Getting Rid of Gnats Outside

Surely, you don't want a swarm of this insect buzzing around your head, especially when you are sitting in the backyard or porch to relax, after a day's hard work. The hot and humid months of summer are the time, when the gnats breed and multiply. You may get your garden infested with them, if you have turned or disturbed the soil, especially sandy soil, having decaying plant matters, loaded with fungus and moisture in it. Most of the gnats only buzz you, especially at dusk, when they come out in swarms. I am sure you would hate to have them for dinner. And, it's hardly practical, running after them with a fly swatter in your hand, all over the garden.

Black flies, eye gnats, gall gnats also referred to as gall midges, sand gnats, dark-winged fungus gnats are the commonly found types. Of these, black flies, sand gnats and some of the types of midges bite are known to spread diseases. They, along with the mosquitoes, which is also a gnat, fall under the order 'Diptera', which means two wings.

Ridding Your Premises of Gnats

If you are facing the problem of gnat infestation, then you may notice them inside the house, hovering over the overripe fruits. If it's the eye gnats, then you may find them trying to drink your eye fluid. Outside your house, in the garden, you may find them in places, where fungus and moisture is present. Areas having decaying or fermenting matters are the preferred locations for the gnat females to unload their 300 eggs. For getting rid of them effectively, you will have to collect and dispose the fermenting substances.

Getting Rid of Gnats Naturally
The first logical step is to locate their breeding ground and effectively cure it. Remove stagnating water from the garden. It may be that they are present in the water fountain or in the unused junk lying around in the garden. Just collect and throw it away. Garbage disposal containers, trash cans, litter boxes, etc. are the few other things you can empty, whilst you are at it.

Getting Rid of Gnats in Plants
Now, you're in a delicate position, if you want to remove any sign of gnats in your prized garden on which you have spent considerable amount of time and energy. Buy some sand that is usually used in the sandbox and lay a thick layer of it on the top soil of the plant pot. Before doing so, bake the sand, to get rid of the critters in it.

Take care while watering the plants; over watering them will create moist conditions which are favorable for them. Not all the plants need daily or even weekly watering. Some plants needs watering on a monthly basis. Remove the excess of water from the plant pots. See to it that they are not poorly drained, which can lead to rotting roots and moist environment which the bugs love.

If your garden contains dense foliage, then build a fire and make lot of smoke at dusk, which will drive them away. Cover your compost pile and compost bins carefully, to deny them one of their favorite places. This will also deny the female a place to lay their eggs, and which is also full of food for the gnat larvae. This will help you in controlling their breeding thus, eradicate them completely.

You can use a home remedy for getting rid of the gnats by using mint leaves and stems, and cooking oil. Mix them in a blender. Strain the mixture into a gallon jug filled with water and spray it.

Turn the moist soil in your garden and lay it open to sunlight. The sunlight will dry it and will also kill the fungus. After this, spray the breeding places with Deltamethrin spray or Talstar liquid concentrate. You can also use Demon WP or Cypermethrin EC 4 ounce for surface treatment. Use a weak mixture of the pesticides, after reading instructions on its container.

Getting rid of them is not a big problem, but you need to be patient. You can try to lay a vinegar trap for them. They love the smell of vinegar, especially apple cider vinegar. Make a mixture of three parts of apple cider vinegar and one part of dish soap in a bowl and keep it uncovered, in their favorite place. The gnats get attracted to the bowl because of the vinegar and are trapped by the soap.