Last Updated on November 3, 2022 by
Gnats
In general, gnats are small, slender flies with long legs and long antennae. Whether flying alone or in a group, you might have noticed gnats in bathroom flying aimlessly about your house. Due to their small size, these flies are often mistaken for babies, but they are fully grown when they are flying.
Types of Gnats in Bathroom.
No degree in entomology is necessary, but you should know what type of gnats in bathroom, you are dealing with. Depending on the type, you will have to clean up, eliminate them, and prevent them from returning. Identify the kind of gnat you are dealing with because not all gnats are the same. Not all gnats are attracted to the bathroom in the same way. Only when you have eliminated the cause of the infestation will you be able to rid yourself of your bathroom gnat problem forever.
There are three types of gnats you may find in your bathroom:
- The Fungus gnats
- The Fruit Flies
- The Phorid (Humpbacked) Flies
How to get rid of fungus gnats in bathroom?
Fungus Gnats in Bathroom
These tiny black flying insects thrive in the presence of moisture, rotting plant materials, and mold. While the adult gnat is not a biting insect, it is still unpleasant to see. Gnats in bathroom swarm around damp areas in bathrooms, such as drains and showers, leaking pipes and rotting cupboards, as well as bathroom plants. Taking advantage of any fungal growth they find, they may eat even moldy shower doors. Their favorite places to live are water-damaged cabinets and unhygienic drains that accumulate organic matter. They are attracted to anything slimy.
Furthermore, since they feed on garbage, they spread bacteria and should be removed from your home.
Step 1: Clean it up.
You should clean up the areas where gnats in bathroom swarm after identifying the type of gnat you are dealing with. A spray bottle containing half a cup of white vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing detergent can be used to wipe down bathroom surfaces. Ensure no leaks are present in the pipes, drains, or taps.
Make sure any moldy spots are cleaned up with the solution, and the area is dried. Gnats in bathroom prefer moist environments. By removing wet towels, removing bathroom plants, and installing a dehumidifier, you can dry up your bathroom. Sterilize your drain thoroughly by using a heavy-duty cleaner like bleach and hot water or a drain cleaner specially designed for killing gnat eggs and larvae. The following are the steps you should take to deal with future generations of gnats in bathroom.
Step 2: Capture the survivor gnats in bathroom.
I would love it if I could pour a cup of cleaner down the drain and, voila! All my gnat problems would be solved. Unfortunately, it’s not always that simple. It would help if you had a long-term strategy to catch any stragglers who might restart the colony.
It is best to use a gnat trap designed to target fungal gnats for this step. In addition to a UV-trap, you can opt for an industrial surprise, but these usually don’t attract enough fungal gnats for them to be effective. Making your trap can be very effective in capturing stray gnats in bathroom and dealing with them effectively. Add a few drops of dishwashing detergent and a few drops of yellow food coloring to some apple cider vinegar. Yellow is an attractive color to gnats. Keep the cling film in place with an elastic band by placing it over the top of your container. Poke a few holes in the movie to make it more breathable.
This will attract the fungus gnats that swarm to the yellow color and the acidic smell of the apple cider vinegar that mimics rotting vegetation and then entrap them inside the container. When you have dealt with many of these gnats, you can put the container in a bag and dispose of it or immerse it in boiling water to make sure the gnats are dead, and you will not be releasing them in your garbage bin.
How to get rid of fruit flies in the bathroom?
Fruit Flies
There are large red googly eyes on these small brown flies. These flies are attracted to rotten fruits and vegetables. If you have never been in your bathroom to peel vegetables, you may wonder why they are there because you do not normally peel vegetables there. However, they are attracted to damp areas such as bathrooms and sinks.
If you had a glass of wine while soaking in the bathtub, you left behind the scent that attracted these gnats to your bathroom.
Step 1: By Cleaning
Cleaning up spills and removing mold patches around your shower or faucets should be done with a surface disinfectant. Whenever Mould roots through a cupboard, it ferments, so wipe these down and remove gnats in bathroom with white vinegar and soap. It is important to dry all surfaces to prevent dampness, attracting most gnats. To avoid sour smells from unwashed laundry, keep an eye on laundry baskets, and if you detect an unpleasant odor, move the laundry to the laundry or hang a freshener in the basket to keep gnats away.
Step 2: Put traps in place.
Although you can use an aerosol spray to kill off the adult gnats in bathroom, this will not resolve your problem since minuscule fruit flies hatch almost continuously, producing new swarms of fly larvae. Rather than catching them with a trap, it is best to set out a hitch and change it out regularly so that the hitch remains hygienic as you diligently eliminate the gnat infestation by catching all future generations of fruit flies.
A commercial fruit fly trap is an excellent choice for steadily eliminating fruit flies, cutting down on their population, and preventing future swarms. It is still possible to make your fruit fly trap eco-friendly and effective. To attract fruit flies, you can place some fruit skins in a disposable container, or you can add a few tablespoons of beer or wine. Seal the container with an elastic band after wrapping it in cling film. Create a few small access holes and then set them up in your bathroom. A windowsill is a good location for it.
What does a gnat resemble?
Gnats can be yellowish, reddish, or dark brown in appearance and are extremely small—usually less than a quarter of an inch in length. Gnats are weak flyers and have recognizable long legs.
How long is a gnat’s life span?
Gnats can generate up to 200 eggs in a week, which is about how long they live on ordinary. The pests’ entire life cycle can be completed in as little as 28 days.
Apart from this, if you are interested to knowing about are drain flies harmful then visit our Home Improvement category.
FAQs
Pour 1 2 cups of baking soda and 1 2 cups of salt down the drain. After that, pour one cup of vinegar down the drain. Let everything sit overnight. The next day, flush the drain once again with boiling water.
Gnats congregate around the bathroom or kitchen will likely lay their eggs in the drains. Throughout poorly-maintained drains, adult flies will seek out organic matter accumulated on the surface. There will be masses of eggs laid on the slimy texture, and they will hatch in a few days.
