Ugh! GNATS!

[MimzMum]

This appears to be our post-flooding rains plague for the month of August. Tiny little gnats having been flying EVERYWHERE up here, and worst of all, they’re so tiny you don’t see them come in the door with you and before you know it you’re swatting at what looks like nothing all throughout your house. >.<

Screen doors are useless up here. These litle buggers can get through any mesh size.

So what I’m wondering is: I know flies are dangerous around bunnies for fear of flystrike. But does anyone have any idea if gnats can cause a similar problem?

I’m sure keeping them out of the bunnies’ hay and other food is a no-brainer. 0_o

[kimberleyanddarren]

how about those things you stick to the walls? that sticky tape? i wouldnt imagine they could do much harm as they are so tiny, but its better to be safe than sorry.

[MimzMum]

Flypaper…*smacks forehead*…why didn’t I think of that! I’ll give that a try, thanks, K&D!
I’m sure it’ll be a short season, so my walls won’t be ‘tacky’ for long!

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

I’ve had a gnat infestation lately too! It’s nasty. They’re a different kind than we had in the south and unfortunately they’ve taken a liking to Frankie’s litterbox! Any time I adjust his box, it’s like little flies are splashing up from it!

[MooBunnay]

ooo yuck. I have not heard of a similar problem with gnats like flies, but I’d imagine you probably want to keep any kinds of bugs away from the buns just in case. I did read a bit online that said that gnats do bite, and can spread some diseases (there was a reference to myxomatosis, but not sure how credible it is).

Here are a few gnat repelling tips I found online:

wisegeek.com:

You can also get rid of gnats by using products found around the home. Since they are attracted to the scent of vinegar, fill a jar with vinegar and poke holes in the lid. The gnats will climb into the jar, but they won’t be able to climb out.

howtogetridofstuff.com:

If you’ve got a swarm, you need to eliminate the source. It seems gnats are attracted to vinegar. Fill a jar almost to the top with vinegar, poke several small holes in the lid and then set it out. The gnats will come to the jar, wiggle down into the hole, and will not be able to climb back out. Set several of these traps around your home and monitor them to determine where the highest concentration is and use that information to find the source. Understand that the gnats that pester you in your home require moist or wet organic material in which to breed – it could be anything from a grimy drain to the drip pan under your refrigerator. Check your door and window seals also – they could be breeding right outside and wandering in.

http://www.associatedcontent.com:

To make the homemade gnat traps you will need the following items.
Soda bottle, this can be a two or three liter bottle.
Sharp knife, this will be needed to cut the top off the bottle.
Vinegar, apple cider works the best, but you can use regular white if that’s all you have on hand.
Sugar, just plain granulated sugar.
Water, enough water to fill the bottle half full.

1. Rinse out the soda bottle.

2. Using a sharp knife, carefully go down about two inches from the top of the soda bottle and cut the bottle top off. You Don’t want to cut to much or the top will not stay on your gnat trap when you turn it upside down. (See picture 1)

3. Fill the bottle with the vinegar (1/2 cup), sugar (1/2 cup), and enough water to fill the bottle half full. You can stir the liquid mixture around to mix the sugar in. Don’t fill the bottle to full, or the gnats will be able to escape. The liquid should not be touching the opening of the bottle.

4. Place the soda bottle top that you cut off on the bottle upside down. The opening of the bottle should be inside the bottle. If you find the top keeps falling inside the bottle you can use a piece of duck tape to keep it in place. ( See picture 2)

[(dig)x(me)x(now)]

Thanks

[MimzMum]

Vinegar?? 0_o You mean the stuff I use to clean the bunnies’ pens out?
But thank you for the ideas. That will help out, I am not trying to be whiny or anything, honest! ^_^

Hogeeze, well, I guess I have enough around the house to make a plethora of traps. ^_^ But should I be using something else to clean up after the bunnies? I did pick up a bottle of Nature’s Miracle, but Pip seems to really not like it when I use it, no matter how well I clean up the residue. :-/

[osprey]

Michael07,

I don’t agree that the gnats and bot flies are necessarily present in the same situations.  I think what digxmexnow is seeing are called fungus gnats.  I see these often in my compost pile, they are attracted to organic matter and moisture.  They are very small and can get through a screen that a botfly cannot get through.  I don’t think they pose any threats to bunnies.

 

[bunnytowne]

Oh gosh gnats. Awful little things. Get in my eyes and inhaled some b4 totally disgusting. They like my bananas and decomposing things. Yes sometimes a potato goes bad and I find it and throw it out the bugs go away. When they come I look for something left out Like bananas potatoes and once found and removed from my house so are the little nuisance things. Eeeeck.

They do come right thru the screen too.  They hover over our sidewalks at dusk up to 3 days after the grass is cut.  Pests.

Hmmm they have shown up when I mop with vinegar and go outside to vac the porch. Ohh. I didn’t know they like vinegar. Well that explains a lot. Good trap too.

[Author]

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