Gnats Getting Rid Of

Flood waters bring on mosquito mayhem

It's a season that may have us all swatting mosquitoes. The Grand River Mosquito Control District is already annihilating them where they originate.

"If you kill mosquitoes while they're still in the water, where they don't bite people, they never grow to adulthood," says Amelia Bussell, a mosquito tech at GRMCD.

The Mesa County Health Department says it will start testing for the West Nile Virus later this month. Spraying is left up to the GRMCD.

"It hinders their growth and/or kills them," says Bussell of the biological agent used to kill the bugs.

The expected flooding is going to create even more pools of standing water this summer. "We could have some real mosquito habitat open up that hasn't been open for a long time," says McCallister.

However, mosquito techs say they're prepared for the pests. "That's what we specialize in, going after the water sources."

Experts say the best way to battle the bugs from stinging your skin is to use a repellent like DEET.

The Grand River Mosquito Control District does not treat the city of Grand Junction. Residents are asked to be very mindful of getting rid of any standing water on their property, like the bottom of trash cans, flower pots, kitty pools, and gutters. Drain that water out so you'll get rid of your mosquitoes.

While mosquitoes breed in still water, experts say gnats like running water. The rising river will surely cause a faster flow and off-shoot streams. Mosquito techs say we can expect to see more gnats this summer as well.

Say "Gno" to Gnats

I live in an old, tiny apartment; the windows and doors aren't sealed very well, and there's some general wear-and-tear that comes with an early twentieth century building -- the kind that insects just seem to figure out well enough to wreak havoc. As I bring in more fresh produce and the rising heat pushes bugs to cooler areas, I get the pleasure of spending more time trying to keep them at bay. The ants were fairly significant, but I tamed those with the good old-fashioned ant traps found at the drug store. The worst of them all were the nasty gnats, or "fruits flies," buzzing and flying in scattered patterns -- usually with the uncanny ability to go straight to my eyes. GROSS. After a few days of scrubbing my kitchen and sealing my fruits and veggies, they were still bad. I immediately went out to see what remedies there were. Costing anywhere from $8-20, the options were exhausting - powders, strips, sprays, fumes - not to mention laden with weird chemicals and suggestions to be replaced every couple of weeks. Not willing to spend that much money on stupid bugs, I went home empty-handed to my lab of an apartment. Reading reviews about which product would work best, it all boiled down to one conclusion: they all sucked . Finally at the point of giving up, I tried a quick Google search for "home gnat removal"; a plethora of things popped up for easy ways to safely and economically rid your house of gnats using things you already have. I clicked on a couple of links that all basically called for the same 'ingredients': My kitchen, though it smelled a little odd, was almost completely free of the "gnastsy" gnats, all but for a few rebels fighting the urge to jump into the cone of shame . I replace the vinegar and soap every 3-5 days, and thus far it's been a wonder. It cost me absolutely nothing and took all of 5min to make. Even better? It's totally safe ( for everyone but the gnats, that is ), no chemicals, and dang cheap -- soap and cider vinegar cost about $3 at the grocery store and I used an old salsa jar. It inspired me to look up other easy eco- and economically friendly ideas for household needs; I'll be sure to let you know how they turn out.

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