Gnats

Most people are unaware the gnats are actually flies, albeit very tiny flies, but flies none the less. Steps taken against most flies will affect gnats as well with some exceptions. The big difference between flies and gnats is habitat and pest control. The two biggest culprits of home invasion are Fungus Gnats and Drain Flies.

Diet

Bees ingest the nectar of plants and flowers only to regurgitate it (after it has mixed with enzymes in the bees stomach) like honey. The honey is placed into cells and capped with wax. In order for bees to survive the winter, they have to have sufficient Honey stored in the hive… Because that is their FOOD! Bees will also eat sugar syrup (thick sugar water).

They do also eat pollen, but it’s not a main food source and is actually mixed with honey and mostly used for royal jelly that the larva eat.

Habitat

Fungus Gnat’s target can thrive inside the home. A commonplace to find perfect conditions for fungus gnats will be house plants, more specifically the soils these plants grow in. We tend to love our plants too much, and commonly over-water our plants, keeping the soil wet continually. The soils usually are high in organic matter, and this combination of moisture and organic matter is a perfect invitation for fungi to grow. It does not necessarily have to be a big mushroom growing up out of the soil, as the gnat larvae are tiny, and will find the minute bits of fungus growth within that medium. Allowing the soils in these pots to dry out regularly is not only a good way to prevent the growth of fungi and fungus gnats, but it may also be better for the plants themselves. Their roots need to “breathe”, and one way we stress or even kill our plants is by keeping their roots immersed constantly in water.

Drain Flies, unlike the fungus gnats, which manage to breed in simply damp conditions, the drain fly needs a much larger buildup of material, and over time our sink, floor, or bathtub drains can provide this micro-habitat for them. As hair and many other things get washed into sinks there eventually will be an accumulation that could even completely plug that drain. This area remains continually wet, with organic buildup coating the sides of the pipes below the sink, and drain flies look at this as just heavenly. Their presence in a room such as a bathroom is a sign to you that some cleaning is necessary, and that is really how the control of drain flies will be accomplished.

Life Cycle

In temperate zone species, in the autumn, young queens (“gynes”) mate with males (drones) and diapause during the winter in a sheltered area, whether in the ground or in a man-made structure. In the early spring, the queen comes out of diapause and finds a suitable place to create her colony. Then she builds wax cells in which to lay her fertilized eggs from the previous winter. The eggs that hatch develop into female workers, and in time the queen populates the colony, with workers feeding the young and performing other duties similar to honey bee workers. New reproductives are produced in autumn, and the queen and workers die, as do the males.

Pest Control

For control of these gnats and most other nuisance flies, we cannot focus on controlling the adult fly. Of course, if you simply have a few big flies buzzing around in the kitchen because someone left the back door open, a fly swatter is the perfect control device. But, for flies that we believe may be breeding within the structure itself, our control MUST focus on controlling the larvae, by eliminating the conditions that allow them to live there. Simply swatting or spraying to kill the adult flies may give us temporary relief and satisfaction, but they will quickly be replaced by new flies coming from that larval habitat. For fungus gnats and drain flies, there is no reason to set off bug “bombs” in the home and very little reason to use other kinds of aerosol foggers to spray in the air. You need to take that careful walk through the home and find out where the flies are coming from, and then fix the problem that must be there.

Drain flies are controlled by cleaning the drains or other areas of organic buildup, and we have a wonderful arsenal of products that do this very effectively. These are not harsh and dangerous drain cleaners but are products that use bacterial or enzymatic action to EAT the organic buildup and allow it to be washed away. It may take a few days to a week, but the result is far friendlier to the environment and your family than the use of caustic cleaners. A service that provides retreatment of the drains in the structure on a regular interval can keep things clean and flowing, and keep insects from looking at your home as their home too. Don’t hesitate to call us today to set up a free consultation to see what we can do to help you out.

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OFFICE LINE

(602) 697-1132

AFTER HOURS

(602) 697-1132

WORKING HOURS

8:00am – 5:00pm

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      OFFICE LINE

      (602) 697-1132

      AFTER HOURS

      (602) 697-1132

      WORKING HOURS

      8:00am – 5:00pm

      OFFICE LINE

      (602) 697-1132

      AFTER HOURS

      (602) 697-1132

      WORKING HOURS

      8:00am – 5:00pm