I experienced a huge infestation of gnats in my yard last spring. It took me months to figure out how to remove them in the most effective, safe way. I finally found a few effective natural ways to get rid of gnats outside after hours of research.
Gnats: 8 Natural Ways to Get Rid of Them
I experienced a huge infestation of gnats in my yard last spring. It took me months to figure out how to remove them in the most effective, safe way. I finally found a few effective natural ways to get rid of gnats outside after hours of research.
Are there any natural ways to get rid of gnats in your yard? Environmentally and/or biologically, there are two main ways of getting rid of gnats naturally. The dead leaves and grass clippings laying in your yard should be picked up, and you should increase the amount of time between watering your lawn. The affected area can be introduced to some natural predators of gnats and nature will take care of the rest.
The good news is that there are several ways to get rid of ants in your yard and have grass you can walk on barefoot again. Take a look at these steps and see if they work for you as well!
The Typical Behavior of Gnats
Learn a bit more about how those annoying little bugs live and what to expect from them before you start your crusade to eliminate them. During their life cycle, gnats go through four stages: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults.
In their second stage of life, gnats feed on plants’ roots and other organic material in the soil – despite being much less damaging than other plants, feeding on soil and roots can affect plants’ health in the long run.
What makes gnats lay eggs and live in an inviting environment? There is an abundance of water and warm temperatures. Spring and summer are the seasons when you’ll see more gnats. Adult gnats swarm around you and get in your face.
Plants and people are not harmed by them, even though they are irritating. The normal behavior of adult gnats is to drink water from plants and lay their eggs in plants.
Natural Ways to Get Rid of Gnats:
- Remove any dead organic material
- Use Nematodes
- Gnat Trap
- Bug Zapper
- Remove Fruity Scents
- Use Scents that Repel
- Use Plants to Repel the Gnats
- Use Gnat Sticky Traps
Take a Look at Your Environment First
Get Rid Of Dead Leaves, Grass Clippings, Old Mulch, And Dead Plants From Your Yard.
Making sure the environment is unsuitable for gnats is one of the easiest ways to prevent and reduce the number of gnats in your yard. Make sure to pick up all dead and decaying matter in your yard to accomplish this.
Leaves should be raked, grass clippings should be bagged, dead plants should be removed, etc. Spread out the time between watering your yard and plants after this is done. Ensure that the area dries thoroughly between waterings.
Furthermore, you can use flypaper strips in areas most commonly swarmed by gnats and avoid peat moss beds – they are favorites of fungus gnats. Flypaper strips should be changed frequently if they are hung. The gnats can also be lured and trapped with home-remedy mixes along with flypaper strips.
Even though these steps may seem trivial, they can dramatically reduce the number of gnats in your yard by changing the conditions that allow them to thrive.
1. An Outdoor Gnat Infestation: Biological Options
The next step to controlling gnat numbers is to introduce predators of gnats into the area after you have made the simple environmental changes to your yard.
2. Your Yard Needs Nematodes
It is possible to reduce the number of gnats by using two types of roundworms, or nematodes. Steinernema feltiae is the first and Steinernema carpocapsae is the second. Online or in garden and plant shops, both are easy to find and order.
Follow the instructions on the package when you introduce the roundworms to the area where your gnats are congregating most heavily once you acquire them. Use a larger amount, and repeat the application until the number of gnats outside begins to decrease.
3. Gnat Trap (Vinegar, Dish Soap, and Sugar)
Mix half a cup of warm water with two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and one tablespoon sugar in a small bowl. Extra sudsing power can be achieved by adding six drops of liquid dish detergent! It’s the sweet mixture that lures gnats in, but once they dip into it to drink the juice up – that’s when you’ll see them stuck on top of the soap bubbles! Then wait 4-8 hours (or overnight) before inspecting your gnat trap. Place this little device on your porch or in any area where you’ve noticed the most bugs flying around.
4. Bug Zapper
An all-time favorite when it comes to keeping your home free of pesky bugs is a bug zapper. Even though these devices are designed for larger insects (like mosquitoes), they also work well on gnats and flies! Modern versions can be used outdoors without being obnoxiously noisy – you’ll never know they’re there until you see one pop out in front of your very eyes. Unlike their old counterparts, which screeched with every catch, modern models are virtually silent when in use outdoors. The best part about outdoor parties after sunset may very well be the lack of risk and effort required from you.
5. Remove Fruity Scents
Like many other creatures on the planet, gnats enjoy the smell of fruit occasionally and have a sweet tooth. It could be a good sign that you have something delicious smelling in your yard if they’re buzzing around your yard. Another possibility is that some sticky lotion will make them think it’s juice nectar if they make one wrong move.
In your shampoo, body washes, or perfume, gnats are naturally attracted to fruity scents. These products may attract these pesky flying pests due to their enticing aromas.
6. Use Scents that Repel Gnats
Start by figuring out what you’re going to do about those pesky gnats and other pests! Essential oils can be used in this way. In addition to tea tree oil, lavender, vanilla, and citronella oils are all great for aromatherapy. You can also use peppermint essential oils diluted in water as well as rosemary as a soothing solution to keep gnats from buzzing around your home or office. It’s the perfect combination; not too strong but enough to keep them away!
7. Use Plants that Get Rid of Gnats
You can keep gnats away with a variety of plants when it comes to variety is the spice of life. You can use plants to keep more than just gnats away in your garden since they are not only pretty to look at but will also help keep pests away! Be careful not to overcrowd certain areas or ignore another section altogether when planning.
You can keep pests away by planting herbs and flowers in your garden. Gnats will be kept at bay if you plant geraniums, lemon thyme, lavender, or Mexican marigolds near your outdoor space.
8. Use Gnat Sticky Traps
Catching those pesky gnats is easy with a sticky trap. You’ll be amazed at how quickly they get stuck on that bright yellow color if you place it in the yard. By keeping them from escaping, you can enjoy your yard without worrying about pests!
Gnats: When Can You Expect to See Them?
A decent amount of rain and warmer temperatures are often associated with the spring weather, depending on where you live. A humid, semi-warm environment is extremely conducive to the growth of gnats. It is because of this that you begin to notice them when spring turns to summer and temperatures begin to rise.
You are most likely to see and experience gnats swarming your environment from mid-May to late June. They can reproduce new populations within 17 days, despite their short lifespan of 18-30 days. The reason infestations can become overwhelming and difficult to control is because of this.
Gnat populations will begin to decline as summer temperatures get warmer and more consistent.
Is It Possible For Gnats To Harm Your Plants?
The adult gnat is mainly a nuisance – neither it damages plants nor bites people. As larvae, they feed on the roots of plants and surrounding soil, but they are unlikely to cause any damage. As gnats have such a short life cycle, some will not eat at all during their adult stage.
In short, they live to lay eggs, breed new generations, and annoy people who are just trying to enjoy the nice weather!
Moreover, they can be helpful in pollinating plants and providing food for birds and other insects. In spite of the fact that pests like gnats can drive everyone crazy, they serve a valuable purpose in maintaining a healthy environment.
Gnat-proofing Indoor Plants
Do you know what to do if your house plants have been infested with gnats? Good news: gnats are much less damaging than other pests, and they’re easier to get rid of than you might think.
If your plants have gnats, you may notice that their population grows rapidly and that they are confined to the immediate vicinity of the plant. There will likely be more gnats going through every stage of their life cycle if you look through the soil of your plant.
In contrast to outdoor gnat infestations, indoor gnat infestations tend to occur during the winter months because they’ve migrated indoors to stay warm. Indoor infestations are easily caused by bringing in plants from outside that already have gnats in their soil.
The good news is that you can get rid of indoor gnats naturally, using the same steps you would for an outdoor infestation.
- Overwatering your plant will prevent gnats from choosing your plant as their new home, but it will also disrupt their reproductive cycle by reducing the existing population.
- Place sticky traps on top of the soil and any adult gnats swarming around will get attracted to them. Making your own sticky traps is also possible by mixing cider and vinegar and placing it near the plants.
- Utilize natural biological predators – the same roundworms you would use outdoors can be used indoors. Since they’re quite small, you won’t be able to see what’s happening. Roundworms are killing the gnats in the soil and doing their job.
Have a Pest-free Spring and Summer!
As soon as you have created an environmentally and biologically safe and healthy environment that effectively controls the number of pests swarming your yard, you will be able to enjoy the warmer weather!
Your plant life will benefit from the use of natural remedies in the future, which will also protect your family, animals, and budget from damage. In addition, you will avoid the need to file a home insurance claim if you prevent unnecessary damage to your home and yard.
As a result of your efforts to protect the environment and reduce unnecessary pollution, you will be rewarded with a beautiful, pest-free yard and garden this spring and summer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Makes A Natural Solution Better Than A Chemical One?
The use of natural pest control methods also protects you, your family, and your pets from harmful chemicals while reducing pollution and conserving the environment.
Water sources, soils, and living creatures are poisoned by fertilizers and pesticides. Despite extensive advertising, pesticides kill more than the annoying creatures you’re trying to kill – they also kill helpful insects. In addition to being harmful to the environment and other living things, pesticides are also expensive.
If you could find simple, inexpensive ways to control the gnat population infesting your yard, why would you use risky, unsafe methods to get rid of them? Going natural is much more advantageous and effective than using any chemicals if you weigh the pros and cons.