The Alcoholic Drink That May Be The Answer To Your Home's Gnat Problem

If you've got gnats buzzing around your kitchen, you know how annoying these pests can be, particularly while you're preparing food. In some seasons more than others they can appear in droves, usually due to moisture or heavy rains. Like mosquitoes, they're attracted to standing water, but unlike mosquitoes, most species don't bite and they're not angling to give you a disease. But a twist on the standing water idea will actually come in handy as an answer to your gnat problem. 

Have you got any wine in the house? Ideally, you'll want to use an ancient, dusty bottle from the corner of your wine cellar (or the back of your pantry), one that's past its prime and approaching vinegar status. Drinkable wine is OK to use too. And while this hack is reliable, if you're seeing hordes of tiny flying invaders, you may want to add a secondary gnat removal method, one that also smells good (well, to you).

There are two versions of this gnat trap, but for the first, all you need is some red or white wine, a cup or shallow dish, and some liquid dishwashing soap. Pour a quarter cup of wine or less into the dish or cup, and add a splash of dish soap. Leave it out where the pests congregate and watch it fill with gnats. They'll be unable to fly out because of the soap's sticky surface. The lure of standing water attracts pests, but the sugar in the wine is irresistible. Alert your family that this is a gnat-murdering station and not free wine for them on the counter.

If you don't have wine that's gone bad and would prefer to drink your perfectly good wine (or use it the next time you're cleaning the windows), another option is to leave enough of it at the bottom of a bottle to interest them. Leave it out uncorked, of course. They can fly in but won't be able to exit. This nifty hack can also help you say goodbye to fruit flies.