Essentials
6 Fast & Effective Ways To Get Rid Of Gnats, For Good
Do you have a pest problem? Want to know how to get rid of gnats in kitchen settings? Here are some DIY hacks.
January 27, 2022
We’ve all been there at least once: our kitchen, looking picture-perfect with its sparkling clean counters and not a dish out of place. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, we see them.
Tinygnats, crawling in every direction. Don’t worry — it’s time to conquer them for good.
Gnats pop up for various reasons. Maybe fresh produce sat on the counter for too long and attracted bugs to the sickly sweet smell of overripe fruit. It could be your trash can and the contents inside giving off a ripe odor. It might even be bad luck.
Whatever the case, those gnats have arrived. We’ve got some DIY hacks to teach you how to get rid of gnats in the kitchen.
1. Flypaper trap
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If you’re short on time and patience. In that case, you’ll want to invest in some trusty flypaper alongside your other home cleaning supplies. Plus, there’s something so satisfying about a simple gnat trap.
Flypapers are usually located at hardware stores or the cleaning supply section of a big-box retailer and consist of unrolled sticky tape that you hang from a high surface. They’re cheap, easy to use, and easy to dispose of for pest control.
Once all the flies are caught, simply unhook the strap from its perch and toss it.
2. Apple cider vinegar gnat trap
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This DIY gnat trap is one of our favorite pest control methods. The reason why? When it comes to gnat traps with apple cider vinegar, these pests love it; specifically, they love the sweetish smell of that fermented apple tossed into the mix.
To set this vinegar trap into action:
Grab a shallow cup and fill it halfway with warm water.
Add two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon of sugar, followed by six liquid drops of dish soap.
Set it out on the counter.
3. Wine trap for gnats
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We know what you’re thinking. Using wine to vanish gnats? Never!
But before you grab those culinary pitchforks, remember that you never need to use your best vintage. Use a wine that’s gone sour or has a strong vinegar taste. Follow the same steps that you would with the apple cider vinegar trap.
Fill up a shallow cup halfway with wine.
Add the drops of dish soap.
Set it out to deal with your ongoing gnat infestation.
Keep expired wine on hand, because it’s an f essential kitchen tool you might need.
4. Fruit bowl trap
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Another way to solve that pesky gnat problem? Use a little reverse psychology on those insects, and offer them a delicious treat they can’t resist.
To make this trap work, simply put some overripe or rotting fruit in a decent-sized bowl, and secure the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Poke small holes in the top of that plastic wrap, then set the bowl of fruit out on the counter where the gnats congregate. These make a great drain fly or fruit fly trap.
The fruit flies, sensing an easy meal,won’t be able to escape this super sweet concoction once they make their way inside the plastic.
After all the insects are collected, throw the contents out. It’s instantly one of the best gnat traps.
5. Candle trap
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Want to catch those gnats without leaving out a liquid? Use a candlestick.
To keep those pesky bugs from coming back to your kitchen counter:
Grab a tall candle.
Place that candle in the middle of a frying pan filled with water.
Light the candle, then turn off all the lights.
The gnats will either hit the light itself or fall into the water in the frying pan.
6. Use a bit of chemical help
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While we hope you’d never run into a problem this severe, a gnat problem might be worse than a simple traps can remedy. Maybe you found gnat larvae in an open trash can, or you didn’t clean the drain and the sink gnats are breeding unhindered. Garbage is a breeding ground for all types of gnats.
Whatever the case, you’ll need some help: chemical, professional, or both.
If the problem is manageable by you and you alone, go to the hardware store and pick up some chemical bug repellent suitable for kitchen use. If you can’t handle it, reach out to a professional pest control company.
Why am I getting so many gnats in my house?
The good news about all of this? Even at their worst, gnats aren’t the most difficult pests to deal with. That title falls to other insects. With a bit of elbow grease and a few inventive traps, you can clean up the problem quickly, even if you’re trying to figure out how to get rid of gnats in plants and everywhere else. (A quick insecticide should do the trick.)
If you’re still finding it hard to keep those creatures away, it may come down to your daily cleaning habits.
Remember:
Clean your kitchen sink drains regularly.
Store your freshly cut fruit in properly sealed containers.
Dispose of overripe or rotten fruit sitting out in the open.
Use air fresheners to eliminate unpleasant odors that may attract fruit flies.
Make sure your garbage cans are tightly sealed and that you dispose of your trash properly.
A few more ways that you can eradicate those pesky insects include:
Using a bug zapper to target the gnats that appear during the early stages of an infestation.
Target sink gnats using one half-cup of diluted bleach with one gallon of water poured down the drain. As always with bleach, be careful not to breathe in the fumes.
You can cut back on how gnats and other insects can enter your home by properly sealing your doors and windows. Make sure they don’t hitch a free ride on your pet’s fur, either, by learning how often you should wash your dog.
Are you struggling with some gnats but fresh out of apple cider vinegar? Gopuff has your back, and we can deliver everything you need to battle your bug problems in a matter of minutes.
