Guinea Pig Bedding Gnats: Cause, How To Deal and Prevent
Guinea pig bedding gnats are small flies that come in swarms. They are annoying and disgusting to pet owners as they do to the guinea pigs. They will cause distress and put your pet in an uncomfortable state.
Gnats should be dealt with as soon as they appear. Alternatively, you can prevent their entry or infestation if you can. Don’t wait until they get into the guinea pig cage. But how do you do it?
Know what attracted guinea pig bedding gnats to the cage, how to eradicate them, and preventive actions to avoid the entire situation in this article.
3 Cause Guinea Pig Bedding Gnats
Gnats can invade and accumulate in your guinea pig cage. They are attracted by food leftovers, veggies, and fruits.
Guinea pig’s cage is not clean with fruits and veggies hidden under the bedding is also a cause of attracting gnats. As these food particles decompose, they let off the gnat’s favorite smell.
Decaying vegetables causes discomfort to guinea pigs and is even disgusting to human beings. However, gnats like them more than anything else.
Gnats in your guinea pig cage are frustrating to the pig and you as the owner. This is even more terrible if they invade an indoor guinea pig cage.
What Exactly Is Gnats?
Gnats are two-winged flies that look like mosquitoes. There are different types of gnats. Some of them can bite guinea pigs, while others are non-biting. Gnats always occur in large swarms, meaning they will always bother your pet if they reside in its cage.
Even if they don’t bite your guinea pig, the condition created by their presence is too much punishment for the pet to bear.
Will Gnats Hurt Your Guinea Pig?
This is a common question that different pet owners ask when they see the swarms of gnats around the cages. In many cases, gnats will not cause any physical harm to the guinea pigs. Most species are non-biting. They are only interested in the fruit, vegetables, and fruit leftovers.
Though non-biting, gnats still cause discomfort and irritation to guinea pigs. Given the susceptibility of guinea pigs, they can be adversely affected by the gnats in their cages. So, try to eradicate them as soon as possible for the well-being of your pet.
How To Get Rid Of Gnats Without Harming Your Piggies?
This is now the big question. It can be unavoidable to prevent gnats from getting into the cage of your guinea pig. But what can you do if they actually show up?
Rightly so, you will not leave them to disappear on their own. As a responsible pet owner, you should strive to give your guinea pigs the living conditions.
Use the following tricks to eradicate gnats from your guinea pigs cages:
Deep Clean Cages And Remove Existing Bedding
Gnats are in your guinea pig’s cages because they have something to eat. Removing their only food will drive them away, which is the most recommended approach.
Guinea pigs are picky eaters. When they take on fruits and veggies, spills are almost unavoidable. If these wastes are left in the cage, gnats will see the opportunity to come and stay there.
Scrubbing it, removing food containers, and taking out any water bottles are the ways of removing any food residue in the cage.
Thoroughly clean the cage. Remove any fruits, veggies, and any fruit leftovers. The action will not only give your pet a clean and comfortable environment but also keep gnats and other flies out.
Use Spray For Cage After Removing Your Piggies
Spraying guinea pig’s cages is the only way of neutralizing it. After the regular cleaning, repurpose a spray bottle and use it for the purpose.
Fill it with one-part white vinegar and one-part water. The vinegar solution works great for cleaning different floors and cage walls.
Vinegar solution is preferred as the best solution for its anti-microbial, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties. It is also affordable and readily available.
The vinegar solution will never harm your guinea pig, but we recommend removing it from the cage when spraying.
Apply Mosquito and Gnat Scat Wherever Gnats Are
Mosquito and Gnat Scat is a commercial product made with active ingredients such as lemongrass, mint, and garlic oil. It is safe for use around the home to keep mosquitos, gnats, and other flies away.
You can apply it on the lawn, patio, pool area, and of course, guinea pig cages.
The product has all-natural and biodegradable granules that emit an odor, which is unpleasant to mosquitoes and gnats. By applying it, the present gnats are repelled away.
Use Sticky Fly Strips
Sticky fly strips or fly tapes can eliminate gnats or any other flies from the area around the cage. Just hang the fly tape safely near the cage, ensuring that it can never fall right in. If it does, it will distract your guinea pigs as they try to play with them.
Sticky fly strips are not effective enough to control gnats on their own. You can only use it to kill a few of them, but not the entire swarm. Consider using it with other methods to complement each other.
20PCS Sticky Fly Strips
Various Styles Of Homemade Traps
Different homemade traps exist. You can consider any approach to quickly eradicate gnats. They are cost-effective options to help you reclaim the infested cage from gnats that causes discomfort to your pet. Check out the following homemade traps:
Bowl Of Apple Cider Vinegar
Tale a bowl and add the following ingredients to it:
- One-half cup of warm water
- Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
- Four to six drops of liquid dish soap
- One tablespoon of sugar
Use a fork to stir the mixture thoroughly until all the sugar crystals dissolve and other ingredients are uniformly blended.
Put the resulting mixture in the place with gnats, but not right into the cage. Gnats will be lured in by the sugary mixture. Once they dip in the mixture for a drink, the sticky dish soap traps them.
Try The Banana Peel In The Bag Method
This method is a simple, nontoxic, inexpensive, and most humane way of trapping gnats. Place a banana peel inside a clear plastic bottle or container.
Punch a few holes (3 to 4) on the lid with a toothpick. Since gnats have an excellent sense of smell, they will be attracted to the banana peels in the bottle.
Gnats get trapped inside once they enter the bottle to feed on the banana peels.
Old Wine Bottles And Put A Small Amount Of Wine In The Empty Bottles
Wine bottles sometimes turn stale or vinegary. That is the perfect trap for gnats. Pour an old wine into a bowl and add a few drops of liquid soap to it.
Strategically place it on the infested area. You may need to set more traps for heavy infestation. Once again, Gnats will enter into the wine bottle and be trapped there.
Using The Electric Fly Swatter
Like many other insects and bugs, gnats can also be zapped with electric bug zappers. Unfrankly, electric fly swatter cannot eliminate all gnats. They can only be used to help keep the gnat’s population in control.
If you want to eradicate gnats from the cage, use electric fly swatter with other methods. Using more than one approach is the best way of eliminating guinea pig bedding gnats.
How To Prevent Gnats In Your Guinea Pig Cage
Prevention is better than cure! That phrase is also applicable in this situation. Instead of spending time and dollars trying to eradicate gnats from the cage, you can take preventive measures.
Keeping the guinea pig cage clean and free from food residues is one of the ways, but you can also consider the following:
Dispose Of Any Uneaten Fruits And Veggies After Meals
Fruits and veggies that drop to the cage floor are likely to attract gnats when they begin to rot. Removing them from the cage will help to prevent gnat’s infestation. They will not be there if they don’t have a reason to. Eliminating the cause means eliminating the risk.
Keep The Cage As Clean As Possible
Clean the cages regularly to remove dirt and any food leftovers from the guinea pig cage. After cleaning, apply guinea pig-friendly fragrant.
First, gnats will not get in if it is clean and free from rotting fruits and veggies. Secondly, fragrances repel gnats. They will try to avoid such places as much as possible.
Cleaning the cage should be a simple routine to carry out. It not only keeps away gnats but also ensures a healthy living environment.
Limiting Entry Points
Gnats are small insects that can enter your home through tiny spaces that may go unnoticed. Regardless, you should investigate their possible entry point and seal or set a trap there to keep them off.
In many cases, they will enter through the door and windows. You can prevent that by limiting the time before closing the doors and windows.
Alternatively, you may consider using screens. Consider caulked windows or installing new screens to keep gnats at bay.
Blocking the entry point cannot stop their entry but limit their numbers. It is a worthy effort in controlling their infestation.
Hanging Fly Tape Near The Guinea Pig Cage
You can use fly tape near the cage to prevent a possible invasion. Gnats will be trapped by the sticky fly tape as they try to enter.
This method is also not very reliable on its own. Some gnats can still enter the cage if they have a reason. Keeping the guinea pig cage clean and free from rotting fruits and veggies is a better choice.
Spraying With Permethrin Sfr Will Kill These Gnats Outside
Gnats are probably breeding in your garden or some bushy places outside the house. Spray any suspected area with this chemical to kill them.
Eliminating them before they find their way into the cage is a better approach. You can also destroy their breeding sites, just as you do with mosquitoes.
Garsum Fruit Fly Sticky Trap for Indoor and Outdoor, Fungus Gnat Killer
Conclusion
Gnats invade a guinea pig cage if they smell rotting fruits and veggies. These are usually spilled on the bedding or cage floor when you feed your pet.
These insects come in swarms that stress guinea pigs. Eliminate them from the cage as soon as possible and prevent their recurrence by taking preventive measures.
We appreciate the time you took at the Petsive reading this article. We hope you know what attracts guinea pig bedding gnats and how to eradicate them. Kindly share this article with fellow pet owners to keep them informed.
