In the spring and summertime months of the year, many people have the annoyance of gnats flying around them when they spend time outdoors. These pesky pests make it difficult to enjoy your time if you are constantly swatting them away from your body. Here are some steps to take to keep the gnat population around your home at a minimum.
Keep On Top Of Plant Moisture Needs
The most common type of gnat, the fungus gnat, spends its time in search of moist soil in which it can lay eggs. Because of this, it is of the utmost of importance to watch how much you water your plants so they do not become over-saturated. Overwatered soil attracts fungus gnats and will put your plants at risk of dying, as fungus gnat larvae will burrow into moist soil and feed upon plant roots. Outdoors, keep sprinklers on a timer rather than allowing them to run without interruption. If the soil seems wet to the touch after an hour or two of water, alter the timing on your sprinkler system to run at more intermittent levels.
Remove All Feeding Sources From Your Property
Fruit flies are a type of gnat that congregates around organic materials like fruit, and sugary or tart liquids such as cola, wine, or vinegar. Make sure to always dispose of soft drinks and their containers after consumption. Cap vinegar bottles tightly after use. Avoid keeping fresh fruit on your countertop, and throw away rotting fruit without delay. If you have fruit-bearing trees outdoors, make it a habit to collect any fallen pieces often so they do not have a chance to rot, thereby attracting fruit flies to the area.
Use A Few Methods To Eliminate Existing Gnats
Some gnats are, by nature, attracted to the color yellow. If you notice gnats near a particular plant or tree, paperclip pieces of yellow cardstock dipped petroleum jelly or a similar sticky substance to collect gnats that land upon them. Since gnats are attracted to vinegar, use it as a method of trapping them. Place one part vinegar and one part water in a glass. Add a teaspoon of dish detergent. Gnats that land upon the surface of the water will not be able to get back out of the glass because of the heaviness of the dish detergent.
Outdoors, use a pesticide solution that is added directly to the soil to neutralize its composition so gnats are less likely to be attracted to it. Alternately, contact a pest control service to inquire about the products they have on hand to handle a gnat problem.
I have never been one of those people who is alright with bugs running through their house, which is probably why I started focusing on pest control in the first place. I wanted to make sure that nothing would get in the way of me enjoying time with my family, so I began snapping pictures of the bugs in my house and then talking with professionals about how to resolve the problem. Within a few weeks I had an expert spraying for pests, and I was really impressed with just how effective they were. Check out this site for great tips on killing bugs.