How to get rid of gnats in the garden as the bugs arrive for the summer season
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As summer time arrives, lots of wonderful things are made possible.
Barbecues, for example, and trips to the beach. Not to mention bottles of chilled rosé and a new series of Love Island.
But tiny gnats come too. They're the most common fly found in the home and come in search of fruit juice and alcohol (who doesn't?).
Importantly, the pesky little creatures put a dampener on things if they're not kept under control. They breed quickly.
What good is a picnic if it's got flies all over it? How healthy can a fruit bowl be if it's all covered in the pests?
Gnats thrive in warm conditions and there are certain things they like. There are numerous varieties and all differ slightly. Some feed on fungus, others live in the sand. All bite.
(Image: Getty)
Science aside, to us, a gnat is a gnat – a small fly and a suborder of the Nematocera species, which also includes the similarly displeasing midge (found in highlands and lowlands), and mosquitoes, which no doubt you know all about.
Anyway, ultimately, we don't want gnats invading our homes. They have a place in nature (they feed birds and bats and large insects), but they don't have a place in your kitchen.
So you know what you're dealing with, here's how to properly identify a gnat, according to pest company Terro :
Colours: The two most common fruit flies, the Red Eyed Fruit Fly and the Dark-Eyed Fruit Fly, have striped abdomens. Their eye colors are, as the name suggests, red or black, respectively
The two most common fruit flies, the Red Eyed Fruit Fly and the Dark-Eyed Fruit Fly, have striped abdomens. Their eye colors are, as the name suggests, red or black, respectively Size: Red Eyed Fruit Flies are about ⅛-inch long. Dark Eyed Fruit Flies are a bit bigger, at about 3⁄16-inch long
Red Eyed Fruit Flies are about ⅛-inch long. Dark Eyed Fruit Flies are a bit bigger, at about 3⁄16-inch long Body type: Similar to a house fly, but much smaller
Similar to a house fly, but much smaller Where: Fruit flies may be buzzing around your fruit bowl, inside a trash receptacle, in a recycling bin or in your drain or garbage disposal
What are gnats attracted to?
(Image: Photographer's Choice)
Poor quality soil around house plants.
Damp areas in the home, such as sinks and soggy clothes
Open rubbish piles, bin bags and other mess
Dirty dishes
Any food source, but particularly fruit, alcohol, and anything left out for a prolonged period, so has intensified
Preventing gnats from ruining summer
Organic Lesson has some handy tips to stop fruit flies coming along and spoiling the party...
1. Clean up your dirty dishes – gnats love to buzz about eating leftovers. It's arduous, but getting into the habit of washing up straight away will help.
2. Rubbish in the bin – ensure bins are covered and, where possible, waste is disposed of quickly. You need to keep the odour contained.
3. Damp areas – gnats love pools of stagnant water but love anything damp. Fix leaking pipes and avoid leaving watering cans full.
4. Change your soil – if you have indoor plants and flowers, think abut changing the pot soil to a higher-quality variety. This is less likely to contain other pests and mites.
Ways to get rid of gnats...
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Here's a quick summary of home remedies:
Create a trap by mixing apple cider vinegar with a few drops of dish soap
Another home-made trap is to pour leftover red wine into a jar
Mash up banana slices in a jar and cover the top with a plastic wrap
Pour bleach solution into the bathroom sink. Warning: do not mix bleach with ammonia
Use an insect fogging product if you are dealing with a large-scale infestation
Place rotten fruits into a jar to attract the gnats and fruit flies
None of these methods guarantee success, but are worth trying.
Vinegar
You need apple cider vinegar, sugar, dish soap, water, and a container.
n the container, mix two tablespoons of vinegar, one tablespoon of sugar, a few drops of soap, and one liter of water.
The insects are attracted by the smell and sweetness, jump in, then die because of the soap.
Bleach
If the flies are buzzing around the drain, pour bleach down it. Chances are they're breeding in the pipe.
Please note: don't pour the bleach as is, but dilute it. It may be that bleach doesn't reach the furthest clutches of nests, but it's a start. Just in case you read something else, don't ever mix bleach with ammonia (deadly combination).
Red wine
This is much like the vinegar trap. All you're doing is enticing the bugs with booze. Like Wetherspoons and humans.
Just pour some cheap wine (don't waste the 2012 Oregon Pinot Noir your dad bought you for your birthday) and wrap the top with clingfilm and punch a few holes in it.
Rotten fruit
The oldest trick in the book. Put some old fruit in a container, cover with plastic wrap, and pierce with holes big enough for the gnats to get in.
Wait... and you should have a box full of mouldy apples and dirty flies.
Or, special products:
Of course, the easiest and most convenient of way of getting rid of gnats is by purchasing a reputable gnat trap, as Organic Lesson explains.
You can buy pest traps online. Fogging mists are also worth trying. There are lots of retailers and your best bet is googling.
Notable products include non-toxic fly lures, gnat formulas, which you pour into water-based fly traps, and light-based killers, which attract the flies to bright artificial light.
And you've probably all seen the buzzing electric lights used in kitchens.