Your first step is to get all the living gnats out of your kitchen. Since gnats are particularly attracted to sweet things, it’s quite easy to put together something to trap the gnats. Pour a sweet liquid, like lemonade or sugared soda, in a shallow dish and leave the dish in your kitchen overnight. The next morning, you will find dead gnats floating in the pool of liquid.
If the above tip did not solve your gnat problem completely, you could try a few more tricks that are a bit more intensive. Drop several small pieces of spoiled fruit in a few plastic cups and then fill the cups with water and a splash of dish soap. Place one cup in every area where you are still experiencing problems with gnats. Although the rotten fruit might disgust you, the gnats will be attracted to its smell and fly into the cups. Once the gnats fly into the cup, the dish soap should kill them.
Gnats usually appear in kitchens with dirty counters and kitchens with food left out of the fridge. Mix a little vinegar and water and fill a spray bottle with the solution. Spray all of your kitchen’s surfaces with the cleaning solution, including your fridge, your counters, your stove, and your kitchen table. The idea is to disinfect your kitchen to remove any crumbs or spilt liquids that might attract gnats.
It’s important that you keep perishable foods in tightly sealed containers in the fridge. If you prefer to leave a fruit bowl out on your counter, it’s important that you first wash the fruit and be sure to throw the fruit out before it starts to spoil. Rotten fruit is a gnat’s best friend. A good rule of thumb is to eat or throw out fruit within four or five days of purchase. It might be best to put the fruit inside your fridge for the time being to help clear your kitchen of gnats.
If you have any houseplants in your kitchen, you might be surprised to learn that your plant might be attracting gnats into your home. You should bring your plant outside to inspect your plant to see if any of its leaves have started to wilt. In addition, you should dig a little underneath the soil to see if the roots of the plant have started to rot. Gnats are attracted to rotting or dead plants. Be on the lookout for anything else that might be growing in the soil, including fungus and gnat larvae. Remove anything you find. If necessary, you might need to repot your plant in fresh soil. When your plant is clean, apply a light layer of sand on top of the soil and sprinkle a little cinnamon. Both cinnamon and sand help your plant fend off gnats.
After clearing your kitchen of gnats, you need to work to continue to keep gnats away. In the future, be sure to keep your kitchen spotless and clean. Always remember to clear your kitchen of any old food or perishable items.
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Great article. Although an old one, it agreed with other articles, and was more helpful, concise, and very homemade and natural. I remembered there was a simple solution, but couldn’t get it right. And, was confused about food attraction as a major resource. Needed more inclusive ideas. Thanks.