Indoor Gnat Infestation Prevention and Information

January 24th, 2010 Posted in Flies & Gnats



Gnats are a nuisance that nobody wants around, especially not inside the house. Unfortunately for many of us, with summer comes a gnat infestation. The most common of these tiny, black, flying insects pose no real threat to humans, but they can be incredibly annoying and difficult to exterminate.




Gnats are drawn to fungus, which tends to grow in moist areas.

Common gnat attractions found inside the home are:

  • Overripe fruit

  • Old, softening potatoes

  • Over-watered indoor plants

  • Indoor compost buckets

Although the sources are fairly easy to identify, actually getting rid of these pests often seems impossible. This is because gnats have a life-cycle lasting around 4 weeks, and females can lay as many as 300 eggs in small batches on virtually any source of fermenting or decaying organic matter.

This incredible potential for local population growth causes many homeowners to become virtually overrun. By the time you notice that you have a gnat problem, there may already be thousands of eggs ready to hatch and make your life miserable.

Given the difficulty of overcoming an infestation, prevention is often your best bet.

  • Don’t leave fruit or vegetables lying around, especially if they are getting old. Put them in the refrigerator if necessary.

  • Don’t over-water plants, and drain indoor plants after watering to avoid the possibility of root-rot, which, added to the moisture, is attractive to gnats.

  • Move compost systems outside, the decaying matter provides a feast for gnats.

If you seem to run out of options, then finding the source of the infestation is the last-ditch effort.



Luckily for us humans, if it comes down to all-out war with these gnats, there are a few simple yet effective traps that anyone can make at home for free.

  • A solution of 1 cup balsamic vinegar and 2-3tbsp dish soap poured into a small cup will attract the gnats, and the soap will kill them.

  • Fill a jar with vinegar and cover the top with plastic wrap, and then poke holes in the covering. The vinegar will attract the gnats into the jar, and they won’t be able to get back out.

  • You can also put a piece of rotting fruit in a cup with a solution of water and dish soap, which will attract and kill the gnats.

  • For a momentary fix in the kitchen, pouring ammonia down the drain will dissuade gnats from gathering around the sink. Just let it sit for a while so the smell does not immediately dissipate.



Pesticides are generally effective against gnats, and some pesticides designed specifically for gnat infestations are available on the market; however some of these products can be dangerous for children and pets. EcoSMART Home Pest Control is an all natural pest control option that kills gnats without any risk to your family or the environment.


mark-sheffield

  1. 32 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!

  2. By D. McPherson on Jan 27, 2010

    We had a tomato drop behind the microwave undetected. That was the beginning of our problem. Because of the number of newly started herbs I had in the house, the fungus gnats took over killing some of them. It has been a long process (3 months), but I have them down to a few strays that appear here and there. Wonder if your spray would help eliminate the rest of them? It would also be interesting to see the spray works on our wasp problem around the shed during the summer.

  3. By Sandi on Jan 28, 2010

    I don’t know if I have gnats but I havehad these little black bugs in my house for months that NOTHING seems to get rid of. I have tried this product and am hopeful that it is working.

  4. By Leslie Barnett on Mar 17, 2010

    I have had a persistent problem with tiny flying insects (what look like gnats) for the past 2 months. I was out of town for almost 2 months and when I returned, I returned to this problem.

    They seem to accumulate mostly around my bathtub and kitchen area.

    I’m going to try the vinegar solution, but I would be interested in testing your EcoSMART product.

  5. By Amy on Mar 24, 2010

    I repotted an indoor plant with some organic potting soil that had been sitting on my patio for a couple of months. Apparently, these gnat type bugs were in the soil & when I brought the repotted plant into the house, I brought the gnats too! Now, I can’t figure out how to get rid of them (they seem to be living in the soil).

  6. By Dee on Apr 17, 2010

    Somehow we have developed gnats that mainly enjoy the den and family room areas. They can be found near lights and on the walls resting. They fly around and disrupt the family and are a general nuisance. I would love to test a natural product and see if it alleviates this problem. Thanks very much and hope to hear from you. I would be happy to share any and all results/experiences.

  7. By Sarah Charney on May 7, 2010

    I just realized that gnats have infested my house instantly overnight pretty much. I am going tomorrow to Home Depot and buying Eco Smart Pest Control and getting down to business in this darn kitchen here. I’m going crazy trying to smush all of them. The only thing I can think of was that I had bananas on the counter and didn’t have the air conditioning on all that much while I was at work. Well I turned down the air conditioning and sprayed an Eco Smart product I wasn’t really supposed to use indoors oh well I needed a quick fix lol. Anyways on to my next project tomorrow……crossing my fingers.

  8. By bill hornby on May 30, 2010

    i have an in door garden. i am usung organic soil, think i picked them up when i had to put all my plants outside… tried vinegar and soap. what should i do , repotting a last alternative… help

  9. By Jake on Jun 12, 2010

    I have 392 plants in my house these gnats used to be a problem but I have spiders who help a lot.

  10. By Rachel Thacker on Jun 16, 2010

    Help…I would be so grateful if you can tell me if your spray is safe for my exotic animals and birds. I raise Kinkajou’s, sugargliders, hedgehogs and have 25 exotic birds in my household and that means lots of fresh fruits and veggies… Ther is always some form of fruit present as the kinks,hedgehogs and sugargliders are nocturnal feeding at night and the birds feed during the daytime hours. I am being overwhelmed by gnats and occasionally houseflies. I need something that I can spray that is safe near my birds to use with the vinegar and soap solutions. Can you help me out by letting me know? I have hundreds of bird breeder friends who are having the same problem every year. Have they been ok’d by a avian veternarian? I am anxious to hear your answer…Thank You:)

  11. By Kiana on Jul 6, 2010

    I have a gnat infestation..I don’t know the source but they are a major headache..I need help ASAP!

  12. By EcoSMART Zach on Aug 16, 2010

    Rachel,

    EcoSMART is certainly safe for use around all of these animals. It only affects insects.

    Hope this helps!

    Zach

  13. By Audrey Moon on Aug 28, 2010

    I called my local extension office and asked what could be used to rid my home of the pesky things, and was told to use balsmic or cider vinegar. Much to my surprise it worked. However, before I set the Vinegar “traps” I was also told to take boiling water and pour it down my sink and bathtub drains.

    After doing that, I used small plastic condiment containers(typically used by restaurants for take-out orders), polked small holes in the plastic lid with an ice-pick and filled them half way up with the balsmic vinegar, and secured the lid, then let these traps sit near my sinks. I only used two traps, one in the kitchen and another in one of my bathrooms., In a few hours the traps had already attracted several gnats. They love the smell, and when trying to “feed” on it, they wind up drowning. I left these traps in place for a couple of days, and our gnat problems disapeared.

    I would suggest anyone with this problem also remove house-plants from indoors, and replacing the soil before re-introducing them inside so as to prevent from bringing in unhatched eggs, and of course, removing any overly ripe or decaying fruit/veggie’s from your counter-tops or fruit bowls.

    This is a safe, easy way to rid your home of this aggravation.

  14. By Dan on Nov 15, 2010

    I guess I brought these gnats in in houseplants Oct. 1 – they are driving me crazy- is it too late to get a product to test?

  15. By Dan on Nov 15, 2010

    Help – house infeated since Oct. 1

  16. By Beth on Jan 23, 2011

    Have had gnats since Nov. and 2 visits from and exterminator…nothings helps!

  17. By EcoSMART Kait on Feb 2, 2011

    Hi Beth,

    If you are still getting gnats you should take preventative measures to keep them from coming back once they’re gone. Don’t leave fruit or vegetables lying around, don’t over-water plants, and move your compost system outside if you haven’t.

  18. By Ross on Mar 16, 2011

    Since the summer of 2010 i have been infested by gnats, but not in the kitchen, only one or two. they seem to congregate in the spare room, all around the window ledge and window. ive used the cider in a container, but only a few seem to go in it, theres more found alive and dead on the window ledge. what can i do?

  19. By EcoSMART Kait on Apr 8, 2011

    Hi Ross,

    You might want to consider trying EcoSMART Flying Insect Killer to get rid of them. Best of luck!

  20. By Lindsay on May 1, 2011

    Help, please..We have all these little bugs all over the house. Don’t know if they’re gnats or not..They came a few days ago, and we’ve laid out the traps, but no matter how many we kill, there are always more..They are only in a few rooms, our living room, my bedroom, and the bathroom. And they’re only upstairs, not downstairs. In these 3 rooms, there is NOTHING that could cause them..No fruits, no plants, no buckets, NOTHING!!! They bite me during the night, and I can hardly get any sleep. What should I do..? :(

  21. By Rick on May 14, 2011

    Help us! Our house has been taken over by these Gnats. We have tried everything to no avil. We need more suggestions.

  22. By Valerie Unruh on May 16, 2011

    My sister suddenly has an infestation of gnats in her bedroom. Everyday she has to take down her curtains and take out her rugs and clean up all the gnats on her windowsill. Now they’re spreading to the ceiling fan, her closet, her bed! She has not done anything different in her room than she has been doing for the last 14 years and we have never had this problem before. We are really overwhelmed with this. What can we do?

  23. By Celeste on Jun 2, 2011

    I have a bad infestation of gnats an they are driving me crazy… They have over invaded all of my plants. I have tried everything from the vinegar trick to sand to chemicals (which I do not like doing) an even have fly traps up..I am so ready to get rid of these pests..Please let me know what else I can do..Thank you Celeste

  24. By Wendy on Jun 8, 2011

    Please help! For the past few years we have had an annual and VERY annoying gnat infestation. I have battled them each year by hanging fly strips in the areas most affected (kitchen, bathrooms, basement office.) Needless to say, it’s not pretty. The problem this year aside from the fact that I have to get rid of these pests is that my husband just had brain surgery and is recovering at home. Gnats are drawn to his incision even though we keep it very clean. Any recommendations and samples are greatly appreciated. I will be trying the vinegar trick. Thanks in advance.

  25. By Danielle on Jun 9, 2011

    We have a seere gnat infestation in our master bathroom. The pots of vinegar just aren’t working! We’ve even tried ammonia down the drain and nothing is working. We would love to try the EcoSmart product line!

  26. By Jacque on Jun 27, 2011

    I have gnats in my houseplants. I would love the chance to try your products. Thanks

  27. By Hollie on Jul 12, 2011

    I live in an apartment and have to grow all my vegetables/herbs indoors. Unfortunately, I overwatered a few plants (only once!) and have a MAJOR gnat infestation that won’t go away. The natural solutions of vinegar/soap killed….ONE.

  28. By Valerie on Aug 15, 2011

    Help! Gnats gone crazy! Why, Why, Why…we haven’t done anything different to bring these guys in our house….but to no avail my kitchen sink area is surrounded by these tiny pests…I have tried bleach down the sink, traps of cider vinegar, bay leaves crumbled in pantyhose hung in the window….what to do next? Try EcoSmart? Is there any chance our family can become a tester?

    Pleasse help!

  29. By irene on Aug 29, 2011

    i have little tiny fly bug when I sit by computer I feel a little sting. I tried vinager, alachol, bleach, nothing works. I covered plants, I put a bowl by the sink drain. still flying. I give up I have no fruit in the house. I do have 3 parakeets fly all day freely, cocketeil also flys freely. They dont have the bugs. What kind of bugs do I have?

  30. By Ally on Aug 31, 2011

    Please help! I have 2 babies. Ive cleaned my entire house with bleach twice. Tried the vineger thing, raid, bug bombs, draino down all the pipes and so on.. I cant even prepare meals or baby bottles! I cant afford a proffesional. We cant hardley live like this!

  31. By cheryl wind on Sep 21, 2011

    Gnats are getting really outta hand please help..

  32. By Sharon Boland on Oct 1, 2011

    I’ve been battling gnats for 3 weeks. I’m on my 3rd can of insecticide, I’m finding dead gnats all over my floors, counters, etc.. but there are more live ones than dead ones. They seem to be increasing instead of decreasing. I’m at my wits end. Please help me!!!!

  33. By EILEEN D'ANDREA on Oct 2, 2011

    Help! Gnats all over the kitchen, and now in the bathroom. No fruit left to grow on. Any chance I can get a sample?

32 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers! (details)