With the arrival of the heat, it is also the return of midges in the kitchen and it is certainly less pleasant. They fly constantly in this room and have an unfortunate tendency to land on food. Midges can quickly become annoying, but fortunately, there are ways to get rid of them.

Midges are attracted to various elements such as heat, humidity, food, odors… This is why they enjoy cooking.

Tips to avoid the presence of midges in the kitchen

A few preventive measures can save you from having to chase away midges:

Don’t leave food lying around:

Never leave food lying around in the kitchen, especially if the containers are not hermetically sealed. When you finish preparing food, put your food in the refrigerator right away. If it is too hot, consider closing the container or covering it with plastic wrap.

Do your dishes:

If dirty dishes are left in or on the sink for several hours, gnats are bound to be attracted. You then see them flying around. This is a good reason to do your dishes regularly.

Throw away your trash regularly:

It is recommended to take out your trash very regularly. A full and smelly trash can allows midges to feed, but also to lay their eggs. A trash can must be emptied very often and closed effectively. Disinfect it regularly.

Beware of compost in the kitchen:

Some people pile up their waste in the kitchen before putting it in the compost. In this case, it is necessary to store it in a tightly closed container to avoid midges, flies and other insects.

Throw away your damaged plants:

There is no point in keeping damaged plants in the kitchen. They are a sure-fire magnet for midges. When you put herbs in this room, check regularly that they are not starting to rot. Midges love them.

Clean the pipes regularly:

Clean your pipes with vinegar or baking soda. Indeed, midges love to lay their eggs there, but if they are clean, you avoid this problem.

Throw away your faded flowers:

The best way to avoid midge infestations is to get rid of your rotting bouquets.

Ventilate your kitchen every day:

Ventilate the rooms regularly, naturally they flee outside in search of other food sources.

Don’t leave your fruit out in the open:

If you have a lot of fruit, put it in the fridge and if you can’t, put it next to garlic or cloves, two ingredients that scare them away.

Products to get rid of midges

Vinegar and dishwashing liquid:

If despite all your precautions, the midges have settled in, here is an effective trap. Put a bowl with vinegar and a few drops of dishwashing liquid. Place this bowl on your table, the smell will attract them and they will drown in the container.

Syrup and beer:

In a bottle, pour syrup, beer or possibly a few small pieces of raw meat. The midges are attracted by the smell and they get stuck in the bottle. It must be emptied every day and the bait changed.

The bowl of milk:

The  Trucs et Astuces website TrucMania  recommends heating milk in a saucepan and adding 50 grams of pepper and 100 grams of brown sugar. Once the milk is gently simmering, put this milk in a bowl or a deep plate. Midges drown in it very easily.

Cork stoppers:

Cork is a good solution, because midges hate this material. Don’t throw away your wine or champagne corks, they can be useful to you. Put them in the fruit basket, the midges will flee.

Black soap:

Black soap is a very effective solution against midges. It must be diluted in warm water and then add a spoonful of baking soda. Put this mixture in the spray bottle and spray your surfaces and plants.

The lemon

To keep gnats away, cut a lemon in half and stick each piece with cloves. The smell scares away these insects.