My apartment is infested with gnats. About a week ago my roommate mentioned to me that there were some bugs in our apartment, but we didn't do anything about it. A few days ago we had a party and then we noticed that the gnat population had dramatically increased. There are a few in the kitchen/living room, but most are in the bathroom and our bedroom. We cleaned the whole house, but still can't get rid of them. We tried the vinegar and vacuum method. Any other ideas, besides bug spray?
By Annelise from San Francisco, CA
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If so, you'll want to make sure your kitchen and bathroom drains are good and clean. Lots of hot water, bleach OR lemon juice (not both), etc. Vinegar will also work in drains to cut the gunk off of the sides. Fruit flies can live off of barely anything, so clean your drains well. Also, eliminate any places where there might be any garbage or wet spots for a while as that's where their larvae hatch without you finding them. Take your garbage outside daily til the problem is fixed. Put baking soda at the bottom of your trash bins.
In very small container use 1/3 cup applecider vinegar, 1teaspoon water an just one small drop of liquid soap. Place your container where you want it then pour in ingredients DO NOT MOVE CONTAINER.
If there are any vents that lead outside the house, check them. These could be coming in through the vents. We had a horrid fly problem (like Amityville Horror) and found that they were coming up through the floor heater vent from the basement of our building. We put a cover over the vent (it was summer so we weren't using the heater) and no more flies.
Hello,
So it seems that Im having the same problem you have described In your post. (I think) I have eliminated all other areas in which they could be coming through such as drains wet areas areas or where there may be food on countertops and such, (all of which Ive completely eliminated) Ive made a couple of different homemade traps, which do work however they still crawl on the side of the traps and managed to whisk away. ive treated all of the drains with boiling water baking soda and vinegar repeatedly.and nothing has worked and I am absolutely 100% infested with these things in EVERY SINGLE room of my house.
Well, hair spray will drop them right out of the sky, but if you're infested as bad as you say then that is no help. Maybe if you can find something with an odor that offends them and makes them leave.
We had great results using dryer sheets! Used them to repel gnats in certain areas, like dinning room while we ate. Later on we used red vinegar and soap in bowls. The dryer sheets we an instant relief.
Are these gnats or fruit flies? If fruit flies, you have to find where they are living. Usually this is in garbage or compost. Another place they like is in empty juice boxes and pop cans and wine bottles, like you would have after a party, or in your recycle bin. Fruit flies have a life cycle of only a few days, and so the ones that are bothering you now will be dead in a day or two.
I have never had them in my drains, but you can get them in your house plants as well. I found that they were worse around Christmas time when we here in Canada got mandarin oranges or clementines. They are not harmful, just a nuisance. Eliminate their breeding ground, and you have solved the problem.
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