How do I get rid of gnats that are coming from my plants?

Diane Pirisino
by Diane Pirisino

These little gnats are all over my house. I have sprayed every plant in my house (that's a lot of plants) thoroughly with a concentrated insect killer but to no avail. Can someone help?

  3 answers
  • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Aug 03, 2019

    Hi Diane,

    Spray with water and wipe them down, you also should change out their soil (outside) to get rid of the eggs in there, another suggestion is to water them from the bottom rather than pour water on the surface of the dirt.

    Also, you may want to clean your drains with 1/2 cup baking followed by 1 cup white vinegar, when the fizzing stops, rinse well with hot water, a good amount of it. That will take care of the gnats living in the drains. You may also want to cover your drains to stop a re-infestation from that source.

    Another source of them maybe fruit and vege's brought into the house, be sure to wash all of that and refrig except bananas-wash and keep at room temp. Eggs are laid on fresh produce.

    What needs to happen is a break in their life cycle, so give it to them.

    Now for the circulating ones, what I do is take a sticky cardboard trap for mice-you can get a multipack of them cheaply at Walmart-open it up and peel off the plastic layer, leave it flat-no folds. In the center of it place a small piece of sweet decaying fruit, they will be drawn to it and land on the sticky, never to be airborne again. That sound gross, I know, but it is effective.

    Best to you!

    • See 1 previous
    • Redcatcec Redcatcec on Aug 03, 2019

      Hope this goes well for you, many positive thoughts! Please let us know if this works for you.

  • Johnavallance82 Johnavallance82 on Aug 03, 2019

    Hi Diane, Are they being attracted by Perfume, or may be a sweet smell?

  • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Aug 03, 2019

    Not Fruit Flies(kitchen/ drawn to sugars)they are Fungus Gnats and live/breed in soil ...... buy Mosquito Bits granules add to top of soil water plants gone...repeat 7-10 days. These bits are not chemical and non toxic. The active ingredient in Mosquito Bits is a biological larvacide called BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis). BTI is a naturally occurring bacterium that's deadly to both mosquito larvae and fungus gnat larvae. They are microscopic & the bits are pieces of corn cob will break down into soil eventually. get it anywhere big box stores, hardware stores, barn- farm& tack shops of course online. works great in any area that has mosquitos or fungus gnats like lawns/grass,gravel that holds water,compost piles, even in ponds,fountains(they make larger pieces called Dunks not so messy as bits)areas that flood,above septic tanks etc..

    • See 1 previous
    • Lynn Sorrell Lynn Sorrell on Aug 05, 2019

      the gnats themselves don't live long & do much except move to new plants to lay eggs,the larve (microscopic) live in moist organic soil and feed off the plants fine hair like roots that grow off mainroots they will eventually kill plants. but once you put on Mosquito bits they'll be gone in like 2-3 days let plants fdry out between them repeat again in 7-10 days to make sure you got them all. the bits are just pieces of corn after gnats are gone just mix them into soil good compost but will retain moisture so watch so you do not over water#1 killer of house plants overwatering---let your plants completely dry top to bottom of soil before rewatering each time. your plants will recover