# Gnats Ugh enough!



## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

I hope this is the correct location for this: I have an infestation of gnats in my house, not from food, they seem to be concentrated in my kitchen and lower bathroom, but they are all over the house to some degree. I sprayed Home defense and it dint solve the problem. I am looking for ideas that might work in getting a handle on these little buggers. I purchased a bug bomb at Lowes, but was really thinking the fly tack paper (fly strips) might do the trick. Cant find any of the fly strips so I would be interested in opinions about that stuff too. Either way Im going to kill some bugs, then some major cleaning. Please share what has worked.


----------



## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

Greenbush future said:


> I hope this is the correct location for this: I have an infestation of gnats in my house, not from food, they seem to be concentrated in my kitchen and lower bathroom, but they are all over the house to some degree. I sprayed Home defense and it dint solve the problem. I am looking for ideas that might work in getting a handle on these little buggers. I purchased a bug bomb at Lowes, but was really thinking the fly tack paper (fly strips) might do the trick. Cant find any of the fly strips so I would be interested in opinions about that stuff too. Either way Im going to kill some bugs, then some major cleaning. Please share what has worked.


Gnats........can't help much. But I do think they are more likely fruit flys. I had them bad this late summer and fall. And your comment of them being in the kitchen makes it more likely. If that is the case, then it is food. Try some of the simple home made traps. Try making a paper funnel and taping it in a drinking glass with some fruit juice or cider vinegar in it. They will fly in, then fall into the liquid and die a miserable death. This will help confirm that they are fruit flies and somewhat help reduce numbers. Big thing is to kill the source of food. They like dirty sinks, dirty counters, and apparently in my case empty beer cans.


----------



## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

Froggy,

I cant say 100% it's either one but your comment sounds about right. I always end up with 2-3 of them in any glass left out with liquid in it. Because they are everywhere I figured they might be gnats. At this point I will try anything, including your idea. Because I dont keep any fruit or potatoes or anything fresh, led me to think they were gnats and not F. Flys. Ether way, thanks.


----------



## det07 (Mar 26, 2006)

Put a few chunks of fruit in a glass and put saran wrap over the top.. use a tooth pick to put a few holes in the wrap. Leave the trap for a few hours and make sure to empty it every so often becuase they can sometimes escape if left for too long..


----------



## Fins (Jan 28, 2004)

I would doubt they are fruit flys my guess is they are a tad bigger than a fruit fly. We had them at the restaurant I work at, they come up from your drain because of the cooler temps outside and in to your home were it is warmer, probably why you are seeing them in the bathroom and kitchen areas of your house. Ecolab makes a product that takes care of them pretty quick that goes down your drain. Not sure if you can get it for residentual use or not, but you may want to try something more along those lines to get rid of em.


----------



## outdoor junkie (Sep 16, 2003)

I am guessing fruit flies also, we had quite a few of them a few weeks ago, they love the bananas and apples on the counter. The idea of saran wrap over a bowl of fruit sounds great, I will remember that.


----------



## wartfroggy (Jan 25, 2007)

The saran wrap over the bowl or glass works also. They were so bad this summer that I set up an experiment. I googled all of the home made traps, and tried a few. The paper funnel one took a little more time, but did work alot better than the saran wrap, and they seemed to stay in there better. It is alot like a minnow trap idea. I would set it in the evening and have 5-6 by bedtime. In the morning, I would have 10-20 in one glass. Tap the sides of the glass to get them to fall off and into the liquid. I found you should change the juice every day or two or you will build up some hairy mold in there.


----------



## skulldugary (Apr 12, 2003)

Those gnats must be unionizing on ya Greenbush...... :>)


----------



## det07 (Mar 26, 2006)

wartfroggy said:


> The saran wrap over the bowl or glass works also. They were so bad this summer that I set up an experiment. I googled all of the home made traps, and tried a few. The paper funnel one took a little more time, but did work alot better than the saran wrap, and they seemed to stay in there better. It is alot like a minnow trap idea. I would set it in the evening and have 5-6 by bedtime. In the morning, I would have 10-20 in one glass. Tap the sides of the glass to get them to fall off and into the liquid. I found you should change the juice every day or two or you will build up some hairy mold in there.


I will have to try your funnel trap.. sounds like it works good.


----------



## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

Definitely fruit flies. We've had an infestation of 'em for the last few days as well. :rant:


----------



## Greenbush future (Sep 8, 2005)

skulldugary said:


> Those gnats must be unionizing on ya Greenbush...... :>)


 
Thanks for all the great ideas guys, I have a bomb that I set off this morning before work and will see what happens when I go home for lunch. I will also set out both funnel and fruit traps as discussed. Glad to hear I'm not the only one with this problem. I keep a pretty clean house but can see where even a clean one could get this kink of problem. I'm gonna also get some fly tack paper and set that out too. 
Funny how the product Home Defense didnt kill them little buggers, seems to kill darn near everything else!

Darn union bugs are going to get me for picking on unions, what was I thinking?:lol:


----------



## Waxdart (Sep 1, 2007)

Flies are almost always a sanitation issue. 

No amount of spraying or traping with get rid of them. 

Small flies in a home are likely fruit flies, drain flies or fungus gnats. 

A noticeable amount of flies means they are breeding somewhere in your home. Fruit flies are usually breeding in rotten fruit or vegetables. If you have removed all the fruit from you home or put it in the fridge and you still have a lot of flies check for rotten potatoes or onions. Nest check under all appliances for fruit that may have fallen and rolled under there. Next, with a bright flash light check every sink drain and floor drain in your home for flies. Food build up or grime in an unused drain can rot and make a perfect breeding ground for fruit flies. 

Drain flies live in dry drains, check all drains and if you have a dry drain pour a five gallon bucket of water down it and that should cure the problem.

If you have fungus gnats they are likely breeding in over watered house plants, a wet crawl space, wet wall void or in a sump drain. You have to dry these ares out or clean them.

Good luck.


----------



## spoikey (Jan 18, 2005)

Best remedy I've found for fruit flies is a little sauce dish or an old mayo lid with some cider vinegar and just ad a drop or two of dish soap. Once they touch the soapy vinegar they are done for.

best remedy for drain gnats is some bleach diluted with water. make sure some of the solution gets into the overflow hole in the bathroom sink.


----------

