# Sliding patio door and nighttime gnats



## shady oaks (Aug 2, 2005)

We have a sliding glass door in our dining room that leads to the backyard. Two dogs go in and out 2-5 times an evening. Even if we turn off the kitchen and dining room lights along with keeping the vertical blinds closed, the gnats still pile up around the door and dozens come in every time the dogs go out. 

What is my best option to keep the flying bugs away during the evening? I have a bug zapper that I have not put out yet, but have heard they don't really do the job. Any ideas?????


----------



## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

Sliding screen door. Most sliding doors come with them. Or you could close the door, and open it when your animals need to go outside. We have a dog that can stay inside for at least 10 hours without a potty break. I know, because that is what happens with our varied work schedules, sometimes. She is a champ.


----------



## Waif (Oct 27, 2013)

Dogs in and out here too.
We spray peppermint extract diluted with water around doors. Helps check skeeters and spiders. 
Screen for slider went bye,bye.
Last hour of light is usually when bugs are up here.


----------



## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

Sliding screen door with a doggy door set into it so you don't have to open the full height of the door. That with a bug light near the door should help.


----------



## Crawfish (May 7, 2002)

Fishndude said:


> Sliding screen door. Most sliding doors come with them. Or you could close the door, and open it when your animals need to go outside. We have a dog that can stay inside for at least 10 hours without a potty break. I know, because that is what happens with our varied work schedules, sometimes. She is a champ.



I don't think shady is leaving the door open all evening. I'm having the same issue right now and a screen door wouldn't help at all. The gnats or whatever they are have been piling up on our garage doors and front porch, literally tens of thousands of them. Forming piles of dead several inches deep by morning on the ground under the garage lights. You open the door for 2-3 seconds and you will have dozens, if not a hundred, in the house buzzing the lights. This just started a few days ago.

Seems to help to leave the exterior lights off as well as minimizing the interior lights.

I'm hoping it's some freak seasonal hatch of some type.


----------



## ljnealandsons (Aug 17, 2017)

Try not to open the door so often, and if you need so then try adding some gnats killer chemicals to avoid it. Make sure it has a chance to spoil your door also.


----------



## U D (Aug 1, 2012)

Put up some Bat houses


----------



## d_rek (Nov 6, 2013)

U D said:


> Put up some Bat houses


I've got a bunch of scrap ply and was thinking of building one. Do they work as good as people say? Personally wouldn't mind having hem around always thought it was cool to see them at dusk. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Karen Palmer (Aug 18, 2017)

I came across this picture in one of the blogs while searching for a pet door in my kitchen. This is a passageway for two French bulldogs in a 1906 Seattle home. Isn't it interesting?
The exterior dog door leads to a tunnel under the kitchen's lower cabinet behind the kitchen counter. The tunnel is carpeted inside, which helps clean paws before dogs enter the kitchen. The top lift of the tunnel can be vacuumed.
Maybe you can consult a professional service for advanced suggestions. Go through some door company reviews if you are hiring one.
I tried a few times to upload the image, but it wasn't showing up. If you want to refer the image you can go through the following link.
https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/5bf1c1f705787528_0231-w400-h554-b0-p0--moderne-cuisine.jpg


----------



## Petronius (Oct 13, 2010)

Karen Palmer said:


> I came across this picture in one of the blogs while searching for a pet door in my kitchen. This is a passageway for two French bulldogs in a 1906 Seattle home. Isn't it interesting?
> The exterior dog door leads to a tunnel under the kitchen's lower cabinet behind the kitchen counter. The tunnel is carpeted inside, which helps clean paws before dogs enter the kitchen. The top lift of the tunnel can be vacuumed.
> Maybe you can consult a professional service for advanced suggestions. Go through some door company reviews if you are hiring one.
> I tried a few times to upload the image, but it wasn't showing up. If you want to refer the image you can go through the following link.
> https://st.hzcdn.com/fimgs/5bf1c1f705787528_0231-w400-h554-b0-p0--moderne-cuisine.jpg


----------

