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 Eliminate
Pesky Household Gnats with Easy to
Make Gnat
Traps and Other Solutions
by Tony
Isaacs
Gnats are most often found around
produce and other food items. That
is why they are often found on those
food items as well as around trash
cans, in sink drains and in garbage
disposals. Gnats also like moist
places such as over-watered plants
and refrigerator drain trays.
HOW TO PREVENT HOUSEHOLD GNATS
1. Don't leave uncovered produce or
food items out and don't leave dirty
dishes in the sink.
2. Pour either ammonia or a
combination of diluted bleach and a
few drops of dishwashing soap down
each of your drains, stopper them
and leave overnight before flushing
with water. Repeat weekly.
Note: Avoid inhaling ammonia or
bleach fumes,
as excessive exposure to ammonia and
chlorine bleach can
be harmful.
3. Make sure you don’t leave any
trash out over night. Take out all
garbage every night and make sure
that indoor and outdoor garbage
containers are covered and sealed. A
few drops of ammonia on top of the
garbage will help keep the gnats at
bay.
4. Don't leave wet towels or other
wet items lying around or allow
standing water in the sink or
elsewhere. It is also a good idea to
cover wet dishes drying in the drain
board with a dry bath towel.
5. Avoid over-watering houseplants.
Gnats known as fungus gnats can get
in the wet soil of houseplants and
then continue to multiply there.
6. Put a bit of bleach in the water
pans beneath refrigerators and
freezers and then regularly check
and clean the pans. Bleach kills
gnats.
7. Make sure that door and window
seals are tight with no gaps.
If you do get gnats, don't reach for
dangerous pesticides. Instead, make
your own safe and easy gnat trap and
use common household items to
attract, trap and kill the gnats.
HOW TO MAKE A GNAT TRAP
Here's what you need:
*A plastic soda or round drinking
water or juice bottle of two or more
liters in size.
*A sharp knife
*Apple cider or other vinegar (apple
cider works best, but you can use
regular white if that's all you have
on hand).
*A few drops or so of dish soap
(especially lemon scented)
*Enough water to fill the bottle a
third to one-half full.
To make the trap, cut the top third
of the bottle off and insert it
upside down into the rest of the
bottle to create a funnel that gnats
will have difficulty escaping. If
need be, you can use duct tape to
tape the two parts together where
they join.
Once you have made the gnat trap,
pour the ingredients in and watch as
the gnats become trapped and their
population dwindles and then
disappears over the course of just a
couple of days or so. In the
meanwhile, be sure to follow the
gnat prevention instructions listed
above.
In addition to vinegar and soap, you
can also use granulated sugar to
help attract the gnats. Another
option is to forgo the liquid and
use banana slices or peels - gnats
simply love bananas.
OTHER SUGGESTIONS
Another alternative that is
excellent for eliminating gnats is
mosquito dunks, which you can obtain
at local nurseries, hardware stores
and Walmart. An organic
nursery is almost certain to have
them. Mosquito dunks are a
solid form of Bacillus thuringiensis
v. israelensis (BT), which is toxic
for gnats and mosquitoes but
considered safe for humans. As
the dunks float in the water where
you put them they slowly release the
BT.
If you get fungus gnats in the soil
of your houseplants, you can
eliminate them by adding a layer of
sand. An even better option would be
sprinkling a layer of diatomaceous
earth on top of the soil.
Diatomaceous earth both repels and
kills gnats.
If you want to use a gnat spray, use
regular kitchen water in a spray
bottle and add a few drops of dish
soap. The spray will kill gnats and
ants on contact.
Sources included:
http://www.howtogetridofstuff.com/pest-control/how-to-get-rid-of-gnats/
http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/cleaning/msg0812152119301.html
http://www.pest-extermination.org/howtogetridofgnats.html
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/240381/how_to_get_rid_of_gnats_with_homemade.html
http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf177471.tip.html
http://www.rollitup.org/indoor-growing/8546-how-kill-fungus-gnats.html
About the authorTony Isaacs is a natural health advocate and researcher and the author of books and articles about natural health including Cancer's Natural Enemy. Mr. Isaacs articles are featured at Natural News, the Health Science Institute's Healthiertalk website, CureZone, the Crusador online, AlignLife, the Cancer Tutor, the American Chronicle and several other venues. Mr. Isaacs also has The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. In addition, he hosts the Yahoo Oleandersoup Health group of over 2000 members and the CureZone Ask Tony Isaacs - Featuring Luella May forum. Mr. Isaacs and his partner Luella May recently began hosting The Best Years in Life Radio Show for Rumor Mill News on the Micro Effect Radio Network..
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