Indoor And Outdoor Gnat Attractants
Putting up with insects in your garden or even inside of your home is terribly annoying, especially when it’s gnats that are the culprit. Even though they can barely be seen, gnats fly around at fast speeds and get into everything. From your garbage cans to your outdoor shed and so much more. Not only are they annoying but they are unsanitary as well. Therefore, getting rid of them as soon as possible should be your main goal as soon as you see any of these creatures. But one thing you’ll need to do is determine what attracts gnats in the first place, because only then can you decide how to get rid of them.
There are numerous things that can attract gnats to your home. Once you become familiar with them, you can eliminate the activities that make these gnats want to become a permanent part of your home. If you’re curious about the things that attract gnats, below are a few of them to keep in mind.
Food That Is Rotting In The Garbage Disposal Or Drain
Rotting food in your drain or garbage disposal can attract hundreds of gnats at a time. It won’t take long for them to figure that out. The more you use your garbage disposal, the bigger the likelihood that there is at least some food stuck in there. Because of this, gnats can appear quickly and regularly. But don’t worry, because all you have to do is clean your garbage disposal on a regular basis. To do this, plug in the drain and fill the sink up with very hot water and about a capful of bleach. Let it sit for a minute or two, then remove the stopper so that the water flushes through the drain and gets rid of all of the stuck-in food.
Leaving Fruit Out Too Long
Actually, you don’t have to leave fruit out for a long time in order to attract gnats. It’s a fact that these fruit flies love fruit — go figure. And it doesn’t take a lot of fruit to attract them. If you regularly leave fruit out on your counter, it can start to attract gnats even when it’s getting close to rotting. This also includes anything that has fruit in it. If you’re in the habit of leaving old wine bottles around, you can expect them to start attracting gnats as well. The bottom line is: Never leave fruit or anything made with fruit sitting around for too long. Gnats will find it!
A Kitchen or Bathroom That Has Too Much Moisture
The best way to prevent gnats from swarming around in your bathroom is to run the vent for 10 minutes or more each time you get out of the shower. Gnats love dampness and humidity, and they will naturally be attracted to moist places such as your bathroom or kitchen. Make sure that there are no leaks under the kitchen sink. Regularly check them if you think that you have too many gnats in the area. Leaks in your kitchen sink should be repaired immediately and you should run the vent in the bathroom on a regular basis. By doing these two things, you can prevent a lot of gnats from attacking these two rooms in your home.
Things That Attract Gnats to Your Outdoor Area
If the gnats that are irritating you are found outside in your yard, there could be several reasons for this. Several things can provide all types of gnats with the food source they’re looking for. This includes everything from fruit trees to vegetable gardens and even flowers. When it comes to attracting gnats, any type of organic matter found in your backyard will attract these irritating bugs. They are looking for a breeding or feeding place. Overwatering your plants will also attract lots of gnats. Remember, they love moisture and dampness.
What About Non-Biting Gnats?
Non-biting gnats, such as fungus gnats, moth flies, fruit flies, and phorid flies, can be attracted to light, but usually in varying degrees. Adult fungus gnats, for example, love the light. So, if you’re trying to get rid of these creatures, the light is one way to attract them to a certain type of trap. Actual fruit flies, as well as phorid flies, are not attracted to the light. When it comes to moth flies, interestingly, the male flies are attracted to light. However, this is not the case with female moth flies. This is good to know before you decide which type of trap you want to set up to kill these pesky insects. Knowing what they like helps build the perfect trap so that you can get rid of as many of these pests as possible.
Hygiene Products That Smell Good
If you have any type of beauty or hygiene products lying around the house that have great scents to them, they can start to attract gnats after a while. This is especially true if the scents are fruity and sweet, such as strawberry, honey, raspberry, and anything else that smells like fruit. Remember that gnats love fruity things. Just the smell is enough to send them in that direction because they’ll want to find a great source of food to enjoy. Keeping these products tightly closed when they’re not being used is a good way to prevent more gnats from inundating your home. Even better, don’t buy any more of these products in the future if you don’t use them.
Trash That Has Been Sitting Too Long in the Trash Can
Any type of organic matter is going to attract gnats and so will anything rotting. If you leave your trash out for too long, this is an invitation to all of the gnats in the area. It’ll tell them that you have plenty for them to eat. Decomposing organic matter seems to be what gnats love the most. But it isn’t just the sitting trash outside in your yard that they love. Even kitchen trash can sit for too long. The good news is that the solution to this problem is very simple. All you have to do is take out your kitchen trash outside frequently. The more you do this, the fewer problems you’ll have with gnats because you’re taking away their food supply.
Overwatering Your Plants
When you overwater your plants, this gives the gnats the moisture they love to stick around for a while. This includes the plants outside and the plants inside of your home. Wherever you have potting soil, in fact, you could possibly have gnats in the area, and lots of them. This is because gnats look for moist soil to lay their eggs in, and moist potting soil is perfect. In addition, their larvae tend to feed on the roots of your plants. Whether you have flowers outside or an aloe vera plant sitting on your kitchen window sill, it’s good never to give it too much water. Always make sure that when you do water your plants, there is good drainage. Good drainage definitely helps you have the right amount of water without going overboard.
Conclusion
Gnats are mostly attracted to rotting food, vegetables and overwatered plants. Sweet hygiene products, like honey shampoo for example, will attracts these bugs as well.
There are many ways to get rid om them. Prevention is always the best way to go. However, it could take a while for them to completely disappear. If you’re unable to get rif of the source, like having a vegetable garden for example, consider the assistance of a gnat catcher.
Whatever the reason, we hope that by now you have a better understanding of what attracts gnats. Stay cool, don’t panic and definitely don’t give up. Your gnat problem will be solved in no-time!