Why Are There Gnats in My Apartment?

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Why Are There Gnats in My Apartment

Gnats, which are small slender-bodied dark-brown insects, can be found in apartments for a few different reasons.

Why Are There Gnats in My Apartment

Fresh fruits or vegetables or increased areas of moisture are among the most common reasons. Moreover, there are different types of gnats, which are attracted to different things.

Therefore, this article explains why you may have gnats in your apartment. In addition to that, it highlights ways to keep out of your home.

Different Reasons Why There Are Gnats in Your Apartment

There are three common types of gnats you’ll find in apartments.

These three are not biting gnats, and they’re called fruit flies, fungus gnats, and drain flies.

So, here are some reasons why you can find one or more of these gnats in your apartment.

You Left Fresh Fruits and Vegetables in the Open

Fresh fruits and vegetables often attract fruit flies. This is particularly so with sweet-smelling produce.

Prevention Tips

You can prevent fruit flies from coming into your apartment by placing the produce in the fridge. Do this as soon you bring your groceries home so that your produce is not exposed.

Therefore, don’t place fruits or vegetables on the kitchen counter. If you don’t have space in the fridge, make sure to close nearby windows when you keep your fruits in the open.

You’re Not Cleaning Up Messes or Taking Out the Trash Frequently Enough

Fungus gnats can be attracted to rotting organic matter. Some fruit flies may also be attracted to rotting fruits or vegetables.

Therefore, you’re attracting gnats if you don’t take out the trash every day or leave food-related messes exposed.

Prevention Tips

To limit the number of gnats coming into your apartment, take out your trash every day. It’s best to do this even if there is still space in the bin at the end of the day.

Getting rid of trash will keep rotting foods away from your home, preventing gnats in the process.

In addition to that, you should use a garbage bin that has a lid in your home. This way, you won’t leave your trash exposed during the day.

Moreover, use a large trash bag so that you can easily seal the top with a knot. It can help to seal the bag when taking the trash out to prevent the contents from being exposed.

In addition to taking out the trash, be sure to clean up any food-related messes instantly.

Leaving messes can make it harder to clean later, which may leave some traces of food behind. In turn, you may attract gnats.

At the same time, make it a point to do your dishes whenever you’re done eating. You could attract gnats by leaving leftover food on the counter or traces of it in the sink.

There are Areas of Excessive Moisture in Your Home

Some areas of excessive moisture in your apartment could be breeding grounds for gnats. Common examples include leaky plumbing in your kitchen or bathroom, faulty drains, and overwatered plants.

The extra moisture in an overwatered plant and some of the organic matter in the soil can attract gnats.

Therefore, if you have plants growing in your apartment balcony, be sure to check if there are gnats around the plants.

Prevention Tips

To help reduce the amount of moisture in your home, clean up any food or liquid spills right away. Make sure that you don’t leave your dishes in a pool of water in your sink.

So, in addition to doing the dishes right away, make sure to wipe them down as well. Leaving them wet would mean that there are quite a few areas of moisture in your kitchen.

You should also check your kitchen plumbing for any signs of leaks. Moreover, check if the garbage disposal is working fine. If you notice leaks, have a professional fix your plumbing as soon as possible.

It’s also important to check your bathroom. Other than checking for leaks, clean all of the drains as frequently as possible. Gnats may choose to procreate in the drains. So, cleaning that will remove any eggs.

Moreover, clean your bathroom thoroughly at least once a week. Be sure to clean everything in the bathroom, including the bathtub.

Try not to leave any exposed body of water to prevent gnats from showing up. The warmth and moisture in a bathroom typically attract gnats.  

It can also help to water your plants only as much as is necessary. Overwatering them can lead to sitting water over the soil. Thus, gnats may use that to lay their eggs, increasing your gnat problem.

They Could Be Attracted to You and Other People in Your Apartment

Gnats could be attracted to the moisture from your body. For example, they could be attracted to sweat, tears from the eyes, mucus from the nose, and so on.

Also, you could attract gnats if you have applied some sweet-smelling body products, such as shampoos, lotions, deodorants, etc.

Prevention Tips

If you consistently deal with gnats in your apartment, it’s best to avoid using fruity or sweet-smelling body products. It will only contribute to your gnat problem.

In addition to that, try to keep yourself clean and dry. Take a shower after working out.

Also, if you’re working out at home, wipe off any droplets of sweat on the ground or elsewhere.

Making small but consistent efforts can help get rid of the gnat problem in your home.

When Gnats Typically Starting Showing Up in an Apartment

In addition to the reasons mentioned above, you should note that gnats generally show up in summer.

Therefore, when summer approaches, you can take the necessary precautions to limit gnats in your apartment.

Some Additional Prevention Tips

Here are a few more tips that you can follow to prevent gnats from returning to your apartment.

Turn Off Unnecessary Lights

Some gnats are attracted to light because they can’t fly well in the dark. Therefore, it may help to turn off any lights in your apartment that you’re not using.

It’s typically a good idea to do that in places where you can typically find gnats. These areas include your bathrooms, kitchen, etc.

Install a Screen Door or Mesh Around Your Windows

You don’t have to forgo fresh air in your apartment if you’re afraid of letting insects inside. You could install screen doors or mesh panels around your windows.

The mesh panel helps air pass through but does not have enough space for gnats and other bugs to pass.

If you live in a rented apartment, be sure to speak to the owner before making any structural changes. You don’t want to unnecessarily get into trouble and end up paying for the damages.

How to Get Rid of Gnats in Apartment

There are numerous, detailed methods of getting rid of gnats that exceed the scope of this article. Therefore, we’ll provide an overview of some methods below.

You can use flypaper to catch gnats. You can hang them where you typically find these insects, and they’ll eventually get stuck to the paper. A disadvantage of this method is that it looks bad in your home.

You can make your own traps of flypaper or buy them from the market. You can also create cups of apple cider vinegar traps that function in a similar fashion as flypaper.

If you notice a gnat infestation in your plants, you can water them with a solution of hydrogen peroxide. This solution will kill the gnat larvae, preventing the insects from procreating.

You can also kill gnats with bleach if you find them in your kitchen or bathroom drains.

Last Few Words

Overall, try to keep your home as clean and moisture-free as possible. By doing so, you can help prevent gnats from coming to your apartment in the first place.

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