I finally gave up trying to exterminate them and have my bin inside a netting bag so at least they're not flying around. Tried a dollar store window screen but the gnats were able to crawl through it. Someone here suggested using curtain sheers which work great. They are cheaper than 'no-seeum' netting and readily available.

I keep a yellow sticky trap inside the netting. It's inside an old margarine tub with holes cut in it which keeps the netting and bedding away from the trap.

Here is a link that might be useful: Gnat Netting

The sticky mouse traps on top of the bug netting the mouse ate through on the worm inn have tons of fruit flies. I tilt the traps on their side because fruit flies like to be at the top of items.

I have not had fungus gnats but I would stop feeding. Let the bin dry. Get rid of house plants. Clean out the refrigerator drain collection tray.

This post was edited by equinoxequinox on Sat, Feb 15, 14 at 22:07

To amplify on EQ2's post: vacuum out all the little bastards brazen enough to be flying around and put the bin outside in a place that the wormies won't freeze and forget about the bin till Memorial Day.

Worms'll survive.

Chuckiebtoo

Thanks so much for the help! The gnats are not in my plants so I think I'll keep them. The plants...not the gnats, please. I'm going to try the sticky trap and research Bt for treating the bin.

There is no place outside where the worms won't freeze. But I am going to try to vacuum them up. Every. Single. Day. Might put a dent in the population.

They do tend to go directly to the windows once out of the bin, mostly. My window are covered with condensation, mostly. When they get there they promptly get caught in the moisture and DIE. I like that.

Covered bowl of ice on top of bin.

I was just doing a bit of reading and some people have had luck with just covering the surface of the bin contents with newspaper. Going to try it right now because its free. Going to vacuum right now too, because my husband is still at work and I don't want him to know what I'm doing with the vacuum. Also going to look into beneficial nematodes and sudoscorpions. I would like me some sudoscorpions!!

boreal wormer, I really like that design for holding the sticky trap cards! Thanks for the idea!