Nothing is more irritating than sitting down on your beautiful coach, preparing to eat a fruit salad, only to have gnats land on your fruit bowl. Gnats are tiny flies that most people confuse with fruitflies. Strong scents such as moisture, urine, rotting and decaying matter, and pleasant fruity aromas attract them.
Gnats gain access to your home through holes or cracks in the windows, walls, doors, and foundation. They will seek out moist areas with decaying organic materials, such as trash cans and rotten fruits. You can find gnats near sinks, toilets, and drains. Are Gnats attracted to urine? We will see more on this in the upcoming sections.
Does Urine Attract Gnats?
Yes, gnats are attracted to urine. Gnats are attracted to moisture, which is present in urine. They love feasting on decaying matter, so you’ll likely find urine in the dirt, feces, or other decaying material. Urine also indicates the presence of humans or animals. Both are carbon sources, and gnats have a particular liking for carbon dioxide.
Gnats are attracted to two scents: decomposing materials and sweet fragrances. Urine can smell both sweet and foul. The urine of persons who have diabetes or high blood sugar attracts gnats. The gnats will be attracted to the urine if they believe it contains sugar.
Urine, whether from animals or humans, has high concentrations of ammonia. Urine breaks down into ammonia during decomposition. Gnats consume ammonia as a source of protein.
Urine is moist and smells like decomposing organic filth, which makes sense given that feces almost always accompany urine. These two smells will lure gnats in droves. For fungus gnats, urine-soaked areas are ideal breeding grounds.
Gnats prefer liquid diets. Urine appeals to them because it adds moisture to solid feces and other rotting waste and contains moisture. Gnats are attracted to ammonia because it is a protein-rich diet.
What Bugs are Attracted to Urine?
Most bugs are attracted to ammonia and moist decomposing materials. Urine contains both substances. That’s why there are so many bugs near urine or feces. The following are some of the bugs that are attracted to urine.
- Houseflies
- Gnats
- Yellow fever mosquitoes
- Ants
- Cockroaches
- Bedbugs
Does Human Urine Attract Flies?
Yes, urine contains various components that attract flies. Urine contains ammonia, which gives it a protein-rich diet.
Urine has moisture, and because flies dislike dry food, urine makes it easier for them to digest their food. Flies will vomit on their meal to make it wet enough to eat. They will also drink the urine, particularly from a diabetic person, because it has sugar.
Decomposing waste, such as feces or rotting meat attracts flies. The presence of urine almost always indicates the presence of feces. They prefer to lay their eggs in urine-infested places so that their larvae can feed on them. That’s why there are so many flies in drainage areas.
Flies prefer high carbon dioxide concentrations. Given that urine is a by-product of humans and animals, the primary producers, it contains carbon dioxide.
What Smells are Gnats Attracted To?
There are so many different species of gnats that knowing what each one is attracted to can be challenging. However, certain fragrances attract all gnats, particularly fruity smells.
Let’s take a look at the smells that gnats are attracted to.
1. Food sources
Gnats have a good sense of smell, and they can swiftly fly to their preferred food sources thanks to their scent receptor organs on their antennae and other clues.
They’ll seek uncovered meals, overripe fruits, food or drink spills, garbage cans, and other places where food is available.
2. Fruity smells
Fruit gnats, for example, are attracted to anything with a fruity smell. Empty soda cans, wine, vinegar, fresh fruits and vegetables, moist organic substances, and rotting fruits and vegetables are all possible sources of this smell.
3. Sweet fragrances
Gnats will be attracted to you and your home if you use products with a sweet, pleasant scent. You’ll find sweet fragrances in laundry detergents, perfumes, lotions, sprays, oil diffusers, air fresheners, and cleaning detergents.
Gnats will flock to your home if you use vinegar, scented candles, potpourri, fragrant oil burners, or honey.
4. Sewage smell
Some gnats, such as drain and phorid gnats, are attracted to soil that has sewerage. Septic tanks, sewers, drains, rotten fruits and vegetables, and waste will all attract them.
5. Moisture smell
Moisture attracts gnats, including fungus gnats. These gnats love rotting organic waste found in moist soil. Gnats will swarm inside your home if you overwater your indoor plants.
What Kills Gnats Instantly?
It is not easy to get rid of gnats. They are frequently seen in big groups and can quickly swarm an area. They’re also a huge nuisance, and most individuals want to get rid of them as fast as possible.
There are three ways that you can kill gnats instantly.
- Alcohol: Mix half a cup of water, a teaspoon of dish liquid soap, and half a cup of alcohol in a spray bottle thoroughly. You’ll kill gnats instantly if the mixture is sprayed directly on them.
- Indoor insecticide: Use an insecticide that kills gnats on contact, such as Kitchen Bug Killer. You can protect your plants using House Plant Insecticide, which comes in granules and can protect containerized plants.
- Professional pest control: Contacting a pest control professional is the best option for handling large infestations. They have a lot of expertise dealing with gnats and will advise you on how you can kill gnats instantly. They will also deal with gnats larvae because you don’t want to deal with this problem every time.
What Attracts Gnats To Your Face?
Fragrances, lovely and fruity scents, are highly appealing to gnats. Consider how many fragrances you apply to your body daily. Lotion, soap, perfume, and hair spray are all examples.
You apply most of these products to your face too. That’s why gnats are attracted to your face. Because you want to smell nice, most of your products have a flowery or fruity smell. You’ll smell nice, but you will also be a massive attraction for the gnats.
Body heat attracts gnats as well. They will hover around your face because it’s the most exposed area of your body, and they’re looking for some heat.
Remember that moisture attracts gnats as well. The mucus in your nose and eyes is appealing. Sweat will also attract them to your face, especially if you have been working out hard and are sweating profusely.
How To Get Rid of Gnats From Home?
There are several methods for getting rid of gnats in your home.
1. Vinegar and dish soap
Mix one tablespoon of vinegar and one tablespoon of dish soap in a spray bottle and spray around the gnats’ favorite places. You can also mix the two ingredients in a bowl and place it where you’ve spotted some gnats. The gnats will drop to the bottom of the solution and drown if they land in it.
If you spot gnats near your houseplants and potting soil, you have overwatered your plants. Mix neem oil or dish soap with warm water or a light insecticide and spray on the plant to address the problem. After two hours, you’ll need to wash off the soap on the plants for the dish soap solution.
2. DIY gnat trap
A vinegar trap is one of the most straightforward traps to make. Add a few drops of dish soap, a tablespoon of sugar, and a few tablespoons of vinegar to a mixing bowl and stir. Place the bowl in the place where you’ve spotted the gnats.
The gnats will be attracted to the sugar and vinegar, while the dish soap will drown them. If you don’t have vinegar, combine red wine and dish soap. If you have a significant infestation, spread several bowls of this mixture throughout your home.
A fruit trap is another trap that can be pretty effective. Put some overripe fruits in a jar and cover it with plastic wrap. Make a few small holes in the plastic wrap using a needle. As the gnats are attracted to the food source, they will become trapped and drown after entering the jar.
3. Pour bleach down your drainage.
When you spot gnats near your bathtub or kitchen sinks, pour a cup of diluted bleach down the drain.
If you want the bleach to work appropriately, pour it slowly into each drain or garbage disposal until no more gnats are visible.
4. Buy Gnat traps
If you don’t have time to make your traps, you can get them from Amazon or any local store.
Start with the non-toxic, non-poisonous glue traps. The Sticky Fly Strips are sticky on both sides and are composed of waterproof paper and exceptionally thick glue. Simply take out the sticky paper roll and place it where gnats frequent. You can use the strips both outdoors and indoors.
The Gnat Non-Zapper Trap is another fancy trap you can use. The UV light will attract the gnat. The sticky glue board will trap it, and the fan will suck it in. It’s trendy, and you can use it to decorate your house, office, or kitchen.
5. Candle trap
You can also make a candle trap, though it may not be as effective as the vinegar or wine trap. You’ll need a candle holder that you can fill with water for this craft. Inside the candle holder, place the candle on a candlestick.
Turn off the lights and light the candle. Gnats will flock to the candle and burn themselves, while others will fall into the water and drown. When going to bed, remember to blow out the candle.
Conclusion
Urine, among other things, attracts gnats. If you have an infestation, these tiny insects can make life difficult in your home. Prepare for a gnat infestation if you have sweet smells, decomposing materials, wetness, or sewerage around your home.
Fortunately, we’ve provided you with various options for keeping gnats out of your house. Gnats can be killed or kept at bay with vinegar and dish soap, bleach poured down drains and homemade and store-bought traps. Consult a specialist if all else fails or you have a large infestation.