Do you want to know a disturbing gnat fact about small flying bugs?
According to facts on gnats, some gnats don’t change their habitat for several years.
Has your home become a habitat for gnats and other small flying bugs?
If so, we are certain you want them to change their habitat, and pronto! Unfortunately, because insects like gnats and fruit flies don’t fly all that well, you will be stuck with them in your home until you take action.
The good news is that you aren’t doomed to living with these pesky little creatures, as there are a few things you can do to get rid of them.
Want to know what these are? Read on! We promise that by the end of this article you will have a solid game plan in place for ridding your home of annoying gnats and fruit flies.
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First Up: Figure out What Type of Flying Bugs You Have
If your home is being invaded by droves of small flying bugs. The first thing to do is to figure out what type of bugs/gnats they are.
If you are wondering what causes a gnat infestation, the answer depends on what type of gnats you have. Once you figure this out, you can start targeting them effectively.
Fruit Flies
One type of bug often confused with gnats is fruit flies. Fruit flies are tiny little flies that are attracted to fruit, hence the name. Ripe Fruit, however, is not the only thing that draws them.
Fruit flies are also attracted to vegetables, fermented substances like beer, wine, and sweet scents. They hover around fruit baskets, damp areas such as the sink, and the trash can. They love the sweet smell of empty soda bottles and are even attracted to rags that may have a sweet detergent smell on them.
It used to be thought unlike other types of gnats, fruit flies were harmless. However, research has now come out showing that fruit flies are capable of transferring viruses such as E.coli, Salmonella, and Listeria and therefore can pose a food safety risk.
So, if you have fruit flies in your kitchen, don’t let them hang around. Fortunately, you are in the perfect place to find out how to stop a fruit fly infestation, so simply keep reading.
Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnats are tiny little gnats that breed in the soil and feed on decomposing matter. Because of this, you might find them hovering over your pot plants.
They are attracted to wet soil, and so can often show up if you have been over-watering, or have a water-loving house plant.
Fortunately, even though their name sounds terrible, fungus gnats are not a health hazard. They don’t bite, and they won’t damage your plant.
This doesn’t mean that you want them inside. Small, hanging, clouds of gnats over your plants doesn’t make for a good look!
Sewer Gnats
Sewer gnats get their name from the fact that they are attracted to sewers. They can also be found in rotting vegetables and fruit, other decomposing organic materials, and garbage.
If you are experiencing a small fly infestation around your drains and sewers, then it is most likely that these are sewer gnats.
Other Biting Gnats
Besides sewer gnats and fungus gnats, there are also some gnat species that bite. These include buffalo gnats, sandflies, and deer flies.
Female gnats bite humans to drink blood to speed up their reproduction process. Bites can be painful and cause itching and swelling.
Certain gnats can also transmit diseases and viruses through their bite, such as pinkeye. Some gnats also transfer diseases to cattle and livestock such.
If you are getting regularly stung by tiny little insects. Then it is likely that you have some species of biting gnat on your hands.
Start by Eradicating Their Source of Food or Their Habit
Once you know what types of gnats you are dealing with, it is time to start eradicating them.
The first thing to do is to remove anything that is attracting them.
Fruit Flies
With fruit flies, pack away any fruit or vegetables are in the open in fruit baskets or veg racks into the refrigerator. Keep all foodstuffs sealed and closed especially sweet things. Wipe up sticky spills immediately and keep trash can lids closed.
Also, be sure to throw out any food that has been contaminated by fruit flies.
Fruit flies are also attracted to damp areas, dirty mops, dirty cloths, and even water around your sink area. Therefore, while you are eliminating potential food sources, it’s also a good idea to give your kitchen area a thorough spring clean and sterilize things like mops and cloths.
Thoroughly cleaning your kitchen is a good idea because you will be killing any bacteria that the fruit flies may have deposited onto surfaces.
Sewer Gnats
Sewer gnats are attracted to waste build-up that can collect on the inside of your pipes and drain.
To minimize this, clean out your drains using either hot water, bicarbonate of baking soda, vinegar, or an environmentally friendly drain cleaning product.
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Fungus Gnats
Since fungus gnats are attracted to pot plants, eliminating their habitat is not so simple. Unless you are happy to get rid of all your lovely pot plants!
Instead, you can try reeling back on watering. However, if you have water-loving house plants, or you don’t water all the much anyway. This method might not work well for you.
So am I stuck with fungus gnats if I want house plants?
Nope! Fortunately, you don’t have to put up with this. Instead, you can start trapping the flies.
Trap the Bugs That Remain
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Once you have done your best to eradicate any food sources and areas that might be attracting fruit flies and gnats, it’s time to trap any that are left.
Some of the best traps for this job are sticky traps such as fly strips. However, nobody likes to see unsightly fly traps hanging all over their house. Which is why we have a better solution for you.
Enter Trappify sticky traps. We have designed an attractive sticky trap for fruit flies and gnats that you can hang discreetly. Or stick directly into pot plants for maximum effectiveness.
Once any gnats or fruit flies touch the surface of the sticky trap, they are stuck. Once the trap is covered in bugs, you can dispose of it and put up a new one if you still have any bugs left to catch.
Highly effective, the Trappify sticky traps have racked up over 600 hundred reviews on Amazon, and a 4-star rating.
If you have a fruit fly problem, we recommend that you hang the traps in the kitchen, or wherever else they are showing up. For biting gnats outside, place a few traps strategically around your seating area. For fungus gnats around pot plants, simply stick one trap into each pot.
Clean up Small Flying Bugs Eggs
Once you have set up traps for remaining gnats and fruit flies, it’s a wise move to try and clean up any eggs that they might have left behind. Gnats reproduce quickly and prolifically, with some species laying up to 450 eggs in one go!
So roll up your sleeves and get those eggs out of your house.
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You can do this by wiping down and disinfecting any surfaces where the little flies may have landed. Get rid of any food or waste that might contain their eggs. Eradicate damp areas and locale mop up standing water.
For sewer flies, try to flush out any slime that is accumulating in your drain pipes. If the problem is very bad, you might need to call in a plumber. Serious cases of sewer flies can also indicate a leak or crack in your sewer line, so in this case, getting a plumber in is not a bad idea.
For fungus gnats, you can try pouring a mild solution of neem or some other natural pesticide over the soil of your pot plants.
Now You Know How to Rid Your Home of Small Flying Bugs
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You are not doomed to having small flying bugs everywhere, buzzing, biting, spoiling food and making your home feel contaminated.
Instead, get to work and apply these tips to sort the problem out today.
And don’t forget, to take a lot of the elbow grease out of sorting a fruit fly or gnat situation. Be sure to pick up a pack of our attractive and easy-to-use sticky traps.
To get started, check out our shop or contact us if you have any questions.
