How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats: 5 Tried and True Methods

Fungus gnats are not just annoying, they’re harmful to your plants. If you find these pesky little insects flying around your home, it’s time to take action. These gnats typically live in surroundings with high humidity and moisture.

Thankfully, there are a number of ways to kick these buggers to the curb. 

What Causes Fungus Gnats?

The best way to get rid of fungus gnats is by having none to mitigate in the first place. Fungus gnats are attracted to a specific type of environment. They typically come into your home on a plant. 

These insects primarily live outdoors but tend to come inside as the temperatures drop. The main way they survive is if you overwater your plants. When plants get too much water it can cause fungus in the soil to grow. 

This is the main source of nourishment that can provide fungus gnats a long and healthy life. That is the last thing you want! Make sure you’re not overwatering your plants to avoid having these pests around in the first place. 

How To Get Rid Of Fungus Gnats 

1. Dry Out the Soil

Because fungus gnats need wet soil to survive, the best thing you can do is allow the soil around your plants to dry out. This shouldn’t hurt the plant if you do it properly. Letting the soil dry out will kill any larvae. 

It’s also a good idea to remove any excess water that may be pooled in a runoff saucer. If you have a habit of overwatering, consider using a sterile potting mix. It has less organic matter, giving the gnats less to feed on. 

2. Create a Larvacide

Another way to get rid of fungus gnats is by creating a mixture that kills them. Take a spray bottle and put in one part hydrogen peroxide to four parts water. Give it a shake and spray it all over your plants.

The hydrogen peroxide will kill the pests without harming your plants. You may need to reapply this solution to your plants at least once a week until the larvae die off. 

3. Make a Trap

Our third method to help you get rid of fungus gnats is to make a trap with things you likely already have in your pantry. Grab an empty cup and pour in apple cider vinegar and a dash or two of dish soap.

Take plastic wrap, cheesecloth, or tape and cover the opening. Punch a few small holes that will allow the gnats to fly into the cup. They’re attracted to the scent of the vinegar and will eventually get stuck in the mixture and succumb to their death. 

4. Utilize Castile Soap

Soft-bodied insects like fungus gnats will die from the use of Castile soap. It’s considered an insecticidal product that has a plethora of uses. The plant-based oils kill all sorts of insects by dehydrating and suffocating them. 

Castile soap will break down the “armor” on the exterior of their body once it makes contact. 

5. Sticky Traps

Easily one of the best ways to get rid of fungus gnats is to use sticky traps. Although these insects have a short lifespan, they can procreate like no other. 

While many of these methods can help kill larvae, the sticky traps are perfect for adult gnats. These are large, yellow pieces of paper that have a sticky adhesive covering both sides. 

You can stake these in or around your plants. The fungus gnats are attracted to the yellow paper and get stuck on the adhesive when they land. This isn’t one of the most aesthetically pleasing ways to get rid of fungus gnats, but it surely gets the job done. 

*Author’s note: I use sticky traps regularly and it’s the best method I’ve found to tackle a fungus gnat infestation.

6. Potato Trap

Let’s head back to the pantry and grab a couple of potatoes for this next trick. This method for getting these insects out of your home takes the least amount of work.

Simply cut up a raw potato and place the piece of potato with the flesh side down. The gnat larvae will get trapped under the potato. Avoid letting the potatoes dry out and remove the larvae every few days. Replace with new potato chunks if needed. 

How To Get Rid Of Fungus Gnats