How to Get Rid of Gnats

Merry Maids of Sycamore - How to Get Rid of Gnats

Though they are essentially harmless, these tiny flying bugs often show up in groups and prove difficult to evict. There are three different types—fruit flies, drain flies, and fungus gnats—but even though only one bears the actual name, they’re all a nuisance.

Apple Cider Vinegar Trap

Fill a glass or a bowl with 1 tablespoon of sugar, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a half cup of warm water, and about 5 drops of liquid dish soap and stir well. Gnats will be attracted to the sweet sugar and pungent vinegar, but the sticky dish soap will disable them from escaping.

This trick also works with wine! If you have an unfinished bottle of red wine that has oxidized and turned sour, use the wine in the method above. Just add the liquid dish soap, set it out in the open, and wait for the gnats to dive in.

Bananas in a Bowl

Mash an overripe banana in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Secure the plastic wrap with a rubber band, then poke a couple small holes with a toothpick for the gnats. The pests will be attracted to the smell of the fermented fruit and find their way in through the holes. However, they won’t be able to escape the way they came and they’ll be trapped.

Diluted Bleach Solution

If the gnats in your home swarm around the sink, they’re most likely not gnats but drain flies. Eliminate these pests by mixing a 1/2cup of bleach with a gallon of water and carefully pouring it down the drain. (Always use caution when handling bleach.) Depending on how long the drain flies have had to settle in, you may need to repeat this method a couple times before they’re truly gone.

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