Category Archives for Gnats

Gnats – Pest Profile

Scientific Name: Many species in the suborder Nematocera

Common Name: Gnat, fungus gnat, common gnat

Appearance: “Gnat” is actually a general term for a large group of insects, rather than a specific species. All are small (around 2-5mm in length), winged insects with most being black in color.

Region & Habitat: Gnats exist where there they can find food. For most gnats, this means some type of fungus, such as rotting food. Gnats are found everywhere on earth with the exception of extreme polar regions.

Behavior: Gnats only live for approximately 7-10 days, and spend most of that short life searching for food and eating. In that time, females can lay as many as 200 eggs, which will become adults in approximately 3-4 weeks.

Why They Are Pests: For the most part, gnats are nothing more than a nuisance. Some species are capable of biting humans, but this is uncommon. Gnats are not capable of spreading diseases, as they do not feed on blood like mosquitoes do.