Gnat like bugs inside house--help!

[torinsmom]

For the past few weeks, I have been seeing these little flying bugs in my house. They look sort of like fruit flies, but not exactly. I haven't had any fruit out in the house anyway. They started in the kitchen and dining area. Now they are also in the cats' litter boxes(which I clean daily). They are also always in the trash can, even though I am taking it out daily. I don't know how to get rid of them without hurting my cats. I thought of fly strips, but I can't put those near the litter box, or my cats might get that sticky stuff on them. Can anyone tell me what they might be and how to get rid of them for good? They are black and have clear wings, almost like flies, but they aren't flies.

TIA

 

[jaci-h]

Oh gosh! I had one of those in my college apartment when my roommate was secretly living with her boyfriend and left a slimfast on her desk for a couple days. It was awful. Blech.

I would look to make sure something didn't fall down behind the stove or somewhere the bugs could get it and lay eggs. *so gross*

We took a clear beer bottle (like from Mike's Hard Lemonade or some other girly drink) put a couple drops of dish soap, filled it halfway with apple cider vinegar and then covered the top with saran wrap.

The bugs will climb through the hole & then fall in the soap and not be able to fly out!

 

[kimblebee]

Oh gosh! I had one of those in my college apartment when my roommate was secretly living with her boyfriend and left a slimfast on her desk for a couple days. It was awful. Blech.

I would look to make sure something didn't fall down behind the stove or somewhere the bugs could get it and lay eggs. *so gross*

We took a clear beer bottle (like from Mike's Hard Lemonade or some other girly drink) put a couple drops of dish soap, filled it halfway with apple cider vinegar and then covered the top with saran wrap.

The bugs will climb through the hole & then fall in the soap and not be able to fly out!

I was going to suggest sort of the same thing. Take an empty 2L bottle, clean it out and fill it 1/4 full with apple juice. Add a few drops of dishsoap and leave it out in an area where they are. I didn't put saran wrap on the bottle I used. They will fly into the bottle and drown because the dishsoap in the juice either adds or takes away surface tension on the juice. Basically, they can land on it but they can't take off on it so they eventually drown. It works like magic. Do it for a few days and your bugs should be gone.

 

[curious3069]

Oh gosh! I had one of those in my college apartment when my roommate was secretly living with her boyfriend and left a slimfast on her desk for a couple days. It was awful. Blech.

I would look to make sure something didn't fall down behind the stove or somewhere the bugs could get it and lay eggs. *so gross*

We took a clear beer bottle (like from Mike's Hard Lemonade or some other girly drink) put a couple drops of dish soap, filled it halfway with apple cider vinegar and then covered the top with saran wrap.

The bugs will climb through the hole & then fall in the soap and not be able to fly out!

I second this, the apple cider vinegar worked wonders when I had them! I just used a coffee cup and no saran wrap, but it still worked. Works really fast too, mine were gone in a day or two.

 

[polkadotsuitcase]

Probably don't need any more for this, but I fourth this suggestion! Worked for me like a champ. Those little gnatty things will drive you crazy!

 

[torinsmom]

Should I put them all over the house, since I have seen them in several rooms? I just hope the cats don't turn the bottles over and make a bigger mess!

 

[LuvOrlando]

This happened to a friend of mine when her DD left a bananna skin,in a weird spot.

 

[tiggger1]

we have them too. We think they are stupid fruit flies! but we dont have fruit out either. we were told to pour bleach and water down all the drains!..