Gnats?

[sddanc]

I am starting to see a lot of gnats around my fermentation. There are a bunch in my blow-off bucket, but none getting in the beer. What are some tricks to help deaden the population?

 

[theredben]

Getting rid of any sugar sources. Empty the blow-off bucket, and make sure the containers are rinsed with no sticky residue remaining.

When dealing with insect pests, the easiest thing to do is remove the food source. Actually killing the buggers is pretty time-consuming.

 

[Bithead]

Also, if you Google "gnat trap" you'll find easy to make and very inexpensive traps to get rid of those you have.

 

[sddanc]

Cool thanks all

 

[NoRoom4Error]

Pest control services... seriously though. Not an issue here.

 

[Nugent]

If they're like fruit flies, they are attracted to the fermentation. Like buying a scratching post for cats to get them to stop scratching the furniture, you have to give the bugs something more attractive.

I use red wine vinegar with a few drops of dish soap. Give it a mix and leave it near your fermentor. It's much funkier than the fermenting beer and they'll be attracted to that. The soap breaks the surface tension on the vinegar and the little bastards drown.

Cheers.

 

[sddanc]

^that sounds awesome I will give it a try!

 

[C-Rider]

I have a chest freezer/fermenter and some kind of little bugs get into it where the wire from the temp controller is going under the seal. Tried cutting a channel w/a knife but it makes no diff. So as long as they don't get in the beer, what the heck!

 

[Grantman1]

If they're like fruit flies, they are attracted to the fermentation. Like buying a scratching post for cats to get them to stop scratching the furniture, you have to give the bugs something more attractive.

I use red wine vinegar with a few drops of dish soap. Give it a mix and leave it near your fermentor. It's much funkier than the fermenting beer and they'll be attracted to that. The soap breaks the surface tension on the vinegar and the little bastards drown.

Cheers.

I'm with you on this. Occasionally I have fruit flies buzzing around my fermentation closet, so I leave out a bowl of apple cider vinegar and they eventually drown in it. I've seen organic farmers use similar techniques to reduce damage to apple trees.

 

[Kayeness]

No need to ask question: found my answer.