Gnat Problem? Learn about Prevention and Natural Gnat Repellent
January 10th, 2010 Posted in Flies & Gnats
The term “gnat” encompasses a variety of small flying insects that, to the naked eye, are very similar to each other. The true gnat resembles a tiny mosquito and does not bite. However, others typically referred to as gnats, such as no-see-ums, punkies, biting midges, and black flies, do bite and can be incredibly irritating.
Although it is difficult to distinguish between these kinds of “gnats,” they are far easier to control than identify.
Traditional chemical repellents, typically containing DEET, are very effective against gnats yet incredibly poisonous. Luckily, there are an abundance of safe and environmentally-friendly countermeasures at everyone’s disposal. Some of these techniques involve taking an aggressive stance against the insects; however, other effective prevention measures involve altering the environment around the home to provide less incentive for gnats to frequent the area.
Depending on the specifics of the geography and layout of the home/property, a combination of natural prevention and repellent methods may prove more effective than others.
Gnat Prevention Methods
Water Only as Needed
Over-watering creates a haven for fungi in root-systems and leads to root-rot, creating a perfect feeding ground for gnats. Therefore, during peak months it is important to let the soil in gardens and pots dry in between waterings. In addition, remove any decomposing matter in plant beds as this provides yet another food source for the gnats.
Turn on Outdoor Lights
Typical outdoor lighting attracts gnats and many other types of insects. The orange glow of high or low pressure sodium lamps reduces the lure to insects. These will also save money on your electricity bill as they are more energy efficient than the standard bulb.
Screen Them Out
Some wire mesh used for window screens may not be small enough to prevent the unhindered traffic of gnats into the home. If you spend a lot of time on the sun porch or with cracked windows, you may want to invest in a fine weave fiberglass mesh. The holes in this mesh should be small enough to stop any intruder.
Natural Gnat Repellent Methods
Introduce Biological Pest Control
The introduction of a predator bird or insect species is an extremely effective, long-term strategy in managing the number of gnats in your area. This form of biological pest control is often most effective when used in conjunction with an organic, non-toxic, repellent. The repellent will temporarily clear the area, allowing time for your new allies to spread around the area before the gnats return.
Another method involves introducing specific microorganisms that target the pest species. These virus and disease causing creatures will not affect any organisms apart from the pest, and can be incredibly effective in holding down their numbers. Neither one of these biological control techniques will have negative effects on your children, pets, or plants.
Use a Gnat Trap
A natural gnat trap can also be constructed at virtually no cost. Simply fill a bowl with half dish soap and half vinegar and leave it wherever you are having a problem. The vinegar will attract the gnats to the bowl, and the gnats will find themselves unable to escape from the dish soap.
Spray Natural Oils
Combinations of natural oils are a simple way to create a buffer against gnats. Compounds of Lemongrass, Citronella, Garlic, Cedarwood and Cinnamon oils are common ingredients in a solution that gnats find repulsive. Simply spraying the solution on your lawn or anywhere where you have a problem should solve it temporarily with no toxic aftereffects.
An important piece of advice is to exhaust all other options before resorting to a potentially harmful chemical pesticide. In most cases, the temporary fix that many of these provide does not outweigh the damage that over-exposure to poisons can cause to the body.
18 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!
By Sabrina on Apr 20, 2010
I have a large lawn in my backyard which bred a noseeums by the hundreds! Clouds of them would come up from the grass whenever someone walked through. I didn’t mind that they were there except I soon discovered I was severely allergic to their bites. I tried to reduce the waterings, but that just started to kill the grass. I tried EcoSmart last weekend and have noticed a drastic decrease in bugs. Seeing how well EcoSmart worked after the first spray, I couldn’t imagine going back to chemicals.
By EcoSMART Megan on Apr 20, 2010
Sabrina,
So glad EcoSMART solved your problems!
By craig on May 5, 2010
living in the center of 6.5 ac. surrounded by woods, the mosquitos and gnats have made sitting outside in the early evening a nightmare. the garlic spray my wife made, worked if you can deal with or get used dto the smell. sure hope this works!!
By jen mjoen on May 17, 2010
I live in a rural area in mid MN and live in the woods so this product will hopefully help the major pest problem we have.
By Kris Weber on May 31, 2010
We live on a farm in Iowa and can’t even go out to water the plants without getting bitten by these gnats. If we can’t find a way to get rid of them, we will be indoors most of the summer. Summer is our favorite time of the year.
By Mike L on Jun 19, 2010
We have an extremely heavy population of gnats in the backyard. We are getting a patio installed and plan to be spending a lot more time back there. The gnat trap is something that sounds easy to do, I will give it a try, thanks!
We’ve used citronella candles in the past, which seem to help a little bit, but we can’t put candles everywhere.
By BamaDan on Jun 21, 2010
I have a bad gnat problem. These don’t bite, so I’m lucky on that. But, I’ll walk through a patch of them and they get all over me and I’ve swallowed some. I’m trying to walk in the evenings to try and lose weight. I go up and down my driveway for 30 minutes. It’s so hot during the day I wait until the last possible minute so I can finish by the time it gets dark. But, yesterday these things were relentless. I tried holding one arm up in front of my face and use the other arm to swat. I’m wearing safety goggles next time so maybe I can keep them out of my eyes.
By Jami on Sep 10, 2010
I’ve cleaned and bleached and cleaned and can not get rid of the gnats in my home. I want to find an organic alternative to pesticides, to avoid exposing my kids and pets to harmful chemicals.
By tawny ameling on Sep 24, 2010
We have a problem with gnats infesting our bathroom and kitchen! I try to wipe down the bathroom moisture after showers and keep the lid on the trash but they just keep coming!
By dee bucknam on Jan 21, 2011
I dug kitchen waste into my garden and watered it into the soil..the gnats bred and took over the entire lot..it was unlivable and the fungus killed many plants…can I USE COMPOST TEA TO AVOID TURNING A COMPOS PILE? I AM PARTLY DISABLED AND CANT DO THE HEAVY LIFTING OF CONVEBTIONAL COMPOSTING.
By dee bucknam on Jan 21, 2011
NEED HELP AVOIDING GNATS INCOMPOST
By Angela on Mar 24, 2011
Can’t get rid of these gnats that came with a new houseplant from Lowe’s. We’ve had them for 2 months now and they are getting worse. Ready to find a solution! Hopefully one of these suggestions will work.
By Jeff on Jun 23, 2011
I am having an issue in my backyard with the little gnat like creatures, and am looking for a solution that will either kill them off, or at least keep them at bay while trying to enjoy our oasis. Please advise.
Thanks,
Jeff
By Roger Chancey on Jul 12, 2011
I have been working with my buddy trying to get work done at his house so him and his family of 3 small children can live there. We were pressure cleaning the house from the roof to the ground and as we did this work we kept being harrased by those pesky GNATS! They seem to be amused by our eyes, nose, mouth and ears! If we talk to each other they fly into our mouths, breathing they fly into our nostrils, and you can hear them coming into your ears for a landing! I dont understand what they are attracted to! They are real pesky varmints!!!
By Paul Zito on Jul 12, 2011
I have a terrible Gnat problem in my back yard. I just installed an inground pool with pavers and I dont know why they swarm my yard. My wife and I cant sit back there too long because these are the ones that BITE!!! We notice there are small tiny ones that are orange and it looks like they hop and the small black ones that fly around. They get all over our clothes and on my sons toys so by the end of the day Im out there spraying chemicals for the next day praying we could stay out there. I do have surrounding neighbors that have grass in their back yards and one neighbor that has fig trees growing. Im fed up with thes bugs and am looking to spray some heavy duty chemicals soon but do not want too. This yard costed me 50k to enjoy but now these biting machines are taking over. CAN YOU HELP!!
By Mike Schmillen on Jul 26, 2011
Since the flooding in Iowa this spring and summer, the flying insect population has increased a hundred fold. I can keep the mosquitoes away by using a common repellant, but I can hardly go golfing as the gnats hover around my face so much that it is difficult to concentrate. I have used some common repellants that say they repell gnats, only to keep swatting and waving my arms at them. I am looking for a repellant so I can work in the garden and go golfing. If EcoSMART works, I have a HUGE market for it!
By Roseann on Aug 19, 2011
We cannot seem to get rid of these gnats. We find them all over in our home. They are a nuisance. What can we do??
By Janie Pauley on Sep 2, 2011
Would love to test Ecosmart…we live in south GA on a lake, and the gnats prevent anyone from going outside unless you wear glasses, earplugs and a face net! Anything to deter these bugs would be more than welcome.