Why Are Gnats So Bad This Year? - WICS

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Why are gnats so bad this year?

by Leslie Moreno

Tue, May 28, 2019 at 7:02 PMUpdated Tue, May 28, 2019 at 9:46 PMFly (File)Comment on this story0CommentShare storyShare

topics:

• Arthropods
• Fly
• Gnat
• Hexapoda
• Insects
• Insects In Culture
• Mosquito
• Nematocera

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — If you've been noticing more gnats recently, you're not alone.

Gnats are attracted to moisture, which is why you'll notice them even more, especially with all the recent rain we've been seeing. The bad news is that you can't get rid of them.

Experts said there are ways to prevent gnats in or around your home.

Gnats are small black or dark-brown insects and they look like tiny flies. They typically enter the house in search of food and a place to procreate. They gravitate towards things like decaying leaves or rotten fruit and moist areas inside the home, such as wet potting soil or wet sinks and drains.

"Anything you can do to control standing water is always going to be good to control any pests. Mosquitoes, flees, ticks and gnats too,” Owner of Mosquito JoeMichele Sommer, of Springfield, said.

Gnats are seasonal; they are a springtime pest. Once we get consistent summer weather, they will go away. Their life cycle is short - usually mid-May to late June is when we see gnats.

Gnats don't cause major damage to homes.

Buffalo gnats are usually the ones known to bite.

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