Gnats in the kitchen

Face it- gnats are annoying. You keep cleaning your kitchen but they still find their way into your home. Maybe it’s time to take a closer look around the kitchen to identify the source. Have any houseplants nearby? How about that fruit bowl you’ve left out to remind family members to eat more fruit?

The 2 main things gnats are attracted to will be decaying organic matter or houseplants.

Sometimes it’s as simple as over-watered house plants. Simply allow the plant to dry out a bit by leaving the plant out for a day in the sun before bringing it back inside. This will discourage the eggs laid in the soil from developing. You are not trying to kill your plant, just get rid of the excess moisture.

Next, do you keep fruits or vegetables out on the counter or in a bowl? You might want to consider only keeping a few pieces of fruit out instead of filling the bowl so that fruit will not have time to over-ripen. Gnats have a highly developed sense of smell. You may need to store your fruits and vegetables in the fridge until you get the issue under control.

The other place you may find these gnats will be hovering around your sink. Bits of food particles may be stuck in the garbage disposal and attracting these gnats. A scrub brush or pipe cleaner will help dislodge organic matter from the hard to reach areas. TIP:  Don’t have a small drain brush handy? Before you discard an old toothbrush, use this to clean the nooks and crannies around the garbage disposal.  Follow up with a pot of boiling water poured down the drains. Remember to also clean out the dishwasher. Food particles can get stuck and attract gnats and flies here as well. Cleaning the drains are key to keeping gnats from breeding in them.

One simple do-it-yourself method for getting rid of an active infestation is to place a ½ cup of apple cider vinegar in a container near the sink or other area in your kitchen you are seeing gnats. Place a few drops of dish soap in the container. The apple cider vinegar will attract these flying pests and the dish soap will kill them.

We also recommend taking the trash out frequently if food leftovers are in them to avoid attracting gnats, flies and other bugs.

Remember:

• Check your plants for over-watering
• Clean drains, garbage disposal and dishwasher to remove organic matter
• Pouring a pot of hot water nightly down the drains will help avoid a slimy organic matter build up
• Keep a tight-fitting lid on trash cans and take trash out frequently if food is in it

If these simple steps don’t seem to be enough or you have additional pest issues, Call or contact Bio-Tech Pest Control at 281-296-6022.