Have you ever wondered where do gnats come from?
After a tiring workday, the last thing you want is to come back to an infestation in your house. They’re not harmful, but they can prove to be a nuisance! Besides, no one likes to deal with tiny flying insects anyway.
Read on to find out three surprising sources of gnats!
Content
3 Sources of Gnats Inside and Outside Your House
You may not believe this, but most things that cause gnats are present in your house right now. That’s why most people find the tiny flies inside their houses rather than out in the yard. Let’s see the sources.
Moisture
Somehow, moisture manages to be the source of most contaminants in our houses, such as roaches, mold, and worms. It’s no wonder that it’s also a main source of gnats.
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Anywhere moist can serve as a breeding ground, including soil, overwatered plants, spillage, leaky pipes, and garbage cans. The flies can also choose places that will never cross your mind, such as condensation water around vents and windows.
Once they lay their eggs in the moist material, it’ll be a matter of time before the eggs make it into adults. If you leave them without getting rid of the eggs, the larvae will feed on decaying matter, which will fasten their growth into adult gnats. The adults will then damage your plants’ roots, which may ruin the plant altogether.
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Decaying Organic Matter
Do you remember that half-rotten orange you found in your fruit basket once? It seems harmless, but it’s a major source of these pests. Decaying organic things are essential for gnats to breed. After they lay the eggs, the larvae feed on any decaying matter they find on their way.
The decaying matters can be rotten fruits, fungi, or soil algae. These can also serve as a ground for fungus gnats to lay their eggs. So, they won’t only be helping the growth process, but they’ll also be the source of it.
That’s why they mostly live in soil; it’s the best place they’ll find rotting and decaying leaves.
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Produce
If you tend to leave your fruits and vegetables out in the open frequently, be ready for an infestation. The flies love sweet-smelling products. That’s why you may find them in your garden often if you grow fruits. In that case, they’re easy to avoid. You just have to collect your fruits once they’re ripe. Leaving them will drive gnats their way.
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Gnats identify fruits by their scents. Generally, most flies are attracted to sweet smells; that’s why you may find them around you if you use fruity products. Your lotion or shampoo could be the reason gnats found their way inside your house, even if they bred outside.
The scent is also the reason gnats mostly live around flower beds.
4 Different Types of Gnats
There are four main types of gnats: fungus gnats, phorid flies, fruit flies, and drain flies. Let’s see what each of them gets attracted to.
Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnats are the smallest type of gnats. They’re tiny, and they have black bodies. You’ll mostly find them around potted plants. That’s because they’re attracted to decaying leaves, fungus, and mold.
The problem with fungus gnats is that they stay indoors near the potted plants. You can endure these pests in your garden, but their presence in your house isn’t the best scenario.
You can always get rid of fungus gnats by cleaning the dead leaves from your pots. If there are no dead leaves, they won’t find something to munch on. Plus, letting your soil dry well between watering will also prevent their presence.
Phorid Gnats
Phorid gnats are easier to identify than fungus gnats because they fly in a zig-zag motion. On top of that, they sometimes have yellowish bodies, which are easy to catch sight of. Anywhere there’s a drain, garbage can, or sewer, you’ll find phorid gnats. They love being around dirt.
They come from moist, unsanitary areas. If you have such areas around your house, make sure to clean regularly, so you can avoid the stinky flies. Fixing water leaks when they occur will also make sure no moisture occurs.
Fruit Flies
Fruit flies are the most common type of gnats. There’s a high chance you already encountered them once or twice in your life. They’re small, and they have red eyes. Fruit flies won’t go far from your house; they love fruits and veggies, and they mostly stay around them.
You can also find them around vinegar and empty soda cans. You can prevent their presence by throwing out overripe fruits regularly. Plus, keeping your produce in the fridge will also keep them away.
Drain Flies
Like phorid flies, drain flies love to stay around sewers, septic tanks, and drains. That’s where they breed and lay their eggs. These gnats look like moths; they have larger wings than their bodies, giving them a furry appearance.
You can get rid of them by regularly cleaning around drains and sewers. Also, throw out any soil that’s been contaminated by sewage. It’ll be an open invitation for drain flies to breed.
How Can You Get Rid of Them?
If the gnats are already there, you have no choice but to get rid of them. Afterward, you can apply preventive precautions so that they don’t return. Let’s see how you can do that.
Use an Apple Cider Vinegar Trap
Gnats get attracted to apple cider vinegar faster than you think. Once you lay the trap, it’ll only take a day or so to get rid of the invading pests.
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You can do that by leaving an uncapped bottle of vinegar where there’s an infestation. You can cover its opening with transparent plastic wrap and poke holes in it. That way, the flies will enter through the holes and fail to get out.
Get Rid of Their Food
Gnats either feed on fruits, veggies, or rotten leaves. If you get rid of those, the flies won’t stick around for long. Keep the food in the fridge and regularly remove dead leaves from the soil. That way, any gnats around them will go away.
Removing the decaying matter before it’s too late may also prevent the eggs from hatching, which will save you a lot of hassle.
Use Household Items
If you don’t want to exert much effort, you can always resort to household items. Regular vinegar and dish soap will do. Simply mix some vinegar with a few drops of dish soap. Then, leave the bowl near the infestation.
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The soap will cut the vinegar’s surface tension, which will cause them to drown once they touch the solution.
Final Thoughts
You may be surprised now, seeing as most sources of gnats are regular guests in your house. You shouldn’t be concerned, though. They are easy to get rid of, and preventing them is also doable.
You merely have to clean regularly and get rid of any organic matter that may decompose. Doing so will hopefully keep the tiny flies from infesting your house.
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