Most gnats don’t bite, although they might try to reproduce using your potted plants or fruit left on the counter to ripen. They also have a tendency to land on people or swarm to reproduce, which means you might be overwhelmed by gnats when you walk into your yard.
Thankfully, scientists have developed some repellent sprays to keep them away from you and your family. Want to find the best gnat repellent? Read on…
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What To Look For In A Repellent?
Many gnat repellents are similar, but they have some major differences when it comes to ingredients, cost, and staying power.
- Watch out for folks who claim to have “natural” repellents – Several makers of “natural” insect repellents usually contain essential plant oils like cedar or citronella. They claim that their products fend off insects, but it’s only really true for products that contain oil of lemon eucalyptus.
- Don’t buy products based on chemical or concentration – Many repellents contain similar active ingredients, but not all work the same. Some inactive ingredients in repellents and the concentration of multiple ingredients in these products can create great differences in their effectiveness and possible adverse reactions to them.
- Don’t use combination sunscreen-insect repellent products – These aren’t a good choice, mainly because sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours, and bug repellents don’t need to be over applied. Over-exposure to the active ingredients in repellents can be harmful to your health.
Remember to choose an option that suits your needs and budgets, and don’t be afraid to experiment to find the right one.
What’s In A Gnat Repellent?
Most gnat repellents use permethrins. Permethrins are a pesticide made from the extracts of chrysanthemum flowers.
Permethrins target gnats and eliminate them by affecting the nervous system. Recently, more and more companies have started to produce repellents that use all-natural products.
These ingredients are safer for people, usually non-toxic, and often have a more pleasant scent.
Did You Know
Gnat repellents use the insecticide “permethrin” which attacks the nervous systems of the bugs!
However, they do tend to be more expensive. The ultimate goal is to choose a composition you are comfortable with.
Permethrins are the traditional ingredient in gnat repellents. Permethrins can be used around humans and pets, but users like yourself need to be careful.
Cats are sensitive to permethrins, and so are small dogs. If ingested, they can make humans sick or cause irritation, but they pass through the body quickly.
Despite these side effects, permethrins are one of the most studied and effective ingredients to repel gnats. These are considered the most common ingredient in a repellent, and they tend to last longer than natural ingredients.
Another common product is diethyltoluamide, which has over 60 years of research to support its ability to repel gnats and mosquitoes.
Most natural ingredients in gnat repellents are ingredients you’ve already heard of, like eucalyptus extract in the form of essential oils.
These natural ingredients tend to be made without chemicals, preservatives, and parabens. Repellents that use these ingredients are more expensive, but also smell more natural and some can even be used on pets.
But fewer studies have been conducted about these repellents, so they might not be as effective as regular pesticides.
How Long Does Gnat Repellent Last?
Not all gnat repellents are the same.
Depending on the composition, a gnat repellent could last for four hours or ten hours. These differences are usually a result of the mix and chemical composition of the ingredients used.
Those “inactive” ingredients manufacturers put into the repellent have a significant effect on the staying power.
Ingredients
If you choose a spray that uses more traditional ingredients like permethrins, then the spray tends to last longer.
Some of these sprays can also be used on equipment like backpacks and provide all-day protection if you’re the hiking type. More natural ingredients like essential oils last a shorter length of time and can also be used on equipment for gnat protection, but need to be reapplied frequently throughout the day. On the plus side, they tend to smell of ingredients like lemon or eucalyptus.
Woo hoo!
How Much Does Gnat Repellent Cost?
Traditional chemical-based gnat repellents are usually more affordable whereas natural “green” repellents tend to be more expensive. Regardless of what you pick, grabbing a couple of repellent bottles typically won’t break the bank.
Check out what we’ve found to be great options below!
5 Best Gnat Repellents
Take a look below for the top 5 in our list. In the below section we break down each of our product recommendations in a little more detail.
- Repel Sportsmen Insect Repellent Lotion (Our top pick)
- Bug Soother Insect Repellent (Great DEET-free option for families/children)
- No Natz Repellent Spray
- Repel 100 Insect Repellent
- Sawyer Products Premium Picaridin Insect Repellent
No Natz Repellent Spray
No Natz is an all-natural spray that repels several flying pests. Here are just a few examples:
- Gnats
- No-see-ums
- Mosquitoes
- Biting Flies
This hand-crafted formula keeps unwanted bugs from biting. It uses six essential oils including:
- Rosemary
- Geranium
- Lemongrass
- Citronella
- Olive
- Coconut
No Natz is safe to use for the entire family, including small children. It’s DEET-free, hypoallergenic, and contains no aerosols. So, it won’t harm people or the environment.
No Natz Repellent Spray is a quality product guaranteed to work well and smell great. That’s because it’s made in America by a veteran-owned company.
Bug Soother Insect Repellent
Now there’s a DEET-free solution to those pesky outdoor gnats. Bug Soother repels several kinds of flying bugs and insects, including:
- Gnats
- Mosquitoes
- No-see-ums
- Sand fleas
- Black flies
Bug Soother is all-natural and uses no harmful pesticides or chemicals. The ingredients in this highly effective formula include:
- 100 percent lemongrass oil
- Vanilla extract
- Castor oil
- Vitamin E
Use Bug Soother on your next outdoor adventure to quickly repel flying insects. It comes in a convenient spray bottle, so you can take it anywhere, and it’s gentle enough to use on children and pets.
Repell 100 Insect Repellent
Repel 100 Insect Repellent uses traditional pest repellents like DEET and is effective against gnats and mosquitoes.
This product is designed to be strong enough to handle the pest populations of tropical regions and the southern United States. Repel 100 possesses a strong odor and creates an effective barrier around people so that gnats don’t even come close.
Unlike some other options, this spray should not be used on pets or small children and is recommended for people who need strong protection. I personally like using this brand when I need to go hiking because bugs don’t even touch me.
I would recommend it to individuals who know they will be outside all day rather than for general use.
Sawyer Picaridin Insect Repellent
The Sawyer Products Premium Insect Repellent uses picaridin, which is a strong insect repelling spray. Picaridin is effective against gnats, ticks, chiggers, and many other common pests.
I recommend this product to families because it can be used on adults and older children safely. It’s effective against most common insects and pests, including gnats, ticks, and mosquitoes.
Unlike some other repellents, the spray leaves a very mild residue and lacks the strong chemical odor of other products. I recommend the Sawyer Products Insect Repellent to people who need to use repellents frequently or have a lot of people they need to protect from gnats.
Repel Sportsman
Repel Sportsmen targets its lotion towards people who spend a lot of time outdoors. The product lasts for up to 8 hours before needing a reapplication and uses a combination of traditional ingredients like DEET with natural additives.
The lotion is effective against mosquitoes, ticks, gnats, biting flies, chiggers and fleas, which means it can be useful for people who are worried about gnats and other pests.
Repel Sportsmen is designed for heavy duty use and has over 50 years of research to support its ingredients. One of the reasons I like the Sportsmen line is that it can be applied with sunscreen for maximum skin protection during the summer.
Think you might need professional help with your gnat problem? Use the form below to connect with local pest control pros:
