A gnat (/ˈnæt/) is any of many species of tiny flying insects in the dipterid suborder Nematocera, especially those in the families Mycetophilidae, Anisopodidae and Sciaridae. They can be both biting and non-biting. Most often they fly in large numbers, called clouds. “Gnat” is a loose descriptive category rather than a phylogenetic or other technical term, so there is no scientific consensus on what constitutes a gnat. Some entomologists consider only non-biting flies to be gnats. Certain universities and institutes also distinguish eye gnats: the Smithsonian Institution describes them as “non-biting flies, no bigger than a few grains of salt, … attracted to fluids secreted by your eyes”.
As nematoceran flies, adult gnats have antennae with at least six segments that are often long and slender. They are generally slender-bodied with long and narrow wings.
Black fly (Simuliidae) and biting midges (Ceratopogonidae), also belonging to the gnat category, are small, sometimes barely visible, blood-sucking flies commonly known in many areas as biting gnats, sand flies, punkies or “no-see-ums“, among other names.
Other gnats begin their lives as eggs laid in masses in water, or laid on aquatic plants. The aquatic larvae dwell in ponds, pools, water-filled containers, clogged rain gutters or wet soil, which generally feed on plant matter (living or dead). The larvae develop into pupae and then into adults. Adults live only long enough to reproduce and they may form large mating swarms, often around dusk. The life cycle generally takes 4-5 weeks.
5 STEP TO HELP YOU WITH GNATS
- Remove food sources. Rotten fruit or other decaying organic material is a breeding ground for gnats. Similarly, gnats often seek out overripe fruit, so store fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator as opposed to keeping them in a fruit bowl.
- Make a DIY apple cider vinegar trap. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup of warm water, two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, one tablespoon of sugar, and six to eight drops of dish soap to create an apple cider vinegar trap. The gnats find the scent of sugar and vinegar alluring, and the dish soap will trap the gnats and cause them to die in the bowl.
- Light a candle trap. Place a tall candle set into a candlestick holder in the center of a wide bowl. Pour water into the bowl to fill it a third of the way. Light the candle and turn off or dim the lights. Gnats will fly into the flame, where they will either burn or drown.
- Bleach your drains. For gnat problems in bathroom or kitchen sink drains, use bleach. Use a diluted bleach solution of 1/2 cup of bleach to a gallon of water and pour it down the drain.
- Get flypaper. Flypaper attracts insects, which they become stuck to once they touch.
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