topic Re: HELP please with Gnats!! in Community Chat

HELP please with Gnats!!

CherryHugs — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 18:47:00 GMT

All week there have been a bunch of gnats in my place flying all around. I did the vinegar with some detergent in it and there has been dozens in there so those ones are done.

But each time there gets to be more. I never really minded am occasional few gnats until reading about how

yucky and unsanitary they are, even carry disease! I had no idea.

Is there anything I can do to get rid of the annoying gnats?

My drains are clean and fine, no fruit or veg out of the fridge, no food around so not sure what is the cause!

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

AlAnn — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:00:46 GMT

It depends what kind of gnats you have. I had drain flies a couple of years ago. We were literally infested. I couldn't kill them faster than they were hatching. I used a mixture of bleach and water for 4 nights in a row in all my drains. I first poured about 2 gallons of boiling water down each drain and then the bleach. Drain flies gone! I used about 1-1 1/2 cups bleach.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

SoCal Bred — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:02:36 GMT

I heard that laying dryer sheets like 'Bouce' on the table tops or near where the gnats are flying eliminates them. SIL said her office was plagued especially in the lunch rooms, or desk tops if fruit was around.....she said it works!

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

CherryHugs — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:03:10 GMT

Some of these are small and a few have been larger and fly around crazily. They are now more in the bathroom around my counter, I took everything off of it but no help at all. I have vaccumed some up when I can get at them lol.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

MG Chris — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:25:17 GMT

Could they be fungus gnats from your plants. If so, you are overwatering them.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

KingstonsMom — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:32:46 GMT

@MG Chris wrote:
Could they be fungus gnats from your plants. If so, you are overwatering them.

@MG Chris

I've definitely had that problem before, due to overwatering houseplants.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

CelticCrafter — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:36:36 GMT

@CherryHugs wrote:
Some of these are small and a few have been larger and fly around crazily. They are now more in the bathroom around my counter, I took everything off of it but no help at all. I have vaccumed some up when I can get at them lol.

If you're saying bathroom counter my guess is that they are drain flies.

Do the bigger ones look like an upside down heart? Those are drain flies if they do.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

hippiechick7897 — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:38:44 GMT

Apple cider vinegar and dish soap works well too.

Also clean your garbage disposal with regular vinegar, baking soda and flush with boiling water.

Afterwards I like to squeeze the juice from a cut lemon or orange in, put half in there and then let the garbage disposal eat it up.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

CritterKeeper — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 17:39:40 GMT

@MG Chris I was going to say the same thing. I had a terrible time with those little buggers because of my plants. I sprinkled sevin dust on my plants and after a while, they did get better. I have to reapply every so often.

I'm told diatomaceous earth works as well, too.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

Porcelain — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 18:55:49 GMT

Could still be fruit flies. They can sneak in on a piece of fruit from the grocery store.

Edited to add: Fruit flies are very small. The ones I've seen don't look red. They are dark. They do fly around kind of wildly.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

MorningLover — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 18:30:22 GMT

@CherryHugs Does it look like one of these?

Drain fly

Gnat

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

HLP — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 18:46:13 GMT

@AlAnn wrote:
It depends what kind of gnats you have. I had drain flies a couple of years ago. We were literally infested. I couldn't kill them faster than they were hatching. I used a mixture of bleach and water for 4 nights in a row in all my drains. I first poured about 2 gallons of boiling water down each drain and then the bleach. Drain flies gone! I used about 1-1 1/2 cups bleach.

I too was loaded with them in my basement, we taped over every drain opening and that stopped them.Idon't use the drains for anything.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

CherryHugs — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 18:49:01 GMT

@Hi, I have no plants

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

CherryHugs — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 18:48:48 GMT

Im not sure what they look like, some are very small. Will try and look closer

I appreciate so much every comment!

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

Katcat1 — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 18:58:24 GMT

@CherryHugs I had the fruit flies and killed them with a glass filled with apple cider vinegar half of the glass, liquid dish soap (a squirt) a little sugar and the rest with water (I used a juice glass). I also placed rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle and sprayed them. They multiple like crazy and will try to get in your refrigerator too. Sickening.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

Pearlee — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 20:17:30 GMT

Yep they are sickening. If they are on a surface they die when you spray them with Windex.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

Pearlee — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 20:22:04 GMT

@MorningLover. I just started getting your top photo kind (they are very small but look just that) in my bedroom, which is attached to my bathroom. Are they coming from my bathroom drain? I've seen a a few in my bathroom too, but more in my bedroom. They seem to emerge at night and are attracted to light like my TV screen so I thought they might be a type of moth?

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

AnjalenaQVC — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 20:45:27 GMT

This post has been removed by QVC because it contains a link.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

BeccaLou — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 20:48:48 GMT

I also have them. No veggies or frui,t they go in the frig & freezer. I live in Michigan. They start about 2 weeks ago. Drive me a little unsettlig also.

Re: HELP please with Gnats!!

Pearlee — Wed, 25 Aug 2021 21:27:19 GMT

@MorningLover Thanks for the link; it was helpful.