Got Gnats?

Oh how I dislike gnats.  

Every summer something sits in the garbage for a few days that breeds or draws gnats and then it's a battle to get rid of them.  They stick around for days even after getting rid of the things they are attracted to.  Which is how it happened at my office recently.

I'd forgotten about the old peach thrown into the wastebasket in my storage room - until taking out the garbage about two weeks later. A horde of tiny black gnats came flying out of the garbage sack as I hurriedly took it outdoors.  The next day, a multitude of hungry gnats flew circles around my face as I tried to get some work done on the computer.  After spending the morning slapping at the seemingly slow flying guys, but with very few smashed bugs to show for my efforts, I decided there must be a way to get rid of these pests.  So I consulted with my friend Google.

In case you ever need to know, take a glass jar ( or plastic bottle since I had no jar ) form a funnel out of paper and insert into the jar.  Seal the area where the paper sits in the jar.  I used tape.  Put apple cider vinegar ( white vinegar also works I found out since that is all I had ) and a couple drops of dish washing soap into the jar but leave some room between the bottom of the funnel and the top of the liquid.  It might look like this.

The idea is simple.  The gnats are attracted to the vinegar,  go down the funnel and can't find their way back out.  Exactly how long they buzz around before expiring I don't know.  I didn't watch the proceedings.  All I know is it works.  This is what the bottom of the bottle looked like the next morning when I got to work!  It was a beautiful sight!!!

( I've no idea why the dish washing detergent is one of the ingredients - maybe someone can tell me )