Gnat Control

There are a variety of gnats that can become a nuisance in homes or businesses. Gnat infestations always have a source, and identifying the source is easiest if you can identify the species first. The species will point you to the source, and eliminating the source (when possible) is always the key to permanent control. Common nuisance gnat species include:

• Fruit Flies – Breed in rotting, fermenting, fruit. Also breed in empty bottles, trash cans, and floor drains with food residues.
• Drain Flies – Breed in stagnant drains and crawlspaces or basements with sewer leaks.
• Phorid Flies – Breed in rotting organic matter. Notorious for breeding in wastewater leaking from sewer lines under slab floors. They will even breed in corpses in mausoleums!
• Fungus Gnats – Breed in moist areas with fungal growth. Common sources are soil in potted plants, rotting leaves, and inside damp HVAC ducts.
• Black Fruit Flies – Breed in rotting onions and potatoes.

If gnat sources cannot be eliminated, insect light traps effectively capture all species, except the fruit flies. Microbial enzyme products are helpful to digest organic breeding material in drains. Borate compounds are water soluble and will toxify many source areas where gnats may breed. Insect Growth Regulators (IGR’s) also help with control, as all gnats have a very short life cycle (7-10 days) under optimal conditions. Disruption of this cycle immediately helps with control.

Remember, sometimes simple sanitation is the key. Empty trash and recyclables at least once a week, and rotate your produce as quickly as possible. If you are in need of professional help with your nuisance gnat problem, give us a call at 1-800-523-1521, and let our professional staff assist you today!