How To Get Gnats Out Of Your House

Out of all the flying insects that can make their way into your home, gnats may top the list as the most frustrating. After all, they're tiny and have no issue flying up your nose, into your food, or pretty much any other place you don't want them to be.

If gnats have invaded your space, you can spend a lot of time trying to take them out, one by one. For what it's worth, they won't harm you—but they are a huge nuisance. Want to take them out once and for all? Check out our guide on how to get rid of gnats below, with expert insight from entomologists and pest management pros.

What are gnats, exactly? Are they similar to fruit flies?

"Gnats are small, primitive flies that kind of look like mosquitoes," says Howard Russell, M.D., an entomologist at Michigan State University. (They belong to the bug family Chironomidae, if you want to get specific.)

"Depending on species, gnats can be biting or non-biting and will feed on plants, other insects, or blood," says board-certified entomologist Glen Ramsey, senior technical services manager at Orkin. But, he adds, fungus gnats are the most popular. These are small flies that tend to be found in the soil of potted plants. "They can also be found in wall voids, particularly after new construction or when there is a moisture issue in the void," Ramsey says.

While they have similar habits, gnats are actually different from fruit flies, which "are a higher order of fly," Russell says. Fruit fly larvae develop in decaying fruit, fruit juice, fermenting liquid, while gnats develop in watery or semi-watery areas like moist soil and puddles, he says.

Gnats also form those intense-looking swarms you tend to see—or accidentally walk through—in the summer. They're actually "mating swarms," per Russell, and the females fly into them to reproduce.

How do gnats get into your house?

They're actually pretty good at working their way inside. They can move in through holes in window or door screens or hitch a ride on your clothes, Russell says. Gnats can also easily come in when you open and close the door to your home.

They also like to travel indoors on house plants or cut garden flowers, Ramsey says. "If the hitchhikers have made their way into a home, the owners may soon be faced with a gnat population that's out of control," he says. "The pests can produce several generations each year and don't require much time to mature. As a result, homeowners may see gnats swarming around plants, windows, and light sources."

How to get rid of gnats

✔️Check your screens: "The best way to keep them out of your house is to make sure everything is buttoned up," Russell says. That means fixing any screen door or window holes, so the gnats can't get in. If you suspect your window is their point of entry, you can try placing a clear, sticky trap directly to the area to catch them as they fly in.

✔️Get rid of standing pools of water: Gnats like moisture, so putting away any possible sources of standing water, like kiddie pools and unused flower pots, can help keep them away, Russell says. The same goes for any area inside your home–especially your kitchen and bathroom. Keep counters and sinks dry.

✔️Use fly paper: This is a sticky ribbon of paper that you can hang from the ceiling, place near plants, or apply anywhere you need. When gnats (or other winged insects) check it out, they get stuck to the paper.

✔️Make a DIY trap: Mix apple cider vinegar in a small bowl with a tablespoon of sugar and a little dish soap. The gnats will be attracted to the sweet liquid, and the soap will help trap them. Just lay out your "trap" wherever you notice gnats in your place.

If you rather not deal with the hassle, "there are several traps on the market, most of which are vinegar-based," says board-certified entomologist Nancy Troyano, Ph.D., director of Operations Education and Training for Presto-X.

Sticky Fruit Fly and Gnat Trap

Gideal Dual-Sided Yellow Sticky Traps for Flying Plant Insects

TERRO Gnat and Fruit Fly Trap

Catchmaster Bug & Fly Clear Window Fly Traps

✔️Try the candle trick: We credit this tip to our friends over at Popular Mechanics. After it gets dark, get out a candlestick and set it in a shallow pan of water. Once you light the candle and turn your lights off, the gnats will be drawn to the flame—and they'll either die by fire or drown in the water. Just make sure you don't leave a burning candle unattended and keep it away from your kids, pets, and flammable items like curtains.

✔️Toss infested plants: If you notice a bunch of gnats hanging around a plant, Ramsey says it's likely infested. If you don't want to get rid of the plant, he recommends watching how much you water it, since gnats love moist soil, to see if it can help curb the problem.

✔️Make a soap-water mist: If you've got a gnatty plant, Ramsey recommends mixing soap and water and spraying it on your plant with a fine-mist spray bottle to take out gnats. If watering less or the soapy mist doesn't do much, you may need to get rid of the plant.

✔️Simply swat them: "They're slow flying and are pretty easy to dispatch," Russell says. He recommends using a rolled up magazine to take them out if you only have a few hanging around.

When should I call a pro about my gnat problem?

Most of these tricks only take out a few gnats at once. If you have a serious gnat problem going on and you suspect they might have set up camp behind your walls or under your floors, call a pest control professional to help. "Don't wait to call a professional, as the situation can get out of hand very quickly," Troyano says.

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Korin Miller Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men's Health, Women's Health, Self, Glamour, and more.

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