Emma Phelps October 04, 2021 & CAROLINE PICARD AND AMANDA GARRITY May 18, 2020
Step 1: identify what kind of pests you have.
Step 2: Choose the right solution for the kind of pest you have. You may have more than one pest. I had fruit flies and fungus gnats.
Step 3: Decide if you want to use a DIY remedy or buy something.
Drain flies: It’s not so simple for drain flies. Since they prefer bacteria, sewage, and gunk in your drain, garbage disposal, or seldom-used toilet, Hartzer advises using a drain cleaner like Drano Max Gel Clog Remover to flush out the pipes. If the problem persists, an ongoing infestation may indicate a leak, so call a plumber.
Clean your drains To remove gnats in the sink the natural way, you can treat the inside of your sink pipes by pouring a mixture of dish soap, baking soda, vinegar, and water into your drain, which usually kills gnats instantly. For a deeper clean, you can create a treatment using only baking soda and vinegar. Start by adding a couple of tablespoons of baking soda followed by about 1 cup of white vinegar down your drain, which will cause a chemical reaction that will loosen up grime inside of the pipes. Let this mixture sit for about two hours before running warm water until all of the ingredients have rinsed down the drain.
Fruit flies: Apple Cider Vinegar Fruit flies cannot resist the tangy-sweet smell of vinegar. Fill a mason jar, or any container, with apple cider vinegar, and then fashion a funnel out of a piece of notebook paper or a coffee filter. Alternatively, you can secure the top of the container in plastic wrap and poke a few tiny holes into it. The flies will be attracted to the vinegar but won’t be able to fly out. If you don’t have material for a funnel, you can also mix three-parts apple cider vinegar with one-part blue dish detergent. The soap will make their wings too heavy to fly.
Fungus gnats: As for fungus gnats, exercise your green thumb. These pests love humidity and moisture, so ease up on the watering. Repotting houseplants in new soil also helps. “It’s great for the plant and it’s great to reduce gnats,” Hartzer explains.
For all of them: Alcohol Spray Skip the potentially harmful chemicals in some household products and make your own spray. 91% isopropyl alcohol in a spray bottle will kill the flies on contact without putting yourself and others in harm’s way with harsh chemicals.
For more information, read HERE, and HERE.