How to Use Home Remedies to Get Rid of Gnats

A few stray gnats can quickly explode into a swarm in a matter of days. These pests can damage plants and cause a great deal of frustration. Even worse, if not dealt with, the population will only continue to grow. Here are a few home remedies you can use to get rid of gnats if you don't want to resort to harsh chemicals.

EditSteps

EditChanging the Environment

Let infested soil dry out.^[1] Allow the top 2 inches (5 cm) of soil to dry out completely before watering a gnat-ridden plant again.
- Eggs are usually laid in damp, over-watered plants, and gnat larvae need to develop in moist organic material. Eggs and larvae will dry out and die if exposed to dry conditions.
- The infested plant may show early signs of withering, but this is unavoidable. The soil needs to be at least this dry in order to stop adult gnats from breeding.
- You can allow existing adult gnats to die off on their own, or you can kill them with fly swatters, rolled up magazines, or other home remedies.

Re-pot your plants. If letting the soil dry out does not get rid of the gnats, you may need to completely remove the plant from its current pot and into a fresh, clean pot with new soil.
- Carefully remove the plant from its current pot. Use your fingers or a soft brush to remove as much of the soil as possible.
- Using fresh soil is essential since the gnats may have laid eggs in the old soil.
- Check the plant itself for signs of decay. Gnats are attracted to fungus and decaying plant matter, so if the bulb or roots appear to be decaying, the plant might be beyond saving. Try to remove as much of the dead plant matter as possible, and if there is still enough of the plant left for it to live, proceed with the re-potting.
- Transfer the plant into a pot of similar size and material. Make sure that the pot is filled with fresh soil.
- Clean out the old pot with hot water and soap. To sanitize it further, you can use a stronger solution made from one part bleach and four to five parts water.

Take out the trash.^[2] Throw away rotting fruit and other decayed organic material. Remove the trash from your garbage and set it outside on the curb.
- Gnats are attracted to decaying organic material. As a result, rotting fruit and old, tossed out food are highly appealing to them. Removing these food sources will deter the gnats from hanging around that area.

Move fruit to the refrigerator. Fresh fruit should be stored in sealed containers or in the refrigerator.
- Gnats can be attracted to fruit left in the open even before it begins visibly decaying. Keeping fruit in an area that gnats cannot get to will also deter them from coming around.

Seal off your home.^[3] Make sure that there are no holes in your window screens and that your windows and doors seal tightly.
- Gnats are tiny and can take advantage of even small holes in a screen. Similarly, even small gaps at the bottom of the door can invite gnats in from the outdoors.

EditVinegar

Fill a jar with cider vinegar.^[4] The jar should be filled at least halfway with vinegar.
- White vinegar can also be used, but apple cider vinegar tends to work better at attracting gnats due to the mild apple aroma.
- Similarly, you can prepare a mixture made from 2 Tbsp (30 ml) cider vinegar, 1 Tbsp (15 ml) sugar, a couple drops of dish soap, and 1 quart (1 liter) of water. This can be used instead of straight vinegar.
- You can use any container with a wide mouth. A jar is generally a good choice, but a cup, bowl, or similar container would also work.

Cover the jar with plastic wrap. Make sure that the plastic wrap is securely fixed onto the top of the jar.
- If necessary, wrap a rubber band around the mouth of the jar and over the ends of the plastic wrap to hold the wrap in place.
- The plastic wrap should be taut across the mouth of the jar.

Poke holes in the plastic. Use a fork or toothpick to create several small holes in the plastic wrap.
- The smell of the vinegar will attract the gnats, causing them to fly into the jar. Once inside, the gnats will be trapped.

Position these traps around the house. Place one of these jars in every area where gnats swarm.
- Add more vinegar to the jar every two to four days. The smell of fresh vinegar attracts gnats better than that of vinegar sitting out for several days.
- Empty out the jars as necessary. As the jars fill up with dead gnats, you may need to dump the contents, wash, and refill.

EditSticky Trap

Cover a yellow index card with honey. Smear the front of a yellow index card with a thin layer of honey.
- In theory, the color yellow attracts gnats. If you do not have yellow index cards, you could also try another bright color, or you could paste yellow construction paper onto a white index card.
- Instead of the honey, you could also use another sticky substance, like petroleum jelly or a paste made from equal parts petroleum jelly and liquid dish soap. The honey smells sweet, which will help attract gnats, but other sticky substances may still work.

Attach a chopstick to the card. Tape a stick to the back of the card so that at least half of the stick extends below the bottom edge of the card.
- A popsicle stick or straw would also work.
- Do not attach the stick to the honey-covered side of the card.

Place the card in the soil of an infested plant. Fix the stick into the soil so that the honey-coated side of the card faces out.
- Fix one of these cards into the soil of each problematic plant.
- Replace the card once it fills up with dead gnats.

EditSoap Spray

Create a soap solution. Mix 2 Tbsp (30 ml) lemon-scented liquid dish soap with 1 gallon (4 liters) of water in a spray bottle.
- Alternatively, you could just add a few drops of dish soap to the water you use to water your plants.
- If you do not have lemon-scented dish soap, just about any other type will also work. Avoid dish soaps with too many harsh chemicals, however, since these may damage the plant.

Soak the plant with this solution. Spray soil, leaves, and stems of infested plants with the soapy water.
- The soap should kill the gnats, rather than merely driving them away.

Rinse the leaves. After an hour or so passes, mist the leaves and stem of the plant with clean water to rinse the soap off.
- If you do not perform this step, the soap could gradually cause harm to the plant.

EditAlcohol Spray

Prepare an alcohol solution. Mix a little rubbing alcohol or drinking alcohol with water inside a large spray bottle.
- Mix 1/2 cup (125 ml) vodka with 1 1/2 cups (375 ml) of water.
- As another option, you can mix 1 cup (250 ml) rubbing alcohol with 1 quart (1 liter) of water.
- As a third option, you can mix 1 Tbsp (15 ml) apple cider vinegar with 1 tsp (5 ml) wine and 1 cup (250 ml) water.

Test the solution on your plants. Spray one leaf with the solution and let it sit for several days. If it does not burn the leaf, it should be safe for the plant.
- If the solution does burn the leaf, you can try diluting the alcohol further by using more water.

Spray infested plants with the solution. Gently mist the leaves, flowers, stems, and soil of gnat-ridden plants with the alcohol solution.
- Repeat this treatment every three days for two weeks, or until the gnat problem dies down.
- Alternatively, place this solution in a bowl near your plants. If you are unable to make the solution mild enough for your plants, you can place it in a small dish near the infested plant. Some gnats will drown in the mixture after being drawn in, while others will be driven away.

EditVegetable Oil

Pour a little vegetable oil into your drain.^[5] If you have flies coming from your garbage disposal or another drain, pour 1/4 cup (60 ml) of vegetable oil into the drain.
- Apply the vegetable oil around the edge of the drain so that it glides down into the pipe, clinging to the sides.

Tape the drain closed. Place several strips of clear tape over the drain, sticky-side down, sealing it off completely.
- Allow the tape to remain on the drain for roughly 24 hours.

Remove the tape the following day. Peel off each strip of tape the next day. Gnats should be stuck on the bottom.
- If you do not catch any gnats this way, you can try again, this time leaving a small gap of open space in the layer of tape. Sometimes, insects will not fly upward unless they feel a draft of air coming from the opening.
- Repeat this procedure as often as necessary until you no longer spot any gnats coming out of your drain.