While the adult gnat is the annoying telltale sign of an infestation, the real concern is around the larvae that reside in the potting mix," warns Lindsay Pangborn, gardening expert at Bloomscape. The gnats will be attracted to the sugar and vinegar, but the dish soap will coat their wings making them unable to fly away.

How to Make Your Own DIY Fly Paper - The Spruce How to Make Your Own DIY Fly Paper - The Spruce

Before you reach for harmful chemical insecticides, why not consider making your garden more welcoming to beneficial garden animals? When enough of the bugs get trapped in the container, you can take the bowl outside and unwrap it to let the fruit flies out.The overwhelming, pungent smell of garlic is intolerable for many pests and insects, including gnats and fruit flies. She holds an English degree from Appalachian State University, and loves blending her passions of writing and home decor into binge-worthy reads. Neem oil is a natural insecticide that works to inhibit the gnats’ reproductive system, as well as the growth of the larvae, plus it is safe to use on plants.

Sticky Traps Plant Trap for Fungus Gnat, Fruit Fly 36 Pack Sticky Traps Plant Trap for Fungus Gnat, Fruit Fly

The main negatives are they they can accumulate dust if you don’t clean the leaves and they can attract bugs. Be careful not to spray this solution directly on your plants until you have tested it on some leaves first to ensure it won’t damage them. The smart design contains a UV light and scented bait, which attracts bugs, and then a fan sucks them down onto the glue board with no escape. It is important that you use Castile soap in this formula rather than dish soap because the fatty acids in Castile soap work to dissolve the bugs, making it extremely effective and safer for the environment and your family.This homemade insecticidal soap spray will also kill other pests that you may be having an issue with, like aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, and more. Fungus gnat larvae need damp compost to live, as this is where algae and fungi thrive, on which the larvae feed.

sticky traps: how do they work - Plantura Yellow sticky traps: how do they work - Plantura

To bring a bit of nature into my home as well, I nurture my houseplants and herbs on every possible windowsill. Add the liquid solution to a spray bottle, and spray the affected areas to effectively kill the gnat infestation. You would generally use commercial flypaper to trap houseflies, but it can also be extremely effective in trapping gnats. Of course, they are not only useful in greenhouses and outdoors, but can also be used indoors to help with pests that like to infest houseplants.Adults are less likely to lay eggs on dry surfaces with no decaying plant tissue for the newly hatched maggots to feed on. You can pour a small amount of ammonia down your drains to kill any drain gnats that might be living in there. The gnats will be drawn to the smell of the apple cider, but once they land in the mixture, the soap makes it difficult for them to escape.