How to Get Rid of Gnats in Your Kitchen Like a Pro

People often incorrectly refer to every tiny flying insect as a gnat; if these bugs are in the kitchen, they can also be fruit flies or drain flies. All of the above, however, are attracted to similar smells and environments like forgotten fruits, dirty dishes, damp sponges, and residue in drains.

Fortunately, gnats and other tiny flies are easy to eliminate if you have the know-how. Read on to learn the various nontoxic methods, many of which target more than one type of flying pest, to boot.

Make an Apple Cider Vinegar Trap

The best-known method for trapping gnats is the DIY apple cider vinegar trap, and for good reason: It really works and the necessary ingredients are probably already in your cupboard.

Pour some apple cider vinegar into a bowl and add a drop or two of liquid dish soap (and an optional tablespoon of sugar). Cover the container with plastic cling wrap, poke some pinholes into the plastic, and voila: You have a homemade trap.

Gnats will be drawn in by the smell and the soap breaking the surface tension of the liquid will trap them.

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Clean Drains with a Baking Soda Mixture

Clear the drains of any residual matter that might be attracting the gnats and providing a breeding ground for them and drain flies.

Mix a half cup each of baking soda and salt. Pour the dry mixture down the drain first, then pour one cup of white vinegar. Once in contact, the vinegar and baking soda will cause a fizzy reaction to help clear the way while the salt will help break down organic matter. Let stand for an hour before flushing the drain with boiling-hot water.

Clean Drains with Bleach

You can also rid your kitchen of flies that thrive in drains by flushing the drain with a bleach solution. Wear any gear you deem necessary to protect your lungs and skin first. Then simply dilute one cup of bleach with one gallon of water and pour it down the drain.

Make Your Own Gnat Repellent

Create a gnat-repelling spray using one cup of water, a tablespoon of white vinegar, a couple drops of dish soap, and a pinch of baking soda. Shake these ingredients well within a spray bottle, then spray in areas where you’re spotting gnats.

Spice Things Up with Cinnamon

Another scent that repels gnats is cinnamon, so try sprinkling some in areas where you see them flying such as directly into the kitchen trash or open-air fruit bowls.

Use Sticky Traps

Some pest-control product manufacturers have developed glue traps that plug into wall outlets much like a nightlight; try setting some of these around the kitchen and see how they fare.

For fungus gnats hanging around plants, use glue cards that stand upright in the soil.

Light a Candle

Instead of purchasing a plug-in light trap, you can attempt to make your own using a candle.

Stand the candle upright within a shallow bowl or tray and pour a small amount of water into the holder to create a shallow pool. Add a few drops of dish soap into the water to break the surface tension and trap anything that flies into it. Light the candle in the evening and watch the gnats fly either directly into the flame or into its reflection in the water.

Zap Them

Bug zappers implement an electric mesh by the light source to stun and kill the insect on contact. The trap will gather the dead bugs at the bottom the unit, so you’ll have to clean out the tray or base regularly.

Lure Them with Wine

Don’t open a perfectly fresh bottle of wine, but instead, use wine that’s expired to the point that it’s become another fruit vinegar. Then prepare it just like the apple cider vinegar trap.

Serve Up Some Fruit

Place some pieces of overripe or rotting fruit into a bowl, then seal the bowl with plastic cling wrap. Use a toothpick or fork tines to poke some tiny holes just large enough for the gnats and fruit flies to enter. Often, the flies that enter will become trapped as they won’t be able to find their way back out.

Buy a Trap

Although you can lure and eliminate gnats with a DIY apple cider vinegar trap, you can also buy readymade traps that use similar nontoxic ingredients like the Terro Fruit Fly Trap.

FAQ

• Food and moisture are the primary culprits and these can include fruit bowls on the counter, trash that needs to be taken out, used dishes left in the sink unwashed, standing water or spills, and drains that need a good cleaning.

• Strong smells such as peppermint, white vinegar, cinnamon, lemon, and eucalyptus can repel gnats, but remember that scents alone can only deter and not eliminate them.

• The apple cider vinegar and soap trap will usually begin trapping gnats in a few hours. For optimum results, eliminate the original source and combine a few of the traps with one of the methods that clean out breeding grounds.