Insects, just like every other animal, are a part of our ecosystem. There are hundreds of different species of insects in forests, while a few of them can easily be found in residential areas, like flies, gnats, and cockroaches. Over time, people have developed several home remedies to get rid of gnats and other insects. Today, let us learn how to get rid of gnats without apple cider vinegar.
A. What are Gnats? What attracts them?
Small, two-winged flying insects that look almost like mosquitoes are known as gnats. These gnats, biting or non-biting, can be carnivores or herbivores respectively. Black flies and biting midges are blood-sucking flies. Different types of gnats that roam around our houses and surroundings include:
- Fruit Flies,
- Housefly,
- Eye gnats,
- Drain Gnats,
- Buffalo Gnats,
- Fungus (Houseplant) Gnats,
- Phorid Fly,
- Sand Flies,
- Stable Flies,
- Blow Flies,
- Sphaerocerid Flies,
- Midges,
- Gnat Bugs (Unique Headed),
- Gall Gnats, and
- Hessian Fly.
The two most common sources of attraction for gnats are food sources and ideal places for reproduction. Different gnats are attracted to individual conditions, but moisture and organic materials are common to most of them. (See What Do Possums Eat?)
B. How to Get Rid of Gnats without Apple Cider Vinegar
It is possible to get rid of these nasty and irritating insects by using home remedies, and nowadays, commercial products are also available on the market. However, homemade traps and remedies are a better option as they are safe and non-toxic. These methods are harmless for kids and pets at home too. Detailed below is a list of methods you can try to get rid of gnats from your house without apple cider vinegar.
1. Potato Chunks
This method is for trapping gnats attracted to moisture or excess moist soil in house pots. We only need to place raw potato chunks in the soil around the earthen pots because fungus gnat larvae are only attracted to potatoes. These chunks will attract all those fungus larvae from the plant roots. Remove these chunks after a few days. Replacing the same with new potato chunks would prove to be helpful.
2. Gnatrol or BTI
How to get rid of gnats without apple cider vinegar? Gnatrol consists of Bacillus Thuringiensis as an active ingredient. These are naturally occurring fungi that are toxic to gnat larvae. Applying it over the potted plants regularly is helpful in gnat control. It is non-toxic to humans and easily available in nurseries. (See How Do You Get Chiggers Out of Your Yard?)
3. Homemade Traps
One way how to get rid of gnats without apple cider vinegar is to trap those gnats that are attracted to fruits or organic matter. All we need to do is place some rotting fruits in a container. Cover the container with plastic wrap and punch only a few holes for them to enter. Fruit flies or gnats will get attracted to these fruits and enter the container. Thus, they cannot escape because of the plastic wrap. (See How to Get Rid of Mosquitoes Indoors)
4. Sticky Trap for Gnats
Sticky traps are available in garden centers and nurseries. One commonly easy available option is Yellow Sticky Traps. It is available in sheets from which required shapes are cropped and stuck on pots and wooden skewers. As soon as gnats sit on them, they are stuck to them.
5. Gnat Repellant Sprays
We can mix a few ingredients available at our home to make a gnat repellent spray that will come in handy on how to get rid of gnats without apple cider vinegar.
- Prepare a mixture using 1-tablespoon vinegar, water per the size of spray, a few drops of dishwashing soap/liquid, and adding baking soda per cup of water in a spray bottle.
- Another spray requires half a cup of water, a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, and a half cup of isopropyl alcohol mixture in the spray bottle. This spray can kill the gnats in spots if sprayed directly on them.
Spray this mixture a few times in the bathroom, around plants, and any moisture-laden corner or places. (See How to Make Stink Spray)
6. Wine
Gnats irritating us during meals are a nuisance. Therefore, gnats attracted to fermented sugary drinks will be easy to catch during meals without much hassle. Pouring a small amount of wine in a glass with a few drops of dishwashing soap will attract these gnats into that glass, and they will get stuck in the alcohol. (See How to Get Rid of Possums Permanently?)
7. Diluted Bleach
Gnats can also come from drains. How to get rid of gnats without apple cider vinegar? To stop these gnats, pour a cup of diluted bleach directly into drains like – sink drain, bathtub drain, or any other pipe drains to kill gnats before they reach home.
8. Candle
Another effective home remedies to get rid of gnats includes candles. Gnats attracted to light or water are going to be trapped with this method. Place a candle in a candle stand, then put the stand in a container and fill the container halfway with water. Turning off all the lights with only that candlelit there will attract all the gnats towards it. The gnats flying towards the flame will burn themselves while others will drop into the water and drown. (See Why Do Bugs Like Lights?)
C. When is Professional Pest Control Required?
Sometimes, when our homemade remedies fail to get rid of these gnats permanently, then the last resort is to seek professional help. Pest control companies will prepare customized treatments keeping our housekeeping requiremets, kids and pets in mind. These pest control methods are beneficial for not only these gnats or flies but also various other insects, rodents, and pests. (See How Quickly Do Moths Eat Clothes?)
