3 tips and one ultimate solution to avoid killing them.
Why do I have gnats in my kitchen?
We used to have them in summer, but with global warming and the Indian summer that lasts, midges persist in our kitchens. They swirl around fruit and vegetables as they ripen, much to our dismay. In summer, gnats swarm into our kitchens in search of good things, then seem to take to our kitchens so well that they never leave.
So how do you avoid them, and when they’re already there, how do you get rid of them? We’ve come up with a few simple tips to keep those pesky little creatures away from our worktops.
Sort assiduously and empty your garbage cans
Attracted by the odors and humidity of your food, midges will flock to your garbage can. On the one hand, emptying the garbage can regularly will limit odours. On the other hand, proper sorting will limit the release of odors, humidity and heat from certain types of waste. What to do? Rinse all packaging before throwing it away, place your organic waste in a compost bin and make sure you clean out your waste containers once they’ve been emptied. Sorting is good for the planet and for recycling materials, but it also helps reduce the amount of waste in the household garbage can that will be incinerated, as well as reducing odors.
Fruit in the open, a bait for midges
We love biting into these fruits! What’s more, they add color to the kitchen. But how we hate them when they’re surrounded by a large family of gnats flying all over the place, the anguish! Well, Grandma left us some simple tricks to scare them away. Simply place cloves around your fruit dish, they hate it. There are also simple traps, but we prefer to scare them away rather than kill them. You’ll also find fruit and vegetable containers on the market that promise to slow down their ageing or preserve them.
Throw away spoiled fruit, plants and flowers
Turn your old apples into compote, your old bananas into banana bread and throw away wilted flowers and plants. Indeed, rot has a nasty tendency to attract midges, which love it. There’s nothing worse than a banana at the end of its life, at the bottom of the fruit dish. In fact, the appearance of midges can be a sign that a fruit is at the end of its life. Spoiled fruit and vegetables can still be eaten. For example, if you have an overripe banana and you know you won’t have time to eat it, simply freeze it and it will be perfect in a chilled smoothie for Sunday morning brunch.
The trick that will help you
Your compost is surely the meeting place for these little flying creatures. It’s sometimes difficult to combine waste sorting and comfort in the kitchen. That’s why we’ve created Mint, a compost garbage can with a vacuum system that won’t let any odors escape. A good solution that guarantees no midges. Find out more here.
There are many solutions for sorting organic waste. It’s up to you to find the one that best suits your habits in the kitchen and at home. We’ve tested a number of alternatives, which you can read about in our article: Worm composters, bokashis and indoor composters, we’ve tested for you (article to come).
Gnats, living creatures around living food – don’t feel guilty, it’s normal!
Finally, let’s not forget that gnats are a part of everyday life, just like many other small creatures. Our fruit, vegetables and other food products are fresh and “alive”. Good hygiene in the kitchen will certainly ensure a reduction in gnats and avoid having, for example, kitchen moths, but just because you have them doesn’t mean your kitchen is dirty. So don’t feel guilty, gnats are normal and there are solutions to avoid them.