The topic of gnats control in the country has always been popular. But is it possible to not only protect yourself from gnats, but to get rid of them? After all, this is not about a closed room, but about an open vegetable garden.
Repellents
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Repellents are natural or chemical substances that repel insects and kill gnats. Here are familiar to all creams, aerosols, gels and sprays, presented in abundance on store shelves. Initially, it was believed that the substance discourages the sense of smell of gnats, thereby depriving them of the opportunity to find a victim. But later, scientists at the University of California at Davis proved that gnats smell diethyltoluamide and try to avoid it (this applies to both males and females).
Repellers
These are fumigators. This method of fighting gnats has shown high efficiency indoors, but devices for open spaces are also on sale in the UK.
How they work
Image by Saydung89 from Pixabay
The principle of action is similar to repellents, but repellers use other active substances – insecticides. Most often it is allethrin: in the format of a bottle with liquid, or plates impregnated with it. Fumigators are equipped with a heating element powered by a mains, accumulator, batteries or portable gas cartridge.
The surface interacting with the insecticide heats up, the poison evaporates. The vapor concentration is harmless to humans and animals, but not to insects. Allethrin disrupts the functioning of the nervous system, causing spatial disorientation, hyperactivity, prostration, and paralysis. Indoors, this ends with the death of gnats; outdoors, they try to get away.