If you’ve ever called a pest control company for an infestation and been told they don’t exterminate that type of pest, you’re not alone. Many pest companies avoid doing treatment without the intention of scamming you. From our experience, while these pests are rare, gnats, flies, and honey bees are hard to treat, even for the most professional pest control teams.
At Green Pest Management, we care about helping you get your home and property pest-free at an affordable rate. Unfortunately, there are pests that, even if we treat them, we cannot guarantee that they won’t come back. Some pests are present because they are attracted to something that can be taken care of by the customer, which saves time and money. Some pests aren’t really pests, but can become a nuisance, but because of what they do for the environment, we typically steer clear of them. Going over what we don’t treat and why may help find a resolution to these pest management issues more quickly.
Why Pest Control Companies Don’t Treat Gnats (How to DIY)
Gnats are those pesky little bugs that you can hardly see, but hear buzzing by your ear or around your fruit and trash. They are around your home or garden due to an attractor. It could be old fruit or veggies, rotting plant roots, and a multitude of other things. Since gnats reproduce at a very fast rate, it gets harder and harder to treat for them. Adult gnats live up to 7-10 days, and lay around 100-300 eggs every three days. They lay eggs within rotting material like potted plants or garbage. Larva hatches within 4-6 days.
If the attractor is left inside or around the area you are experiencing activity, you will continue to deal with these pesky bugs. Even if we do pest management treatments around the home or on the attractor itself, we are unable to get rid of these pests due to how quickly they reproduce and if their eggs are hidden not exposed to pesticides.
How to Get Rid of Gnats: Expert DIY Removal Guide
If you’re wondering how to get rid of gnats, the key is eliminating their food sources and cleaning the affected areas. If gnats are congregating in food and trash bags, remove those items and check the surrounding areas. Clean the space where they were found and keep this space clean for the foreseeable future. Make sure to keep perishables in the fridge and remove any moldy or off-looking food.
Continue maintaining cleanliness to prevent gnats from returning to the house. Store perishable foods in the refrigerator, seal pantry items tightly, and immediately discard any moldy or spoiled food. Consistent sanitation and moisture control are essential for effective gnat removal and long-term prevention.
If gnats are still showing up after keeping the space clean, it’s time to check for leaky pipes and moisture. Gnats lay eggs in moist areas, and under sinks can be some of the most common. We also have seen gnats congregate in plants that are overwatered. For soil, cover the over moisturized areas with sand or do not water it so it dries out (keep your plant safe though!).
In terms of home remedies, cleaning vinegar is a very straightforward solution for gnat removal. Combine:
- 1/2 a cup of apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup of warm water
- Few drops of dish soap
Put these into a bowl and set it where gnats are active. They will naturally come over to explore, but get stuck and due to the consistency of the soap. Place multiple of these to truly help eliminate colonies.
Flies
Flies are very similar to gnats, sticking around due to an attractor around your home or business. Flies, unlike gnats, are more picky about what they stick around for. For example, gnats don’t necessarily mean that the surrounding area is messy, since old fruit and food waste can be left out anywhere.
From homes we’ve inspected over the 15+ years we have worked, spilled soda and feces tend to be the most common attractors. Flies live around 15-28 days, with females laying around 960 eggs. Though we may treat and spray eggs and flies all around, they continue to reproduce faster than we can treat.
How to Remove Flies at Home
Flies will not leave your home until the thing they are attracted to is gone. First, get rid of and clean spaces where they are congregating. Use wipes to ensure the surface is truly clean and make the space scent-free.
If the room has windows and doors that open fully to the outside, open these to give the flies a way to leave your home. Fly swatters can sometimes be effective, but they involve more effort than they are worth, as you need to be present. Fly traps can be a final option if you truly cannot get rid of them, as flies will enter and perish quickly.
Honey Bees
Honey bees are a difficult pest to navigate. We treat carpenter bees since they are considered pests that are more destructive to property than they are in contributing to the act of pollinating. You have to be careful because honey bees are a protected species. Unless they are causing major structural damage to the home, we don’t treat them. Honey bees are essential to life on earth, for people and animals alike. They pollinate over 80% of our crops and flowering plants. Included within that, most of our trees are pollinated by them as well.
Unfortunately, our company is not equipped to safely relocate nests or remove honey bees without killing them. Here at Green Pest Management, we care for our planet and for the future of our food. We highly recommend hiring a local beekeeper. Beekeepers are a much safer option, since they are able to relocate bees to farms they or fellow beekeepers own, promoting environmental benefits.
Our company is looking to help you resolve your pest issues. We will do our best to still find help even if we are unable to take care of the problem directly. Feel free to give us a call and see if we can help.
To make sure we service your location, take a look at our service area by clicking the state you reside in. Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland.