Gnats, gnats, gnats! They’re everywhere, and even more could be on the way
DOTHAN, Ala. (WDHN) — It is officially summertime in The Wiregrass. That means plenty of sun, plenty of heat, and more than enough of those little black bugs we call gnats that annoy us every time we walk out the door.
The hot, humid days of summer are here, and so are the gnats.
Where there’s one of these small, black insects, there are usually thousands, waiting to swarm us.
‘They really don’t bite, they don’t sting, they don’t cause damage to vehicles, they’re really just an annoyance,” says Doug Mayo, Jackson County UF/IFAS Extension director.
While they are common near bodies of water and standing water, mayo says they prefer to be out in the early morning and evening hours, when most people spend time and exercise outside.
And when we sweat in those early-evening runs, you can guarantee will always keep up.
The warmer temperatures and wetter conditions we had across the wiregrass this year, Mayo says, is enough to bring the gnats out in full force.
“It’s a more conducive environment for high populations. I mean, it’s a summertime nuisance.,” he says
While gnats are seemingly on the rise, more could be coming in the future. Human activities leading to climate change could be to blame, creating the warmer, more humid environments they need to thrive. This could, then, lead to longer times that gnats are prevalent.
Insect and gnat repellents and certain plants might help, including marigold, basil, lemongrass, rosemary and mint. Certain essential oils also help deter them.
But, Mayo says there is no perfect solution to getting rid of them, since doing so would involve large-scale methods.
He says, “They’re too widespread, there’s no way you could treat the soil.”
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