion that your house may be dirtier than it is.
How to prevent gnats in your house?
If gnats get in your house, there is something in your house which may be attracting them to linger there. Here are simple steps you can take to make your home less attractive to gnats:
- Clean the entire house completely.
- Throw away any food that is rotting or has gone bad, especially fruit that are lying around on the kitchen countertops.
- Fill holes and cracks on the floors.
- Clean dirty dishes and cooking utensils immediately after use
- Put nets or curtains or wire on the windows and doors.
- Continuously check for potential food sources and eliminate them right away.
- Always cover your trash cans and garbage’s and make sure that the lid is tight. Throw out your trash frequently.
- Make sure that you use fruit and vegetables before they go bad. As you’ve probably noticed, there’s nothing that gnats like more than a good overripe banana or apple.
Methods to completely get rid of gnats and destroy their life cycle:
To prevent returning gnats again and completely destroy their sources to come back follow this:
1. Make a homemade trap using vinegar:
It is the most usable and effective method. Additionally it is cheap and easy for housewives to implement. Gnats are attracted by the vinegar odor. Therefore, place a small dish with some apple cider vinegar on the counter. Cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Poke small holes in the wrap to allow the bugs in. Alternatively, you can take a used can or jar-the material doesn’t matter. Mason jars work especially well. After you fill your container, seal the lid and poke very small holes with a nail or screw. Leave the can in a space gnats usually inhabit, most likely your kitchen or dining area. The gnats will fly into the jar, but will be unable to leave. Dispose of the jar, and the gnats-and say goodbye to your gnat problem.
Roaches
Termites
$385+
$590+
2. Use an insect spray:
There are several natural flying insect spray options for you to choose from. They will immediately kill any and all gnats and other insects. Spray in the usual areas of the house that they inhabit.
Unsafe Methods to avoid:
1. Use of pesticide spraying:
One very unsafe method is to spray the home with pesticide, while leaving the doors and windows closed. This is dangerous because inhaling pesticides can be irritating and harmful to your lungs and the entire respiratory system. To use this method, it is important to cover all gadgets and culinary supplies, put the food away and get all the inhabitants out of the house for at least a few hours. While this method will get rid of gnats, I don’t recommend it.
2. Extermination by using smoking home sulfur dioxide gas. It is very dangerous and should be avoided.
Methods to prevent gnats from coming back to your home
1. Pour petroleum (oil) in the discharge water sinks, especially in the summer.
2. Pour a cup of ammonia down your kitchen sink. It will get rid of any flies hovering around that area. Just make sure you let the ammonia sit and dilute itself for a few hours before using the sink for cleaning purposes, because ammonia is just about as harmful to humans as it is to gnats.
3. Get slightly rotten fruit and put it in a small glass of water to attract gnats. Then pour powdered bleach on it and mix it in. You can also use one to several tablespoons of dishwashing soap to every cup of water. This soapy water mix damages the breathing tubes. The gnat can’t breathe, and dies.
How to prepare special solutions and traps at home:
Prepare a mixture of soap water and vinegar and pour it into a container or bowl with a wide opening to get rid of flying insects:
1. Get a small bowl
2. Put about 3-4 drops of dishwashing liquid in it.
3. Add about 3/4 inch of apple cider vinegar (works best) or some other vinegar.
4. Stir it just enough to get the dish washing soap to dissolve.
Vinegar smell attracts gnats and other flying insects. Natural water has a property called surface tension or tensile strength, which helps the insects stand on the surface of the water without sinking.
After adding soap insects lose the ability to float above the surface of the water because soap makes the surface rarefied. Insects sink in to the depths of vinegar and soap solution and can not float again. You should notice a big decline in gnats within a few hours.
Why Soapy Vinegar mixture is not working for many people?
One reason this remedy may not be working for you is if you are not using soap together with vinegar. Perhaps you are not using enough soap. Remember, soap is the ingredient responsible for sinking the gnats. Vinegar alone will not capture all insects, gnats will touch the surface of the water and leave again. It is also a good idea to use this method at night, when gnats are even more attracted by lights.
Do not run any water down the drain for one to two hours. You can also use bleach instead of the baking soda and vinegar mixture if your nose can stand the smell.
Do not use wine or beer instead of vinegar. these products are expensive and will actually not be that attractive to gnats.
Remember to use apple cider vinegar! It should NOT be diluted: the stronger the better. You can add banana peels, old fruit pieces or other smelly food stuff to make it even more attractive.
If Gnats remain in the house: try putting vegetable oil around your kitchen sink drain. Once gnats are coated in oil, they will be unable to breed.
For more methods to get rid of all household insects and flying creatures, please visit this page
Find the simple and natural methods to get rid of fungus gnats
Who cares about your sentence structure..thanks for the great tips
Thanks for the ideas! The cider remedy worked!
Sentence structure? Really? Is this an English grammar forum? I thought it was howtogetridofgnats!? Is the grammar police going to arrest me for combing all of those words?
Thank you very much for your information. I will happily give it a try. Please do not let others offend you over your grammar or sentence structure. I agree with Michelle Hill, who cares about sentence structure. Those of us wanting to get rid of the gnats understood exactly what you mean and appreciate the details and time you took to share with us. Again, thank you very much! Janie Polk
Thanks
This actually helped me better then wikihow now I actually have hope that this will work!!!
I was looking at the sentence structure too but then I thought…who cares! Thanks for the info!
I tried the apple cider vinegar before going to work and it worked! I clean with bleach every week, now it's 3-4 times instead of twice a week. I did the vegetable oil in one drain and the ammonia in the restrooms… it worked, too! THANK YOU A THOUSAND TIMES! That's even for the inconsiderate people who were focused more on your grammar than your time, information, and efforts to help.
Thank you, we will try it, they started when an aluminum recycling in place, caught on fire, took one to my Dr. He said is a knat, we tried bleach, wash dishes after each meal, have no food out, as in az. It would spoil or bread turn green, never thought of vinegar & soap in dish, even tried fly strips, can't use bug sprays, have service-animal. We all are being bitten, even with animal's monthly liquid,insect
application,we will try your way.
Thanks, will try it immediately, my home is Mr clean,bleached, pinesoled, waxed,have no rugs or drapes clean blinds twice when I do my windows,trash goes out three times a day no food out,do the drains and cover them, so thanks very much appreciated, starting it just before responding. Yvonne
I'm worried your solution is TOO GOOD. I a screened in porch that opens to my living room so I like to keep the doors open. I have some gnats in the screen in porch. I'd like to try your solution but I'm worried if I put it in the porch it will attract every gnat in the area from outside and I might have a bigger gnat problem. Will it attract them or just kill those in the area?
Try it, any bats who come from far away will be dead…they will ALL be dead. This really works. We cut a coke plastic bottle in half and inverted the top down in the bottle and taped edge. We caught hundreds in a week and no more gnats!!!!
Thank you so much!
I can't get rid of these nats!! I keep looking and I find more in my dishwasher now in my fridge and freezer. Out of no where hellllllp
I had them in my freezer at first and paid little attention to it except wiping them away. Well I did not get all of them and before I knew it they had invaded my apt. I have tried everything that I could find on line to get rid of them.
They bite, they fly around your face and get under your clothes and onto your skin. It has been Horrible. .The fogger I bought is called Hot Shot Fogger with odor neutrilizer. People I spoke to got rid of all them with this product. You have to leave the house for at least 2 hours after
setting them off. . Take youyr animals with you too. You cannot leave them in the house after setting off the balm. Both people I spoke to said it worked very very well.
I am exhausted from trying to get rid of them in other ways plus washing clothes every 2 days, cleaning, vaccuming and more.
Good luck to people tryhing to get rid of knats. I will never just let it go if I see some bugs flying around again.
I had the same experience you did with the refrigerator and not paying much attention to the bugs at first. Until they were thorugh the apt.
Oh what hell it has been. I used every product including Apple cidar Vinegar with worked alittle with the adult bugs.
Now I am left with the babiers which are VERY Difficult to get rid of. Still using the Hot Short Fogger but I still have them.
Bought Citronella today and will try that also.
Don’t sleep at nite because of them waking me up and scratching.
Spoke to one woman who told me it took her a year to get rid of them.
I heard some people never get rid of them.
Heavens to Betsy No No o.
Anyway I am still working on it.
And feel so sorry for anyone else who is going through this too.
Thank u for the useful info. It worked.
Thanks I will be trying them all!
Thanks so much! I just set out two dishes with vinegar & soap and put a little oil, down my covered drains, to remove, the gnats and stop breeding. I hope it helps. Willing to try anything to remove these gnats!
Try Hot Shot Fogger . Nothing else worked for me at all. You have to leave the house for at least 2 hours after setting off the
Fogger but it does kill them finally.
I guess finally mean it killed them over time. You don’t say right away.
I* am using Hot Shot too. But I still have them.
God I pray to him to help me get rid of them.
Thanks for your post.
As far as the fly types it catches in my yard, 99.9% are green bottle and blue bottle flies (AKA blow flies) and a few house flies. Other extremely tiny fly types I could not identify were also lured but in very few numbers. But overall i love this flytrap and will continue to use it.
It shouldn't attract any more. They are attracted by the vinegar/sugar through scent. So mix concentration to your desired smell, or can stand!
It shouldn't attract any more. They are attracted by the vinegar/sugar through scent. So mix concentration to your desired smell, or can stand!
My house is infested with gnats I need them gone quick.
I too have gnats! They are the most annoying things! Came across your solutions and they're great, sure going to try them! Thank you so much!!:))
I’m buying apple cider vinegar tomorrow… had enough of these pesky things. They’re everywhere 🙁
Amen to that…I found out last year that I’m very allergic to these biting gnats. I get these horrible bites that blister & take weeks to go away. My problem is sitting outside on our covered patio. They just love to bite me. I’m very ill so last year I didn’t put any plants in the pots outside- just left the dirt. I thought about it & realized I was creating a very nice home for them..LOL I removed all the planting pots far away now…called our exterminator & will have them come out monthly instead of every 2 months!! I’m going to try this solution & pray it will work….
If someone reads my comment, maybe there’s more that I need to know… please!! I’m just determined not to be pushed out from these horrible bugs!
But If youv already been bitten then how do you get rid if them?
It says that we should use the non diluted AC Vinegar, but then to mix it with soapy water? So should I mix the vinegar with water? Or use straight with just soap in to to break the surface tension of the vinegar.
Mix a few drops of plain dish soap with approximately 1/4 cup of Apple Cider Vinegar do not add water!
Thank you so much!!!!!!
“Prepare a mixture of soap water and vinegar and pour it into a container or bowel with a wide opening to get rid of flying insects:”
Can I use a bowl instead? It’s just so difficult to find bowels that are not already in use. And getting one to use requires surgeon skill and possibly a prison sentence.
Good one Helena – very clever 🙂
Yes you can use a bowl … but bowel will work better at getting rid of gnats 😀
Fixing typo .. thanks
We live in FL, and have a cat that likes to go in and out of the screened porch, so we leave the sliding door open. As a result, we see gnats in the house, primarily drawn to her litter box (which we clean twice a day, truly) and sometimes around the kitchen and bathroom. Just wherever. We did find that citronella spray works wonders (but the kitty didn’t like it so much) and so does vanilla. We made our own homemade vanilla spray and spray it around the litter box and voila, no more gnats. Also, very important to avoid any fruit on the counter even starting to get “overripe” or any dirty dishes in the sink. Even two small strawberry rinds in the disposal not immediately ground up will draw them. With the vanilla spray and keeping the kitchen spotless, they have disappeared.
@ S. Smith: You can try installing a little cat door, so can can go in and out, but the main door would be closed.
Also cats can just do their business outside … try moving the litter box out of the house, and eventually cat will figure things out, and you won’t let the nasty flies into the house.
Good luck
I only have water rubbing alcohol and dish soap and the gnats are biting my boyfriend
I have a problem with the outside.
They are all over the screens. When I try to go outside they are all over me.
HELP!
Nice sexist statement ‘ housewives’. Idc if you are a woman that makes it a lot worse in fact. Your sexist towards your own gender. My dad (a man) even agreed of how sexist it sounds as well as my sister and my male friend. Pour sentence structure btw. .
Dear Abigail,
Regarding: “Pour sentence structure btw..”
Try instead: “By the way, you have poor sentence structure.”
Sincerely,
Someone Using This Article To Eliminate Annoying Things
This doesn’t change the fact that the comment was sexist. I’m pretty sure everyone is “Using This Article To Eliminate Annoying Things”, the sentence was extremely sexist.
I figured this Nat problem out completely. I bought a sap bug light and I put or hung should I say a grape in the middle of it again taking a pin and poking holes in it and turned it on. Problem solved. It’s working just great
Good luck everyone.
Who cares about the sentence structure? My goodness!! If you are reading what this person is writing about then you obviously needed advice on the topic. So, with that being said, what are you getting out of being so rude to this person? Apparently you need to feel better about yourself by being mean to others.
Wow Abigail,
I do not think you should be criticizing anyone’s grammar or writing ability. Your entire post is riddled with mistakes. You should show your dad (a man apparently) or your mom (perhaps a woman?) your sentence “Idc if you are a woman that makes it a lot worse in fact.” Poor (not pour) writing. Also, it should be You’re sexist, not “your” sexist. You should consider getting off your mobile device, look up and around, and try to help someone in need. I would imagine it would not make you feel good if someone attacked you for your poor (again, not pour) grammar when you were just trying to help someone, as the author was doing for those with gnat problems.
Tyfyc (you may not know what that stands for, but it seems you like initials instead of actual words),
Joe
p.s. You can thank my wife (a woman) that I just deleted most of my reply to you. She thought it was stooping too far down to your level. I just like to stand up to bullies like you.
It’s funny how you wrote an entire essay that completely avoids the issue at hand: the comment WAS sexist. You’re a disgusting misogynist too and I would feel bad for your wife if I thought she could be helped, but she probably knew what she was getting into and clearly had no problem betraying her sex. Show her THIS comment.
Exactly what you said Joe, Abigail needs to find something else to do. You find “trolls” and the “grammar police” all over the internet. Abigail must have a pretty shallow life if she has to criticize, and correct others to make herself feel important, or better than the writer. Guess she has not been taught no one is perfect.
Thanks so much I kept getting bit and I have very serious illness, finally I caught a knat after it bit bit me have infected bites told my Dr he said knats dont bite I know they do so at least cant be said im crazy
I passed I pay no attention to people that put others down I have read about them many times, their called pullies they have to pull others down to make themselves feel better, it just shows how shallow they are ,we should feel sad for them that this is their only way to feel better about themselves.
That’s just ridiculous. Shut up. Just trying to help people. Everyone gets offended from something shut up and suck it up. World has enough problems and don’t need ur bullshit.
Seriously get over it, I’m a woman and truly was not offended. Truly that is just a pathetic reply
Harden up princess
I’m going to try your suggestions and pray they work because they’re driving me crazy!!! Does it work better to add sugar to the vinegar/soap mixture? I’ve had the vinegar/soap mixture out for a couple days and it just doesn’t seem to working that well (I have a couple of bigger jars and several small plastic take-home condiment containers sitting out). Should I add more soap to the vinegar and maybe more little containers? I’m going to try the bleach in the drains tonight before I go to bed. Thank you for all the tips.
Will red wine vinegar work or does it have to be Apple cider
I think you should use apple cider
Thank you i am trying it right now. Along with old fashion fly stripes. I am so done with this flying pains.
Hello. I am not sure if it gnats.. It is a flying insect tiny little black thing I just happened to see when it landed in my laptop screen otherwise you do not see them at all! We just moved in an apt and bought a “new ” old sofa that has been sitting in a clean warehouse store maybe a year old. Must it be coming from the sofa which I did cleaned and vacuumed.. Funny thing it is only me that they like to sting .. not my husband . I tried the apple vinegar soap last night and it didn’t appeal to them. Now if you touch my smooth skin my arms and legs are not smooth but needle like bumps. Pls help!
I own a tree farm with 9000 pines. Have compost piles that produce these by the millions. It seems that my body is drawing gnats to me. I ha e a rare disease called cystinuria with one kidney. My creation is starting to go bad. I tried garlic pills vitamins apple cider . What is there to get rid of these damn things. They are biting now and I bring them in my house. I undress out side spray deet on me before I go in along with jumping in pond and washing off with dawn and yet my house is loaded with them. I am now buying a laser burner to zap the damn things. Traps everywhere. Nothing’s working.
Mike, please try Bayer QuickBayte Spray with 10% Imadocloprid (the Granules with .5% DO NOT WORK for these pests). MOST IMPORTANT TIP: mix very gently, just enough to dissolve the powder into the water-this does make a difference (I’ve experimented, and it is in the directions to do so apparently for good reason). Spray lightly on paper plates and place where they tend to hang out. Outside, spray onto a nearby wall where they accumulate. If it is a compost pile, make sure to spray a semi-smooth surfaced board, and put the board on a post, place on top of the compost pile about 1-2 feet from the surface. This is so other animals do not try to lick it. Spray daily in the early evening, or whenever you see they are the busiest flying around the surface.
Toss paper plates daily and spray fresh plates, set out inside home in busy areas until all gnats are gone. They small sprayer was around 12 dollars for me but can run up to 15 dollars.
Please stop spraying your skin, you will make yourself toxically ill. Best to you.
“Easy for a house wife to implement” wow what a demeaning, insulting, and unnecessarily sexist comment.
Oh get over yourself.
Get over yourself! Life is way too short to be politically correct over a solution. She is a housewife. Geez! I for one will try these.
For the others who offered criticism, why don’t you get together and have a “poor me pity party?” This person is offering solutions.
We have knats not bad but enough to drive you crazy, i cant find anything that helps, any ideas?
I had a few gnats from leaving dishes in the sink (I know, I’m bad) but after washing everything I poured a few tablespoons of baking soda and some regular white vinegar down each of the drains- which I heard gets rid of anything living down there. After that, I set 1 trap to catch the few that escaped using the apple cider in a mason jar idea. It has been 2 hours since I made the trap and it has already caught the annoying gnat in the kitchen! I still have one in the living room where my houseplant is and one in the bathroom so I will just keep rotating this trap until they are all gone. Good luck!
I am a housewife, and am not offended by your reference. A housewife is the most over worked, and underpaid individual, except for mothers. Lol. Her heart is devoted to the care of her family and home. A proud housewife I am.
These gnats that are biting me are in my bedroom can I use an insecticide or fogger to get rid of them? I am getting eaten alive…..Please help.
Me too ,..wasnt home for 3o days n they still here. Gonna try the cider vinigar n soap. Will they die as it becomes winter
. Will cold killmthem. ? I live in canada and can easily open windows its october
The reference was offensive BECAUSE housewives are the most over worked and underpaid individuals; we do everything and yet we still need solutions that are “easy” enough for our simple little minds to grasp? Although maybe the author was on to something because you proudly missed being insulted.
how gnats r dangerous for health.
I’ve tried all the methods mentioned, nothings working. The exterminator told me not to use vinegar traps, it only draws more in. Told me to pour a little liquid soap down the garbage disposal, turn it on and let hit water run until I see it bubble up in the other side of the sink. Also, told me to run dishwasher, because I don’t use it regularly . Nothings working. I have to cook quick, eat quick or go out to restaurant. There’s no food out, no dirty dishes, no fruit. After I’ve eaten, they come near my face, I’m sure one went in my ear and up my nose a couple times. I’m in an apartment, I’ve never lived in an apartment, I HATE it, because of these fruit flies. But can’t move til house is built..in december. The apartment office sent maintenance and he poured something down the kitchen drain, I’m thinking they are coming from the sumpter shoot that’s on terrace floor beneath and to the of the stairwell… so those flies, fruit flies, sewer flies or whatever the hell they are , areally coming in the corridor and when I open my door, they’re coming in. They are driving me nuts, I feel they’re everywhere and I’m getting nervous attacks..anxiety. I don’t know what to do, other than spray bombing!! Don’t want to do that…I’m at the point where I want to move and just put my belonging into storage, til December. Any other suggestions beside ones stated?
Hi Lisa, I COMPLETELY understand about your anxiety regarding these little pesky things. I am just now seeing this, so I hope you’re in your new home by now and not having this problem anymore. I used ammonia down all of the drains in my apartment. It took about 5 days for me to completely stop seeing them. Then after about 3 weeks of no gnats, I have started to see about 1-3 per day. It is so annoying. I am in an apartment as well, and it’s driving me crazy. I don’t know why they are still here. Ughhhhhhhhhh.
…sorry but the typos…I’m doing this from my phone. Hope it’s understandable
Thank you for the helpful tips. I kept getting these gnats. I’d get rid of them for a bit but they keep coming back. I put boiling water down the drain. I made sure there’s no fruit or any food out. I sprayed fly spray. I put a seal spray under the drains,(rubber flexx) (yes 2 xx’s)… thought maybe a leak. I’m still seeing those tiny flying gnats. I don’t know if this is the answer but I have an older fridge, I pulled off the plastic cover at the bottom and there’s a shallow pan that collects moisture (condensation) it had some gross water in it. I thought it usually evaporates. But I guess I’m wrong. I hope the little gnats go away now :/
Kim & Abigail……………..
I would bet $100.00 on 2 to 1 odds, you both have votes for Hillary. Along
with men ……..also voting for Hillary, that call women bitches, and Ho’s!
Strange bedfellows……….. What do you call these men voting along with you, and
have a perspective same as you?
Lisa I understand what you are going through. Every part of the house I went into gnats were flying around my face. I have to go to the doctor because I think one of them bit me on my right eye and it has swollen up. Whenever I go into the bathroom I have to hurry up and shower and brush my teeth before the gnats come. Whenever they land I run and spray them with windex. I sleep with cotton in my ears so they don’t fly in my ears. I read somewhere they hate coldness so I sleep with the ceiling fan on and a boxed fan blowing. I bought vanilla candles and air freshners because I read they hate vanilla. I tried putting out apple cider vinegar and made a yeast concoction and nothing is working. Last week I decided to do a spray bombing in our house. That didn’t last long because yesterday I say more gnats. I think that when I go outside they attach themselves to me and come into the house. I brush my teeth and tongue after every meal and rinse with salt water to try to keep them away from my face.. Every Sunday and Wednesday I pour ammonia down the drains.. I even have to drive with windex because they follow me to the car and I have to try to spray them. I am afraid to eat and sleep because I know the gnats are coming. Nothing works.
Can someone please help me
Does it have to be apple cider vinegar? Or can I use regular vinegar?
Dee, the knats have subsided a lot. Tho advice not to, I put the apple cider vinegar back out…I put one in the bath room, 2 in kitches, living room, bedroom etc. I also bomb the house with an indoor insecticide….left for 4 hrs…came back and there were some dead in all the winow area below. Now, I spray with an indoor insecticide and leave for 20 minutes. I’m still seeing one or two now and then that rush in frI’m the front door or balcony. I keep a can of bug spay outside the front door, so when I return home, if I see them, I spray before going in. Nothing I can do prior to opening the front door!!! I’ll be happy to be out of this place in December. ..I never seen anything like this. When I had my previous house, I’d see one or two…set out the bowls and vola. …gone! It’s A DIFFERENT NIGHTMARE When There’s an infestation and There’s nothing one Is doing wrong. Good luck everyone. ..battle on!!!
I know it has been a long time since you posted your comment, but for others, please try https://www.bayerlivestock.com/products/quickbayt-spot-spray/ the spray at 10%Imadocloprid WORKS GREAT!, the granules do NOT work. Must Mix Gently! Do not shake, just swish until powder dissolves, or it is not as effective-the directions also say this but most people do not read them thoroughly, so I want to make sure anyone who needs it, sees this.
I would spray it on a shiny paper plate, then replace it each day. They die very quickly, and love eating this stuff. Moths like it too. I cost about $13-16, in the spray bottle. The spray bottle has powder, that you add water to. Gently swish until mixed. You can spray it on a wall, but it isn’t necessary if you can place a non-permeable paper plate sprayed with it nearby.
….sorry for cell phone typos…content not context. .. hope my comment helps
I have gnats, too. I keep putting out the apple cider vinegar and soap and caught some in the beginning, but now they have outsmarted me. They keep flying into my face and I can’t stand it! Do they die off during the winter months, or are they going to still be around at Christmas??
Good article, mostly, but the part that attributes gnats to dogs, cats or other pets is just plain stupid and should be redacted.
Like most here, I have read all the solutions and tried some like the drain gel, etc. Nothing was working very well at all and they were making me crazy. I decided to order 2 small indoor bug zapers, plus an electrified fly swatter. LOL But by the time they arrived, I didn’t need to open them, as the problem was 98% resolved. I had put up fly tape in the kitchen and bathrooms and around the house, and this has worked. The one I put above the kitchen trash can was covered with them! It’s been a relief to not dread going in the kitchen and bathrooms!! All I can say is it’s been at least 3 weeks now, and although I see a few occasionally, the fly tape has knocked out the problem at my house. I’m guessing since they can’t return to reproduce, it breaks they cycle?? I still have my zappers though if I need them. Hope this helps someone, because I know how crazy these little flying gnats can make you!!
THANK YOU! I’m SO glad I found this article. The vinegar trap idea is so far working great.
If you really want to “take it up a notch”, try this: take a strip of packing tape and place it around the outside of your bowl or jar, sticky side out. When they land on the tape, some of the flies will get stuck. Covering the jar with tape (facing inward) rather than plastic wrap can help keep them from escaping as well.
If you don’t have AC vinegar, I found that just about any sweet liquid works. I tried a bit of coffee with cream and sugar attracted them, and they came to that pretty well, too.
Thanks for the info. It doesn’t matter to me what grammar you use to convey the solution to the gnat problem. Thanks again. You are awesome!
I first found out that I had gnats when I left a single pickle package on the counter, I ate the pickle but left the juice in the plastic bag it came in. The next morning it was full of gnats I also have used the Apple cider vinegar and soap mixture but I have to say the pickle juice pack it worked great, good luck!
Well, my goodness. I would just like to say that this PROUD to be called housewife appreciates Gnatmaster sharing all his information on the internet to us. I Thank God everyday we have the opportunity for me to be a housewife. I worked in the Medical Field full time for 18 years and I can tell you that there is a lot more work in being a housewife than having a full time job. My 2nd son was born with Cystic Fibrosis. So, my husband and I did everything we could to make arrangements for me to be a housewife so I can properly care for him, homeschool him, and make sure he is given treatments and medications correctly. So you can call me a housewife all you want. Lol.. I like to think of it as I earned that title. Because there is a lot of people out there that can not afford to be one. Gnatmaster, I would just ignore some of the mean comments that people has made on here and keep blogging even more tips and tricks for house hold remedies. I did the apple cider vinegar in a jar and covered the top with seran wrap tightly with a rubber band. Then I poked holes in the top. It worked pretty well and it was safe for my son to be around cause there were no chemicals sprayed in the house. Thank you very much and keep blogging.
All of these methods state they are for inside the house. Do they work outside as well?
I had a horrible Gnat problem last summer at my cottage in Northern Michigan. I knew we had a few but one night I just happened to turn on my Infrared night vision security camera I normally have pointing out the front window. I turned it to point into the room and just about jumped out of my skin!!
There were hundreds of those gnats flying back and forth in the cameras view. I guess you can see them much better with infrared. I went the very next day to one of the big box stores and bought some of those expensive spay foggers and after taking my dog over to a relatives house set off probably more foggers than the directions called for. After waiting a few extra hours than the directions called for I returned home and opened the windows while cleaning the floors and counters and vacuuming all the rooms. I went and got my dog back and kicked back in my recliner and turned on the TV to watch the late news. Just on a hunch I turned the infrared security camera on again just to see if there were any stragglers still around. To my dismay I watched my IPhone screen as I saw 1 then 2 then in a matter of minutes there were dozens streaming around my living room once again!
I’ve tried the apple vinegar, ammonia, gnat traps inside and even sprayed my lawn and outside walls and screens with a very good bug killer and that didn’t put a dent in my gnat problem.
I dread the thought of going up and spending another summer up at the lake if I have to go through what I did last year!!! Why can we put a man in space but cant kill gnats!!!!! Why!!!
Great ideas! Hope it is gnats, and not sewer flies. We had a rental house with a sewer line leak. Had been leaking for quite a long time. spray bombed the house several times. we did fix the plumbing issue, but fought flies for a few weeks after. when the ground dried and we professionally sprayed the house again that took care of them! good luck
I have had good luck with hot pepper sauce — the one with little green peppers in it. The jar has a single hole sprinkle top. Gnats go in for the aroma & can’t get back out. After the smell wains, and it has lots of bugs, i drain & refill with white or apple cider vinegar. I may also smash the peppers with a long knife. One bottle can be used for years. After reading this article, I raided the recycle bin to use a clear salt shaker, & a red wine vinegar bottle using the apple cider vinegar & soap method around my houseplants.
Oh I never thought about a clear salt shaker. I have 2 that are miniature Mason jars that would be perfect. Going to Walmart tomorrow for apple cider vinegar. Beware gnats, here this old 76 year old woman comes!
Im still having trouble with gnats we tried the apple ciber and soap but they keep popping up. We even put apple covered and hot water down the drain. Is there any stronger was to get rid of them?
Thx the Apple Cider Vinegar Really helped ! A few days before I had a Celebration of life for my aunt at my house had gnats eating my pineapple then I looked it up and thankfully u helped me figure it out before over 50 people got here .
OH MY GOD ONCE AGAIN ANOTHER IDIOT OUT THERE TRYING TO BE BIG MAN WITH HIS BIG WORDS FORK THAT PERSON THAT’S A TRUE IDIOT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIPS IF THIS GUY REALLY HAD NAPS HE’D BE APPRECIATIVE TO THESE ARE ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE AND I APPRECIATE ANY TIME YOU TOOK TO HELP ME WITH HIS PROBLEM MY NAME IS JC AND I THANK YOU
I’m still not sure who this person was writing to, but share on you. First learn to write, second realize Trump is the President so stop being pissed off about everything in life. Third realize one day your going to die and God just might cause Nat to do it. If I was you I’d be a big man and apologize to whomever you wrote this to, but please take your time so it can be fully understood. Hope you start feeling more like a gentleman soon. I feel sorry for people like this.
“but share on you” .. SHARE … lol … Harold, go back to 1st grade.
This website is intended to help people get rid of gnats and other buggers… not for stuck-up “well educated morons” like you who can’t spell SHAME 🙂
Go water your plants …
I made one mistake. Wonder if it will be caught? Thanks everyone for sharing.
I GOT RID OF THE KNATS ON MY FRONT DOOR BY HANGING A CLEAR PLASTIC ZIP LOCK BAG OVER MY FRONT DOOR. IN A BOWL. I MIXED 2 AND A HALF CUP S OF WATER, A HAND FULL OF SALT, MIX IT WELL WITH A SPOON, POUR THIS IN THE ZIPLOCK BAG, ADD 5 PENNIES IN THE BAG. PUT 2 NAILS OVER YOUR FRONT DOOR, CLOSE YOUR BAG . PUNCH 2 HOLES IN THE BAG , AT THE TOP. AN HANG IT UP ON THE DOOR. I SAW THIS ON THE INTERNET LAST WEEK , AND IT REALLY DOES WORK., SO TODAY I PUT A BAG IN MY KITCHEN WINDOW, HOPING IT WILL WORK ALSO IN THE INSIDE OF MY APARTMENT. THIS DID WORK FOR ME, SO GOOD LUCK AND GIVE THIS A TRY.
also a spray bottle of dish soap and water helps to kill them then you just have to wipe they away
I dont think using the word housewives the way you used it was sexist,I understood it as a woman could put together without the help of a man.My boyfriend doesn’t like me messing with chemicals and as the grammar,everyone makes mistakes but whos grading grammar when its the info were interested in .Thanks for the info.
Best reply I’ve read, really good. Thank you and might I say your right on target too.
Ive tried the apple cider vinegar with a few drops of dish soap, I observed the jar an gnats just ignored it and never entered the jar at all, I even left it out for a week and was lucky to have one or two in it making this option totally useless option.
The best option i have seen so far is to get the clear window sticky fly traps you stick in your windows near the top. I have not found anything yet that beats them. I put one near the top in every window and they last for months. Less then hour I had a dozens or more stuck on the traps.
nice article, but what I have is totally different. I have biting Gnats inside my home. Those Gnats do not care for food rotten or fresh, don’t get about drains, and they don’t even fly around their. The Gnats i have live on human blood, and that’s all they care about. They follow me around the house in order to bite, and suck bloods. They attack me wherever I go around the house and even in my sleep. I have tried all these methods, vinegar, dish washing soap. They did not get attracted at all to these methods. I have tried also over-the-counter chemicals, that also did not work. I called one pest company, and they have no solution for biting gnats. it’s been going for the last six months, may be, I should sell the house and get the hell out of here.
You have biting midges, NOT gnats. Biting Midges are a type of fly, so of course none of these methods are going to work.
EeeeK! Bleach and ammonia are CHEMICALS! We should all be afraid of them!
I have a lake home & gnats are always around while walking in the grass. How can I get rid of them on a large scale like our back yard?
I can’t get rid of these things I’ve done everything no trash in house no fruit in house no plants I’ve used bombs,bleach,vingear,the traps with the holes on top that you can buy they are in every room help
oh my gosh!!! You too!? I can’t make a sandwich without at least one buzzing around …trying land on my food!
Very useful article but I do have to say this sentence kind of gave me a chuckle. “Additionally it is cheap and easy for housewives to implement. ” …. Just slipped back in time to 1960 there lol.
Wow! People have been posting on this site for years! I have gnats, a clean house , a clean drain, no fruit/food laying out and a mostly emptied trash can all the time. I’m here to see if there’s something I haven’t tried before. The gnats here are really p*ssing me off! Very informative reading. thanks for posting this.