Gnats & Flies
Swatting flies and gnats? Learn why they enter homes and commercial-grade methods to get rid of them.

How to Get Rid of Gnats and Flies in Your Home

Gnats and flies can quickly become a nuisance in your home, buzzing around, landing on food, and reproducing rapidly. Once these pests make their way indoors, it can seem impossible to get rid of them. However, with some simple tricks and prevention methods, you can kick gnats and flies out of your house for good.

This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about eliminating gnat and fly infestations, including:

  • Identifying different gnat and fly species
  • Understanding what attracts gnats and flies
  • DIY removal techniques
  • Natural pest control remedies
  • Tips to keep gnats and flies from coming back
  • When to call a professional exterminator

Read on to learn how to get rid of pesky gnats and flies using items you already have at home. With diligent effort, you can banish these pests in just 2-3 weeks.

What Attracts Gnats and Flies?

Gnats and flies enter homes in search of food sources, moisture and places to lay eggs. They are drawn to decaying organic material. Here are common attractions for each pest:

Gnats:

  • Overripe or rotting produce
  • Standing water and leaks
  • Moist soil of houseplants
  • Drains and garbage disposals
  • Open beverage containers

Flies:

  • Ripe fruits and vegetables
  • Open trash cans and bins
  • Unrinsed cans, bottles and dishes
  • Pet food and waste
  • Crumbs and spills

By understanding what draws gnats and flies in, you can eliminate these attractions and make your home less appealing. Proper cleaning and storage habits go a long way toward preventing future infestations.

How to Identify Gnat and Fly Species

Properly identifying the specific gnats and flies invading your home allows you to pinpoint likely breeding sites and choose the best removal methods. Here are some of the most common gnat and fly species found indoors:

  • Fruit Flies: These are tiny flies about 1/8 inch long that gather around ripe and rotting produce. They are attracted to fermenting foods and beverages and can reproduce rapidly in just days. Fruit flies have tan/yellow bodies with red eyes and hover near food sources and trash cans.
  • Drain/Sewer Flies: They breed in drains, pipes and sewage systems and look like small moths with gray fuzzy bodies. Drain flies need moist organic matter to breed and do not bite humans. They are poor fliers and remain near breeding sites, usually indicating a clogged or leaky drain.
  • Fungus Gnats: These gnats are associated with overwatered houseplants. The adults are dark black flies with long legs, while the larvae feed on plant roots and decaying soil. Fungus gnats are harmless to humans but can damage plants. They fly erratically when disturbed, signaling that houseplants need less frequent watering.
  • Buffalo Gnats: These are tiny black flies about 1/16 inch long that bite exposed human skin, causing itchy bumps. They are active during daytime, especially at dawn/dusk, and attracted to lights at night. Buffalo gnats make lawns and gardens unusable when severe. Apply insect repellent if going outside when they are active.
  • House Flies: This type of fly is the most common flies found indoors. They have medium-sized gray bodies with black stripes and are associated with unsanitary conditions. House flies carry diseases from breeding sites like manure or garbage. They rest briefly on walls, food, and humans after flying. An infestation often indicates a nearby filthy area, sometimes outside the home.
  • Phorid Flies: These flies have a distinct humpbacked body shape and come from moist decaying organic material. They can appear suddenly in large numbers. Phorid flies hover in the air a few inches from resting surfaces, indicating you likely have a dead animal or pest issue.
  • Cluster Flies: They resemble house flies in size and shape. They appear in homes in masses in winter/fall and are often mistaken for horse flies or deer flies. Cluster flies are harmless to humans and do not spread disease. They are just a seasonal nuisance needing removal.

Ask your exterminator to help identify the species. Proper identification ensures you use the best removal tactics.

Ways to Get Rid of Gnats and Flies

When dealing with a minor gnat or fly problem, there are many do-it-yourself methods you can try before calling a professional:

Fill jars or bowls halfway with apple cider vinegar. Add a drop of dish soap and a spoonful of sugar water. Cover the containers with plastic wrap secured with a rubber band and poke small holes in the plastic. Place the traps wherever flies or gnats congregate. The vinegar lures them in, the soap traps them, and the sugar adds appeal.

If you don’t have apple cider vinegar, you can make traps using red wine, white wine, rice wine or white vinegar instead. Any type of vinegar attracts flies and gnats.

Mash up ripe banana, mango, papaya or other sweet, overripe fruit in a bowl. Or dissolve 1 tablespoon active dry yeast and 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 cup warm water. Cover either mixture with plastic wrap poked with holes and place in infested areas. The smell draws in flies and gnats, but the trap drowns them upon contact.

Hang sticky fly paper ribbons or place fly paper sheets near windows, doors, garbage cans and anywhere flies gather. The adhesive strips catch flies and gnats that land on them. Fly traps typically cost just a few dollars for enough to place around your entire home.

Plug-in electric zappers or tabletop zappers use light to attract flies and gnats in. When the bugs make contact with the electrified grid, they are instantly zapped dead. Position bug zappers in rooms where you see the most activity. Just take care to keep them away from children and pets.

Pouring a bleach solution down drains and wiping counters with diluted bleach helps eliminate fly and gnat breeding sites. Use 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Wear gloves when using bleach and never mix with other chemicals. The smell drives away flies and gnats while the bleach kills eggs and larvae.

Sticky fly traps or glue boards can be placed around your home to passively catch flies and gnats. The traps contain a non-toxic adhesive that flies and gnats get stuck on when landing. Position sticky traps out of reach of kids and pets. They help reduce fly populations when used along with active killing methods.

Since drain and sewer flies breed in drains, pour an enzyme drain cleaner or baking soda and vinegar down each drain to kill fly larvae. You can also pour boiling water down drains to flush away eggs and larvae. Use drain cleaners weekly to prevent future fly issues.

Strong scents from essential oils naturally repel flies and gnats. Place small dishes of peppermint, lemongrass, lavender, bay leaves or cloves around your home. You can also mix 2 tablespoons witch hazel, 20 drops essential oil and 1/8 cup vodka in a spray bottle to make your own scented bug spray.

Inspect windows and doors for any gaps or holes that allow flies and gnats to sneak inside. Use caulk and screen repair kits to seal up all cracks, holes and other points of entry. Tight screens and seals keep flying pests outdoors where they belong.

Apply a liquid insecticide spray made for flying insects around window sills, door frames, light fixtures and other spots where flies and gnats congregate. When using indoors, carefully follow label directions and ventilate the area during and after spraying. Chemical sprays offer fast-acting results, killing flies and gnats on contact. Just use it sparingly.

Use an old-fashioned fly swatter to eliminate flies and gnats one by one with each swing. For a higher-tech option, place electric fly swatter racquets around your home. These battery-powered swatters have metal grids that electrocute flies and gnats upon contact. Swatters let you actively eliminate flies instead of just passively catching them.

Our Top Gnat & Fly Extermination Products

Natural Prevention Tips

Along with active removal methods, you can take these natural steps to deter flies and gnats:

  • Keep counters clean and wipe up spills quickly
  • Don’t leave pet food or dishes sitting out
  • Take out trash regularly. Use trash cans with tight lids.
  • Store ripe produce in the refrigerator
  • Allow houseplants to dry out between waterings
  • Rinse recyclables before tossing them in the bin
  • Fix leaky pipes, faucets and appliances
  • Fill in or drain any standing water in your yard

Stopping flies and gnats at the source is the best form of prevention. Sanitation and maintenance strategies keep your home less welcoming to these pests.

How To Get Rid of Different Types of Flies

When to Call an Exterminator for Gnats and Flies

Knowing when to call in the professionals can save you time and frustration when dealing with severe gnat and fly infestations. For major pest issues, hiring an exterminator is usually the quickest and most effective solution. Signs that it's time to bring in professional pest control include:

You continue spotting large clusters of flies or swarms of tiny gnats buzzing around your home even after using DIY traps and sprays. The bugs seem to multiply rapidly, reappearing within days of removing them. Your DIY efforts, like vinegar traps, drain treatments and zappers, are having little effect on reducing the fly and gnat populations.

Flies or gnats may also be emerging from hard to reach places like inside walls, under sinks or around appliances where you can't treat them properly. You notice flies persistently buzzing around drains or basement areas. The pests are coming from areas beyond the reach of your DIY products and methods.

If you have tried all the recommended DIY traps, sprays, zappers, and proofing techniques with minimal results, it's a sign that professional help is needed. Exterminators have commercial-grade insecticides, powerful vacuums, and steam equipment that let them eliminate flies and gnats at the source. They can inspect for hidden breeding spots and treat the whole surrounding area.

Although pricier than DIY remedies, exterminators use specialized tools and chemicals that provide long-lasting control of severe fly and gnat infestations. Don't wait until the problem gets completely out of hand before calling in the experts.

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