Gnats are tiny dark-brown or black flying insects with long, flexible bodies and short wings. They appear to be like small flies, yet they are full-grown adult gnats. There are two kinds of gnats: non-biting and biting, although the ones you find in your home and yard are usually non-biting. Fungus gnats are the most frequent form of gnat seen in people’s houses.

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Fungus gnats are not harmful to humans; they do not spread illness and attack or sting. They can harm houseplants and young seedlings by eating on their roots while they live inside. Outside, plants planted in fungus gnat-infested soil may develop root rot, become brown, and wilt. They are drawn to moist areas where fungi are likely to flourish. Because of their rapid population growth, they are the most frequent interior landscaping pest.

What Gnats Look Like

They are black, delicate-looking insects that resemble mosquitoes. Adult fungus gnats have long, segmented antennae that are longer than their bodies. Their long antennae separate them from more robust shore flies, which are also seen in greenhouses and are linked with algae and decaying organic waste but have small hairy antennae. The wings are light grey to transparent, with a Y-shaped wing vein. Although some species can grow up to 1/2 inches long, most gnat adults are between 1/6 and 1/8 inches long.

Females deposit small eggs in organic waste or potting soil that is wet. Larvae have a glossy black head and a long, yellowish-white body with no legs. Organic waste, leaf mold, grass cuttings, manure, roots, and fungus are among the foods they consume. When circumstances are particularly wet and fungus gnats are numerous, larvae can create slime trails on the media surface that resemble those of tiny snails or slugs.