How do you get rid of gnats?

Donna Fields
by Donna Fields
Left dirty dishes in the sink ONE night and now gnats are multiplying like rabbits! Help!

  14 answers
  • Judy Judy on Oct 30, 2017

    Put some amonia in the sink, with some Lysol, and this will help you. Best wishes, J.

  • Ginny Ginny on Oct 30, 2017

    Buy one of those old fashioned fly strips. They do work.

  • Ohiorn Ohiorn on Oct 30, 2017

    If you have a garbage disposer clean it out. Put down a tray of ice cubes and lemon quarters and turn on the disposer. You can also clean out your drains by pouring baking soda down the drain and following it with vinegar. Let this bubble up for about half an hour. Follow up by pouring a kettle of boiling water down the drain.

  • Cas3446227 Cas3446227 on Oct 30, 2017

    apple cier vinegar with a drop of dish soap in a container,you don't need much vinegar maybe about a 1/4" deep

  • Ebbjdl Ebbjdl on Oct 30, 2017

    Pour a cup of vinegar, and leave it on the counter, the'll go right in

  • Nancy Turner Nancy Turner on Oct 30, 2017

    All the suggestions above are great! Definitely do the fly strip and the bait. The fly strip will catch them faster than anything. Until they are under control, flush your disposal and sink drain with a little boiling water each day. They love to hang out in moist places and that includes down the drains at the elbow. Fry them with the water. Once they are gone, clean the drains with the baking soda, vinegar/boiling water suggestion to really clean those pipes. Good luck, they can be tenacious little buggers to get rid of. Be patient and let the strips and bait do their jobs!

  • Jokneez Jokneez on Oct 30, 2017

    Fill a cup 1" with apple cider vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap. Poke very small holes in plastic. Leave on counter gnats will go in and get trapped inside of cup. More info on Youtube . I just did it and it works.

  • Donna Fields Donna Fields on Oct 31, 2017

    works beautifully, thank you

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Oct 06, 2023

    I had a terrible gnat problem and the vinegar traps worked perfectly! Simply place a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and a tablespoon of sugar in a bowl and stir. Set your bowl in an area where gnats are prevalent, such as your kitchen or bathroom. This took care of my problem in just a couple of days!

  • Chloe Crabtree Chloe Crabtree on Oct 06, 2023

    I had a terrible gnat problem and the vinegar traps worked perfectly! Simply place a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar or white vinegar, a few drops of dish soap, and a tablespoon of sugar in a bowl and stir. Set your bowl in an area where gnats are prevalent, such as your kitchen or bathroom. This took care of my problem in just a couple of days!

  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Oct 07, 2023

    These common pests came into your house on the fruits from the market. The gnats lay their eggs and when conditions are right, they hatch. To prevent this thoroughly wash them off and immediately refrigerate the produce, except bananas. Next is clean the sink drain with 1/2 baking soda followed by 1 cup of white vinegar, when the fizzing stops, rinse with a good amount of hot water, you may also want to keep the stopper in the sink drain until you have gotten rid of them.

    Now for those hatchlings that are still buzzing around, take a sticky cardboard trap (you can get a pack of these from Walmart-they are in the pest control section). These are the same ones used to catch mice, lay it flat and peel off the protective layer, do not fold it up. Put a small piece of sweet decaying fruit in the center of it, the gnats will land on the sticky part and that will be the end of them.

    Best to you.

  • Deb K Deb K on Oct 07, 2023

    Hi Donna, hope this helps you out.

    In a small bowl, mix a half cup of warm water plus two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, and about six drops of liquid dish soap. Gnats will be lured in by the sugary mixture, but once they dip in for a drink, the sticky dish soap will trap them.

  • This is always so tough, I never find an option that works. Sometimes some wine with some fruit in a plastic cup covered in plastic wrap with a few holes catches a few flies. What has helped me is cleaning my drains and keeping them covered with silicone tub covers.