Can you help me beat the biggest challenge I face as an apartment tenant?
By Amber
@AmbiePam (85604)
United States
June 19, 2007 7:35pm CST
It has been four months since I moved in and summer is in full swing. I don't just live on the bottom level, but farther on down. I'm kind of sub level. Living below the main ground, I have just one neighbor. He smokes and leaves his cigarettes at the base of the stairs and sometimes on my door step rug. I've seen him throw the cigarettes down.
Also, beside my apartment is a grassy knoll that leads down to a fence. When it rains little holes get filled with water. I don't have much trouble with mosquitos however. Taking into consideration the dank smell of cigarette smoke, standing water, and muggy heat, I bring to use my challenge: GNATS.
My mom gave me a spray for flying insects and I sprayed it all along my apartment and the stairs. I can't spray it inside because of the dogs. But it hasn't helped that much. And they fly in the house and I see them in the kitchen and then on my arm when I try to sleep. I keep a clean house, so there is no real reason for them to be in here. But the outside attracts them and it is no wonder they get in. Is there some kind of home remedy I can put outside that draws them in and then kills them?
I live in a nice apartment, but my neighbor and the gnats make me feel as if I'm living the low class life (there other reasons but I won't get into them). Does anyone have any ideas?
11 people like this
11 responses
@rebelann (111223)
• El Paso, Texas
20 Apr 20
Also peppermint will repel them and leave a nice scent.
@MJLami (1173)
• United States
20 Jun 07
If you can, get some insecticide that's safe for pets - your local home improvement outlet (Lowe's/Home Depot) should have it. You can safely spray it with dogs inside and outside along the walls. It works great and is safe for everyone.
@whyaskq (7523)
• Singapore
20 Jun 07
I would think your immediate problem is to rid your home of gnats. Perhaps you can try using vinegar. I read that gnats are attracted to vinegar. Fill several jars with vinegar, poke several small holes in the lid and then place it around the house. These little pests will come to the jar, wiggle down the hole and will not be able to climb out. If it is too much to remove, perhaps a pest fogger might help.
1 person likes this
@AmbiePam (85604)
• United States
20 Jun 07
Gnats are my main complaint. I can deal with almost anything when I don't have little pests flying all over. I'd have to find a place where my dogs couldn't tip it over. One of them can jump onto really high places and if he can't, he just tries to shake whatever offends him. : ) Believe it or not, I don't have vinegar, but you can bet my next trip to the grocery store (or my mom's) will have me bringing home some vinegar. Someone earlier suggested cider vinegar.
1 person likes this
@CoffeeAnyone (3210)
• Canada
11 Jul 07
I had flying insects in my apartment a few years back. I had to hire professionals as the flying insects were in the walls. Actually I didn't get the professionals I called the landlord and he came over to see what was going on and he called the professionals to come get rid of them. It can be expensive so I hope your land lord will cover any costs you endure for trying to get rid of them!
PS. I just kept my myLotter's date with you! It was nice reading your disscussions.
1 person likes this
@4cuteboys (4099)
• United States
24 Jun 07
I wish I knew about the GNATS. I have a fruit fly problem, or maybe they are gnats? Not sure I know the difference. And my entire home is clean, I just cant get rid of them. I cant use the spray all over inside either because of the kids, but I did spray it down the sink and wiped some on the trash can to no avail. I heard that you can make a homeade trap with vinegar and they will die, but that doesnt really solve my problem-i need to know how they are getting in. I would say try vinegar in a bowl, and see what happens and how many you get. I am going to try this when I get home. I killed all the ones I could find, and still I have more and more. I dont live sub level either, so I'm not sure if that's a factor in your problem. I hope we can both get rid of these pests soon!
1 person likes this
@maribea (2366)
• Italy
20 Jun 07
oh I am sorry about this..the fact is that living under the ground level causes these problems..and the water filling holes attracts gnats and mosquitos. i think the best thing of all is using..mosquito nets..you can buy them in supermarkets and local shops..there are some nets you can place by yourself using ...a sort of adhesive labels or of course you can have them made by a carpenter (more expensive, but of course better results!!!). As far as the smoke is concerned, have you tried talking with your neighbour and explaining the problem to him?? sometimes it may be a solution!!! but it depends on the kind of person he or she is!!!
@AmbiePam (85604)
• United States
20 Jun 07
Unfortunately, he is on the psycho side. I have lovely people living all around me, but not beside me. The holes are usually caused by the children who live in the apartment complex with their parents. I noticed management has sent flyers to every apartment warning parents about this, but unfortuantely, the children are not usually monitored by an adult.
@Yestheypayme2dothis (7874)
• United States
20 Jun 07
I have no idea how to deal with the gnats. However, one thing that concerns me is the inconsiderate neighbor you have. The man actually throws cig butts on your door step rug? If he does not tramp on them hard enough or he misses it, he can cause a fire. Of course, depending on the kind of guy he is, if you complain about him, he could get worse. I would want to move out.
1 person likes this
@KarenO52 (2950)
• United States
20 Jun 07
I've heard of placing a small glass half full of cider vineger with a couple drops of dish detergent to attract and kill gnats. Windex will work too, if you can see them swarming in an area, just spray them with windex or even alchohol in a spray bottle, and that should do the trick.
@sweetmimzim3 (261)
• United States
20 Jun 07
As for your smoking neighbor...silently put our an empty coffee container clearly labels ash can and see if that helps. As for the gnats if you have house plants they will live and breed in them. You can take a spray bottle with water and add dish soap and spray your house plants...it will not harm your plans but it will kill the gnats...it will not eliminate them right away but it will help in the long run...another suggestion is fly paper...you know the kind that comes in a tube...you tack it to the ceiling and pull out the sticky paper...it will look terrible but the little buggers should be attracted to it and walla!!
1 person likes this
