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How to Kill Gnats Without Chemicals
How to Kill Gnats Without Chemicals. Gnats are small flies that are a source of nuisance in homes and gardens. They reproduce quickly and must be controlled, as they can infest your house in swarms. Fruit flies are common gnats that infest homes in search of food. As these insects generally hover around fruits and vegetables in your house, you must...
Gnats are small flies that are a source of nuisance in homes and gardens. They reproduce quickly and must be controlled, as they can infest your house in swarms. Fruit flies are common gnats that infest homes in search of food. As these insects generally hover around fruits and vegetables in your house, you must combine preventive tactics with safe, non-toxic elimination measures to effectively eradicate them.
Things You'll Need
Wire mesh screen
Garbage bags
Glass jar
Plain paper
Cider vinegar
Prevention
Fix tight-fitting wire mesh screens on windows and doors to prevent fruit flies from entering the house.
Eat or discard ripened or cut fruits before they attract the fruit flies. Throw away cracked or damaged portions of fruits and vegetables to prevent fruit flies from laying eggs in the damaged sections. Fruit flies lay eggs in fermenting fruit, and their larvae feed upon the fruit when they hatch.
Line your garbage bin with plastic garbage bags. Empty the garbage bin regularly and keep it covered at all times. This will prevent gnats from colonizing garbage bins and feeding on the organic waste.
Elimination
Trap and kill the fruit flies with vinegar bait. Add 3 oz. of cider vinegar to a wide-brimmed glass jar.
Prepare a paper funnel by rolling a sheet of plain paper in the shape of a funnel. Place it over the mouth of the jar, such that the narrow end of the funnel is around two inches above the vinegar.
Place the jar in the area inhabited by fruit flies to attract them to the vinegar, which will kill them.
Dispose the dead fruit flies after a sufficient number have collected in the jar. Replace the vinegar in the glass jar proportionately.
Tips & Warnings
Carefully examine fruits and vegetables for fruit flies while purchasing. Place the fruits in a bowl when you get them home. Wash under running water and pat dry with a soft cloth. Store the fruits in the refrigerator to keep them fresh, and prevent fruit flies from being attracted to them.
Keep all cooked foods and liquids well covered to prevent fruit flies from breeding on the foods.
