9 Natural Ways to Get rid of Midges [Homemade Midge Repellent & Sticky Trap]

Midges are of two main types: biting midges and non-biting midges. Biting midges can carry dangerous disease-causing germs that can easily spread to humans. Biting midges can also cause red itchy bumps if they bite. 

Non-biting midges do not possess that risk, but they are still a nuisance to have around your house.

In general, it’s always a good idea to get rid of midges if you see them. And here in this article, we will talk about several natural methods that you can use to get rid of midges. 

9 Effective Ways & Homemade Remedies to Get Rid of Midges Naturally

1. Homemade Midge Trap

One of the most common DIY techniques used to catch Midges is very easy to make yet quite effective. It involves a few readily available ingredients, and it’s completely safe for humans and pets. 

Required Material: 

• Apple Cider Vinegar
• Dish soap 
• Bowl or dish

Step by Step Process: 

• Place a few bowls around your house, in the areas where you have seen midges flying around. 
• Pour apple cider vinegar in all of the bowls, there is no need to fill them up, just enough to attract them. 
• Add a few drops of dish soap in each of the bowls and stir well. 
• The sweet smell of the Apple cider will attract the bugs towards the bowl, but as they land, they will be trapped by the soapy water. 
• Clean out the bowls every few days, or once it has filled up with midges, and re-do the process again if required. 

Precautions: 

If the solution isn’t soapy enough, it may not trap the midges well. Add a few more drops of water if that is the case. 

2. Homemade Midge Repellent

While you can easily buy midge repellent sprays, it’s always better to make your own at home. It’s quite easy to make your own spray using a few simple ingredients. And this spray is quite effective at not only driving away midges but also at keeping them out. 

Required Material: 

• Citronella essential oil 
• Witch hazel 
• Spray bottle

Step by Step Process: 

• Mix ½ cup of witch hazel with ½ cup of water. 
• Add 30-50 drops of citronella essential oil into it, depending upon your preference. 
• Transfer this mixture into a spray bottle and shake it well before spraying around your garden and house. 
• If you see a number of midges swarming around your house, you can spray on them directly to deter them as well. 

Precautions: 

Citronella essential oil can burn your skin if applied directly, so use pure essential oil with caution. 

3. Midge Repellent lotion

There are many insect repellent lotions available in the market that make it easy and convenient to keep bugs away from you.

Especially if you are outdoors, where bugs can come from anywhere. These lotions have a strong smell that drives away the midges by distracting them from the smell of your skin. 

Required Material: 

• Insect repellent lotion

Step by Step Process: 

• Apply the insect repellent lotion on any part of your body that is exposed. This can include your hands, legs, back etc. 
• You may apply the lotion on your face as well, if the bottle specifies that it is safe to be used on the face. 
• Midges will be repelled by the smell and they will not bite you or come near you. 
• Reapply after a few hours if you see that the smell has become weak, or if the midges start biting you. 

Precautions: 

Make sure not to put this lotion on any sensitive parts of the body including your eyes and nose as it may burn those areas. 

4. Midge Repellent Oil

Several essential oils have been found to be highly effective at repelling and keeping away midges. Some of these oils are eucalyptus, citronella and lemongrass.

All of these oils have a very strong smell that distracts these insects from the smell of your skin, thus keeping them away. 

Required Material: 

• Mineral Oil or Coconut Oil
• Eucalyptus essential oil 
• Citronella essential oil 
• Lemongrass essential oil

Step by Step Process: 

• Take 200 ml of mineral oil or coconut oil and mix into it 10 drops each of eucalyptus, citronella and lemongrass essential oils. 
• Mix them together thoroughly, and store in a bottle. 
• Apply this oil on any part of your skin that is exposed to repel midges away from you. It’s very effective for outside activities. 
• Re-apply if the smell starts to fade away. 

Precautions: 

Do a patch test to determine if you are allergic to any of the oils before using it. If you are allergic then discontinue usage as soon as possible. 

5. CO2 Traps

CO2 traps are usually used for mosquitoes, however, they work equally well for biting midges. These traps work by releasing CO2 gas into the air, which mimics the scent of a human. As they approach the trap, they get stuck on sticky paper or get sucked in by vacuum. 

Required Material: 

• CO2 traps

Step by Step Process: 

• Simply plug in your CO2 trap into a socket. It usually works best inside the house. 
• It should start working immediately, and after a few hours it should be able to catch any midges that you may have inside your house. 
• You can then dispose of the dead midges from the trap after you turn it off. 

Precautions: 

These devices work best for biting midges. They are also only effective inside the house. So, you may need additional help for any non-biting midges. 

6. Sticky Traps

Sticky traps are essentially a really clever way to catch any type of insect, particularly small ones like midges. These yellow sticky papers attract tiny insects towards it because of their attractive yellow color. Then the insects stick onto it, where they eventually die. 

Required Material: 

• Yellow Sticky Traps 

Step by Step Process: 

• Yellow sticky traps are best used outside during the day. So place a few of these sticky papers around your garden, especially in the areas with the most midges. 
• You can also put some sticky traps around any light sources inside your house, since midges are often attracted to lights. 
• When a lot of midges have collected on the traps, dispose of them and apply new ones. 

Precautions: 

Sticky traps can also be detrimental to beneficial insects such as bees, so make sure to use them only in areas that don’t affect such insects. 

7. UV light Traps

UV light traps are great for many types of insects including midges. These tiny insects are attracted to the bright UV light, and as they approach the trap, they get stuck inside or get zapped with electricity. In general, the UV light also keeps them distracted, so they will not come towards you. 

Required Material: 

• UV light Traps 

Step by Step Process:

• UV light traps are usually best used during night time when the sun has gone down. 
• Set up your UV trap inside your house, where you usually find the most midges. You can also take the trap outside to catch them. 
• Once it has trapped enough midges, you can clean out the tray where the dead midges are collected, and use it again. 

Precautions: 

These types of traps work best within the house, especially in a dark or dimly lit room. It may not be as effective outside. 

8. Catnip Spray

Catnip Spray has been found to be excellent at driving away midges and several other types of flies. Catnip oil is equally effective as poisonous insecticides, without the side effects. 

Required Material: 

• Catnip Oil
• Witch Hazel 
• Water 
• Spray bottle

Step by Step Process: 

• Mix ½ cup of water with ½ cup of witch hazel into the spray bottle. 
• Add 50 drops of pure catnip oil into it. 
• Close the bottle and shake it well before spraying it around the house. 
• You can also spray it on your windows and doors to repel midges from entering the house. 
• Spray regularly or as needed. 

Precautions: 

Homemade catnip spray should be kept away from cats, as it is not a suitable mixture for cats and can cause harm to them if ingested. 

9. Electric Fly Swatter

This is a simple manual method of getting rid of all types of flies and midges. Electric fly swatters can be used to instantly zap off any midges around you to give you peace of mind.

With regular usage, you may also be able to get rid of most midges from your property if other preventative methods are used along with it. 

Required Material: 

• Electric Fly Swatter 
• Plastic brush (optional) 

Step by Step Process: 

• Once you turn on your electric fly swatter, target any swarms of midges that you may see and manually hit them with your swatter. Since it’s electric, it will kill the midges as soon as they touch the swatter. 
• Once you have killed a number of midges, you can carefully use a plastic brush to clean off the electric net on the swatter. Make sure to turn it off before doing so. 

Precautions: 

Electric fly swatters can shock you or even burn you if you touch it directly, so always use it with caution. Also, keep it away from children and pets to avoid accidents. 

5 Natural Ways to Prevent Midges

1. Install fine mesh on doors and windows

Midges are fairly small insects, so to stop them from entering your house, you need a fine mesh with holes that are 1mm or less in size. Install these mesh barriers on all your windows and doors.

There are special barriers made especially for doors so that they are easy to open and close. These meshes will help keep out midges from your home. 

2. Clear out any ditches or puddles

Puddles and ditches are the main breeding grounds for midges. In fact, many different types of harmful insects are born in ditches.

Clean out any large puddle or ditch, and then fill up the holes to make sure that another puddle does not form.

This will make sure that there is no potential breeding ground for midges, which in turn, will help keep them away. 

3. Clean your pool or pond

Non-biting midges are usually born in moist areas and in water bodies. If you have not cleaned out your pool or pond in a long time, it could easily become a major breeding ground for midges.

It is important not only to keep the water clean but also to cover up your pond or pool if it’s not in use. This will prevent the females from laying eggs on the water surface, where they are born. 

4. Plant lots of citronella or catmint plants

Catmint or Catnip oil has been found to be highly effective in repelling midges and several other insects.

Using a catnip spray is obviously a great idea, but for a long-term solution, you can also plant some of them around your house.

Citronella is also found to be effective at driving away midges, so it’s also a great plant to have around your house if you want to repel midges away. 

5. Keep your lights off if it’s not needed

Midges are easily attracted to bright lights, which is why they usually try to enter your house after dusk. To avoid attracting midges to your house, keep off any lights that are not needed.

Additionally, you can also install a dim light outside of your house to attract these insects away from your actual house. 

Top 5 Natural Repellents for Midges Available Online

If you are looking for readily available natural repellents to get rid of midges, check below listed 5 best Natural/Organic Repellents.

Final Words:

Midges can be dangerous or simply annoying, but there is no denying that no one wants them around their house. This is why it’s important to get rid of midges if you see them.

The best method to get rid of insects like these is to use natural methods that are not harmful to humans or animals. We hope that you found some ideas from this article that will help you get rid of these pesky insects from your house.