Maui, Oahu
get more gnats
after recent rain

The tiny pests are a nuisance,
but don't bite or spread disease

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By Diana Leone
dleone@starbulletin.com

Although dark-winged fungus gnats plague parts of the islands annually, some people calling the state Agriculture Department recently say they have never encountered the tiny creatures before.

The February or March emergence of the gnats "is an annual occurrence, nothing unusual," said Ken Teramoto, biocontrol section chief of the Plant Pest Control Branch. But in the past few dry years, the gnats have not been as prevalent, so their appearance recently in some areas of Oahu and Maui has surprised some people.

Most Oahu calls to the Agriculture Department come from areas of Aina Haina or Hawaii Kai, Teramoto said. "It seems to be from ridges with a lot of vegetation that don't get a lot of rainfall all the time."

Most calls on Maui have been along the south shore, between Lahaina and Wailea, with some calls from Makawao.

The Big Island and Kauai have not reported any influx of calls about the gnats, Teramoto said.

Heavy rains cause fungus to grow on dried-out plants in these area; the gnats feed on the fungus, he said.

The tiny flies range in size from less than one-sixteenth of an inch to one-eighth of an inch. The smaller ones can easily get through window screens, and the larger ones can make their way into a home via the cracks and crevices around windows and doors.

The gnats are not a health hazard and do not bite -- although having them fly into your mouth and nose while you're trying to read or watch TV in the evening isn't most people's idea of fun.

"These gnats have a purpose in life, just like everybody else," Teramoto said. "Theirs is to eat the decaying organic matter and hasten its process back into the soil."

One state Health Department worker said her family recently eliminated the gnats from their Foster Village home by clearing away piles of molding leaves from around the house.

One possible solution is to put a bright light near where the gnats seem to be entering the house and a pan of soapy water under the light, Teramoto said. The heat of the bulb will cause the gnats to fall into the soapy water, which will kill them. Other lights should be dimmer or turned off.

Also effective are yellow sticky fly traps, available at most garden stores, said Maui survey entomologist Mach Fukada.

Since the gnats are most active in the early evening, Fukada has an even simpler remedy: "For immediate relief, shut off all the lights and go out and enjoy Hawaii. Spend time doing something outside the house. Enjoy paradise."