With the increase in gnats around the summer months, people frantically look up ways to eliminate this problem. But not all the chemical sprays available in the market is trustworthy. So, a homemade gnat spray is what you need!
But not the guides available online can provide you with the current ingredients that can destroy these creatures. However, if you’re reading this at the moment, you’re indeed in the right space!
With the different homemade mixtures available, we have come up with the best homemade gnat spray in town! Read ahead if these tiny creatures are buzzing around your garden, patio, or living room!
Table of Contents
Why do you need a Homemade gnat spray?
The gnats are tiny insects, and the hue is usually dark brown, tan, or yellowish. Usually, they get attracted to places with high moisture levels. Moreover, the reproductive capacity of the gnats is quite fast. Primarily, they feed on soil, plants, other insects, blood, and fungus.
Some gnat species can harm your houseplants, and other species can feed on the pets or people’s blood. Moreover, some can even spread dangerous diseases. So, you can conclude that gnats can be dangerous for you.
And this is where the requirement of gnat sprays comes into question! But why a homemade gnat spray and not the readily available ones? Well, that’s because gnats can be stubborn at times. And using the chemical sprays once might not be any good. So, you would have to be at it constantly!
Using too many chemical sprays can be harmful to humans, and the gnats might remain intact. So, we always suggest our readers opt for the gnat sprays that are made using natural and mild ingredients!
But are you wondering how to do it? Well, for that, all you would have to do is read through our segments below! And we’re sure you will find the perfect solution for your problem!
How to make homemade gnat spray?
If you use the homemade gnat spray, you can get rid of all gnats quickly. So, you can find gnats in several areas of your home like plants, sinks, ripe fruits, and drains. Of course, it is not at all simple to get away from gnats.
However, use the homemade gnat spray in all areas you think gnats can gather, like in your plants, bathroom sinks, kitchen, drains. However, don’t spray it on vegetables and fruits. Moreover, you need to test a plant before spraying on it so that the spray does not harm the plant. This is because some plants may be sensitive, and they can even die. So, it would be best if you were extremely careful while applying your homemade spray to the plants. The recipe to make the homemade gnat spray is ready. Check it out below:
Ingredients to make homemade gnat spray:
- ½ cup water
- 1 teaspoon dish liquid
- Spray bottle
- ½ cup isopropyl alcohol
- Vinegar
- Baking soda
- Labels
Process of making homemade gnat spray:
Step 1:
You have to first blend ingredients like vinegar, isopropyl alcohol, water, dish liquid, and baking soda.
Step 2:
Keep the mixture in a spray bottle and put a label on it. Placing a tag will help you reach out to it on time.
The homemade gnat spray will help you to kill all gnats.
Homemade gnat spray for indoor plants
If your indoor plants have a gnat problem, you will find small insects all around the plants. So, it would be best if you dealt with this problem immediately before it turns grave. Moreover, gnats can reproduce fast and spread all around the plants very quickly. So, use homemade gnat spray to reduce the gnats for indoor plants.
Here is the recipe that you can try out to make an insecticidal gnat spray!
Ingredients required for making DIY Insecticidal Gnat Spray:
- 1-gallon water
- 2 tablespoons of Castile liquid soap
- 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
- 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
The process to make DIY Insecticidal Gnat Spray
Step 1:
You have to add all the ingredients in 1-gallon water. However, it would be best if you used a container.
Step 2:
Then, you have to shake it well to mix all the ingredients.
Step 3:
After that, you have to put the mixture in the spray bottle.
Step 4:
Now, you have to spray the whole plant to kill the gnats. However, you have to hold your patience as it will take time to get rid of all the house gnats. Also, it is advisable to repeat the spray once each month to be sure.
Homemade gnat spray for outside
You will find it quite challenging to control gnats outside. So, you need to make sure you dedicate a specific homemade spray for the outside gnats.
Are you wondering how to do it? Well, then read ahead!
Ingredients required for making homemade gnat spray for outside:
- A bowl
- Vinegar
- Dish soap drops
Process of making homemade grant spray for outside:
Step 1:
Firstly, you have to take a bowl and put some vinegar in it.
Step 2:
Then, add some liquid dish soap drops.
Step 3:
After that, put the mixture inside a jar with tiny holes.
Step 4:
Finally, the spray is ready. The vinegar will attract the gnats, and the liquid dish soap will help you trap the gnats.
How to make homemade gnat spray with vanilla?
Vanilla is a yummy thing for humans but not as good for gnats! So, here is some good news! So, to make your home smell good and kill the gnats, you can try out this homemade we have mentioned below!
Ingredients for homemade gnat spray with vanilla:
- 6 vanilla drops
- Water
- Spray bottle
Process of making homemade gnat spray with vanilla:
Step 1:
Firstly, you have to take a spray bottle.
Step 2:
Then, pour some water inside the spray bottle.
Step 3:
After that, you have to add some vanilla extract drops to it.
Step 4:
Finally, mix the whole thing well, shake it properly and use the spray on gnats.
How to make homemade vanilla repellent?
If you want to protect your body from gnats, you can use it in your exposed areas with some vanilla repellent.
Ingredients required for homemade gnat vanilla repellent
- 10 drops essential geranium oil
- 1 teaspoon glycerin
- 10 drops of neem oil
- ½ cup of water
- 10 drops of tea tree oil
- ½ cup of vinegar
- 10 drops of lavender oil
- A spray bottle
Process of making homemade gnat vanilla repellent spray
Step 1:
Firstly, you have to take a spray bottle.
Step 2:
Then, you have to put all the ingredients inside the bottle and mix them well.
Step 3:
After that, shake the mixture properly.
Step 4:
Finally, the gnat vanilla repellent spray is ready to use.
Homemade gnat spray with essential oils
Indeed, you can use spray with essential oils to get rid of gnats. Gnats hate the strong smell of the essential oils, and that will make them stay away.
So, you can opt for some essential oil choices: peppermint, lemongrass, mint, garlic, geranium, tea tree, cinnamon, lavender, cedarwood, Citronella, rosemary, and lemon. Mix some of the oils or individually use them. And be sure it will turn out to be the perfect homemade gnat spray.
If you want to reduce the intensity of the smell, you have to choose a carrier oil like olive, coconut, or almond. Also, you can mix the essential oils with a small amount of vodka, alcohol, and distilled water to make a spray.
And be sure all of these tricks are going to get rid of your gnats!
Where do gnats come from?
Now that you know so many tricks and much more, a vital question arises; Where do these come from? Well, read ahead, and you’ll know!
- It may come if you keep the overripe fruits
- Gnats can come if you don’t have airtight lids of indoor garbage bins
- If you overwater the plants in your house
- It may come if you leave the food open
- If you don’t clean your disposals or drains regularly
- Finally, the ideal place for gnats is moist soil
Even though there can be other possible ways through which gnats can come, those mentioned above are the most common ones.
How to prevent gnats?
After giving you a brief about how to destroy gnats, here are some preventive measures you can try out. Check them below:
- You have to clean your garden daily. Particularly, make sure it is devoid of fungus, mold, and debris of rotting plants. Also, be careful of the areas which don’t have good air circulation.
- Improve your drainage system to stay away from gnat problems.
- Don’t overwater the outdoor plants if you want to stay gnats-free.
- Try to water the plants during the morning only. Avoid watering them in the evening or night. This process will help you to get rid of fungal growth overnight.
- Avoid keeping the water standing in drainage areas, low spots, or gutters.
- Clean your water features and birdbaths regularly.
- Outdoor areas can attract gnats at night. So, you can use the sodium bulbs to diminish gnat attraction.
How to get rid of gnats inside using other remedies?
Gnats are tiny insects like drain flies, fungus gnats, and fruit flies. You will find that fungus gnats are small in size, dark in color, and have large legs.
If your house walls, doors, or windows may have holes or cracks, these help the gnats to enter your house. And you will find them mostly in moist areas, rotten fruits, and trash cans. Moreover, you can get to see them near toilets, drains, and sinks.
You can use natural remedies and products to stay away from gnats. However, apart from sprays, here are some tips to get rid of gnats:
Sticky traps
Buy sticky traps from garden centers and retail nurseries. You can cut the yellow sticky traps into tiny square shapes. Gnats will sit and stick on them, therefore trapping themselves.
Potato chunks
Keep a pot in the soil with some chunks of raw potato. Usually, potatoes attract the gnats, thus, trapping the gnats.
Gnatrol or BTI
If you want to control gnats, you can use Gnatrol or BTI for your potted plants regularly. You will get this in any nursery. This is toxic for gnats and non-toxic for humans.
Apple Cider Vinegar Gnat trap
You can mix sugar, dish soap, and apple cider vinegar well. Put the mixture inside a bowl and keep it in the gnat areas like the indoor garden, bathroom, or kitchen. The gnats get attracted to the ACV and sugar easily.
A fruit trap for gnat
Keep some rotten fruits inside a jar. Rotten fruits attract the gnats. So, the gnats come and sit on the rotten fruits and are stuck inside the jar.
Diluted bleach in the drains
You can keep some diluted bleach in the bathroom or kitchen drains to kill the gnats.
Candle trap
You can fill some water inside a candle stand. Then, place a candle in the candle stand. After that, you have to light the candle. Switch off all the other lights. Flames attract the gnats and burn them. And they will fall in the water.
Professional control of pests
Taking professional help is always a solution. So, when all the home remedies fail, you can take professional service! You can consult a professional pest control company. They can help you with some effective gnat treatment plans.
Final Thoughts
As we come to the end of our blog, we hope you have all the information you’ve been looking for!
So, make yourself a homemade gnat spray and repellent to get these out of your place ASAP! And at all, if these do not work out, you can take professional help!