Gnats!

[psy]

So, I moved to the south this year for grad school, and within the past month or so, my apartment appears to have become infested with gnats, especially around my kitchen sink (and by/on my toothbrush... major ick!) and my desk. I don't keep any food out food out (I used to keep bananas on the counter but no longer do, thanks to this problem) or have any plants, so I'm thinking it may be the trash or garbage disposal...? I know they're harmless, but it's kind of gross and annoying. I put in a maintenance order with my apartment, but any tips for getting rid of these things otherwise?

Thanks!

[PiKA2001]

Hang some fly paper near your kitchen and desk and keep your sink disposal clean and a tight lid on the garbage can. Get some bug spray and spray them when you see them flying around as well.

[Drolefille]

Build a fruitfly trap or buy one, I do NOT recommend bug spray in the kitchen. You will spend all your time resanitizing surfaces or making yourself ill.

Cover the drain if possible and do some googling about other ways to handle the problem until your landlord gets involved.

[TPA85]

What about 1cup of bleach and some super hot water? Your kitchen will reek of bleach for a day or so but it could work...

[christiangirl]

There are 2 flies in my place right nnow adn I'm trying to figure out how to get rid of them. I've never seen this kind before--they're shaped like moths but clearly flies. In any case, they're annoying and only show themselves 1 or 2 at a time. Whatever's posted in this thread, I'll try it!

ETA: Duh. I did a quick search aaaaaand ta-da. They are called "moth flies." They breed in drains, which would explain why they appeared around the time my tub started leaking. Now that it's been fixed, maybe one good spray will be enough to eradicate them from my apartment. *googling how to kill these suckers*

[WhiteDaisy128]

Fill a bottle up about half-way with water (like a skinny necked bottle, filling it with water just before the neck starts). The fruit flys will fly in and get stuck in the water. Leave a few around your apartment for a few days and they should be gone. You'll see them floating in the water traps.

[carnation]

Or do what White Daisy said but use vinegar instead. This one works best if you fill a small container to the brim.

[AnotherKD]

What works for me with little bugs (like fruit flies) is to take a bowl and put white vinegar in it, like apple vinegar. Squirt about a couple of spoonfuls-worth of dishwashing liquid into it. The flies will be attracted to it and I'm not sure about how it works, but the dishwashing liquid will draw them in and you will end up seeing the bugs in the bottom of the bowl. After a few days, it should take care of most, if not all, of them.

[AGDee]

But there must be a food source somewhere. I had this happen once at my old house and they were making me crazy. Finally I found a bag of potatoes that I'd forgotten I had in a cupboard drawer. Eliminated the potatoes and eliminated the fruit flies.

[Alumiyum]

Originally Posted by XnathusAZ

This sounds like a sanitary problem.

It's likely not, more an annoyance. My building seems to attract gnats/fruit flies no matter how careful we are about not leaving anything edible/perishable out. It probably just means someone else in the building is leaving out fruit or something and the flies travel from apartment to apartment. In my experience, though, they never get out of control and turn into anything more than an annoyance if all food/drink is kept tightly sealed and put away.

I recommend WhiteDaisy's method, but with vinegar like carnation said. This always seems to work for my apartment when they come back. Doesn't take very long, either...they aren't smart little bugs.