Summer season comes with many joyous pleasures but it also comes with obnoxious gnats. A swarm of gnats can easily ruin your relaxing summer evening. Fortunately, you can get rid of these offensive insects by taking some useful steps which we are going to recommend in this article.
What are gnats?
Gnats are commonly referred to as “knats” or “nats”. They are small-sized flies ranging in size from 1/8″ to 1/10″ in length. They have more resemblance to mosquitoes than to flies. You’ll always find them bothering you as they are attracted to carbon dioxide which we exhale constantly.
Gnat Control Techniques
You can control gnats by following some steps. First, you have to identify the species of the gnats this causing you trouble. You have to remain careful while following this step because if this goes wrong, your efforts to get rid of gnats will prove futile.
You can identify a species of a gnat by acknowledging its common traits, where it lives, its lifecycle, etc. After identifying its species, you have to destroy its breeding sources.
Gnat Elimination Techniques
If you want to destroy their breeding sources without any problem, then you have to take some measurable steps to eliminate them as it will have no place left to lay its eggs. Luckily, there are various methods you can adopt to eliminate them such as biological methods, traps, spray, etc. Adopting these methods, you’ll be able to get rid of outdoor gnats naturally.
Part. 1
Biological Methods
I. Beneficial Nematodes
Beneficial nematodes are microscopic roundworms that can act as parasites. Once they are installed into the soil, they search for larvae fleas of gnats, penetrate them and release some bacteria inside their bodies that can destroy them from inside out. They’re not harmful to people, pets, plants. So, they’re safe to use and they can work at least for 18 months or longer.
II. IGR for Gnats
The full form of IGR stands for “Insect Growth Regulators“. They are one of the best biological methods that can be effectively used to reduce the insect population. They are mainly hormones that are chemically synthesized and can cause disturbance to an insect’s normal lifecycle.
When an insect is growing, it goes through a process known as molting. During this process, it grows a new exoskeleton under its current one and sheds the current one to grow further. If you use IGR, then they’ll prevent the insect from reaching its maturity by hindering the molting process. Therefore, the insect will be unable to reach its adult phase and reproduce.
Part. 2
Traps
I. Apple Cider Vinegar Trap
Most gnats have a common attraction the smell of apple cider vinegar. To make an apple cider vinegar trap, take a jar with a lid, pour 10-20 ml of apple cider vinegar in it and add 5-8 drops of lemon-scented dish soap. Stir the mixture very well so that the dish soap can dissolve into the vinegar. Then put the lid with small poked holes of about 0.5 cm on the jar and place it at the infiltrated place.
If you don’t have apple cider, then you can use white vinegar as a substitute to make this trap. Consequently, the gnats will get attracted to the smell and try to reach into the jar through the holes. When they’ll try to sit on the surface of the solution, they’ll drown into the solution as the amount dish soap used in the solution reduces the surface tension.
II. Gnats Trap Using Yeast
Gnats are also attracted to yeast. You can use yeast to make a trap that can successfully eliminate the gnats. All you have to do is, put some amount of yeast and sugar into a bowl and add some water in it to create a gnat killing solution.
Then cover the bowl with a plastic wrap with small holes poked in the surface. The gnats will enter the holes to get to the yeast solution. Therefore, they won’t be able to come out of the solution ever again.
III. Wine and Dish Soap Trap
Gnats have an interest in red wine, so you can use this trap to get rid of outdoor gnats if you have any wine left. To make this trap, take a small container and pour some red wine into it and mix it with 3-5 drops of dish soap. Stir the mixture perfectly to dissolve the dish soap into the wine. Then, put a cardboard piece with 0.5 cm holes over the container.
No sooner had the gnats smelI the mixture then they’ll try to enter the container. As a result, they’ll get stuck in the liquid due to the usage of dish soap.
IV. Egg Bait Trap for Eye Gnats
This trap is effective against eye gnats. This trap can be used outdoor and emit a very disgusting smell. To make this trap, you’ll have to crack to 4 eggs into a 1-gallon container and fill it water. Mix the ingredients thoroughly. Then fill 1-liter bottles with about ¼ of the mixture.
Create 5-10 holes in the bottle and hang them 3-5 feet away from the ground. Check them for every 1 week and you’ll find lots of eye gnats dead inside the bottle. You’ll have to change the mixture every 15 days if you want the trap to remain effective.
V. A Paper Cone, Vinegar and Old Fruit
This trap is also effective in getting rid of outdoor gnats naturally. To create this trap, pour a small amount of vinegar and place a chunk of ripe fruit in a jar. Then, roll a paper into a cone and stick it into the cone. Therefore, the smell of the rotting produce will entice the gnats into going to the jar, but they’ll get stuck in the jar due to the paper cone that makes it tough for them to get out.
VI. Honey Trap
Sticky honey is very helpful in killing or catching gnats. To prepare this trap, cut strips out of colored paper, use glue to attach them to popsicle sticks, streak honey on the front side of each trap and place them at the infiltrated place. The gnats will be attracted by the honey, as well as by the vivid colors. As a result, they’ll fall for the trap where they’ll become stuck.
Part. 3
Spray
I. Vinegar Spray
The usage of vinegar spray can effectively put an end to gnats. If you spray a substance that smells of vinegar and is made of many poisonous ingredients that can kill gnats, then they’ll come to the place where you sprayed the substance as they have an infatuation with vinegar. Consequently, they’ll die.
II. Vegetable Oil Spray
You can also use a vegetable oil spray to liberate yourself from your gnat problem. Just spray it in the usual places where they dwell in or onto the gnats. This will kill all the gnats immediately.
Our Last Opinion
Gnats are nothing but a great disturbance to us. They are detrimental to us as well as other living beings. We are very hopeful that these steps are excellently effective. So, you should try them. We are undoubtedly sure that taking these measures will help you to get rid of outdoor gnats naturally.
