Hi Meredith! I read your blog everyday but have never commented. One remedy I have heard of is to put a bowl full of vinegar and a little dishsoap in the room. Hope that helps! :)

Hi Meredith, I am curious about the new pest control system I saw advertised on TV where you plug something into an outlet and it goes through the wiring of the house. Could be a good alternative to pesticides but I want to know what on earth it is emitting throughout your house?!
If we find out maybe we could give that a try!

Maybe you could contact the bug guy you had on today and have him come out for a snack!

Same thing happened to me. It's called "overwatering!" I put the plant outside to dry out, and the gnats disappeared!

I have the same problem. Gnats. I just read last week that indoor house plants are the reason (if you don't have rotten veggies or fruit) that you get gnats in your house. They are attracted to the moisture in the soil, making this the perfect place to lay their eggs. The article said that having over watered plants usually start the problem, which is quite odd to me since I hardly ever remember to water my plants. Some people suggested a bowl of water with dishwashing detergent to attract them and kill them, some said bleach and others talked about an organic powder to sprinkle on the soil to kill the larvae. I'm glad I'm not the only one with a gnat problem. Let me know if you find any solutions!

Heather Kerr
Wake Forest, NC

I've had the same problem before; the cause was, as others have already stated, overwatering of plants. I took the plant out of the room, let it dry and the problem went away. I've never tried the vinegar/dishwashing soap solution, but it couldn't hurt to try!

I have the same problem in my bedroom every spring... I've never found a solution. If you do, you'll have to blog about it so we can all get rid of the pests.

Hi Meredith!

We had the same problem in our office. What we did was put sand on the dirt around the plant and that seems to suffocate the little buggers! Hope this helps!

We always leave a glass of wine out (or any sweet liquid) and it draws them in. And of course whenever you decide to partake of the remaining wine is up to you. :)

Meredith, I love watching you on the show. You seem like a very open hearted person. I watched you show this morning, and enjoyed it alot. I agree that if you dry out your plant it should get rid of the bugs. Also the vinegar & water in a bowl thing works, they dont like the smell. Thanks alot for all of your reporting you do.

Meredith,
I think you mentioned wearing false eyelashes. I'm currently losing my eyelashes and eyebrows because of chemotherapy. Will you please tell me what type of false eyelashes to get and how to apply them? Can they be worn daily? Do they damage natural lashes (when mine are growing back in)? I have an upcoming family graduation and wedding.
Thank you and God bless.
Susan

Maybe some Deodorant... sorry Mer I couldn't resist :)

Now what's bugging me and about your interview with
Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler on Insertable Contact Lenses.

Your question to the Doc concerning a prescription changing
over time was not only valid but deserved a proper answer.

His obtuse reply about the lenses being inert so the prescription
of the "Lens" never changes over time seemed strange.

And the look on your face was priceless. He might as well said,
"I like turtles". Must be the newshound in you, newshound?

So what is the "Real Answer" to your question?

Thanks,
Dominic
Friendly Campbell, California

Hi Meredith. I don't watch the Today show and I had no idea that you have a blog, but I try to catch Millionaire whenever possible. I noticed that you were missing for the past couple of days and googled you to see if everything was okay. I hope all is well with you and your family. I did notice the sad news about your father-in-law, and can only offer my condolences and best thoughts for you and yours.

I saw the article that mentions that you have situational depression and a thin skin so you can't read your fan mail in case there are any 'bad' ones. May I suggest that you have someone screen them for you and give you only the positive ones? I suffer from clinical depression and understand what you mean when you say you can't stop dwelling on the bad ones, but the good ones can sure lift your day, I'm sure. Having said that, I hope you have a good day, and that you will be back to Millionaire soon. It's not the same without you.

Your relaxing time at home did not sound boring at all. It's wonderful to be able to just be yourself with the one that you love. Now, I would love to have a piece of Portuguese sweet bread, however, with that cup of coffee.

I am Portuguese... my grandparents were born in St. Michael and I now live in sunny FLorida... miss the food:)

Hi Meredith,
I hope it isn't true that you don't read your mail, do you read all of the comments that people post on your blog? I know it would bother me too if someone made a rude comment about me but you have to know that 98% of us do love you. The people who do make rude comments are jealous and that's a fact.
Love ya Meredith
Joan K.
Wisconsin

Meredith,
I think in general gnats are attracted to things that are decaying. It could be that your plant needs to be repotted. There could be mold growth in the soil, or root rot. You could try using a vinegar/water mix to spritz the plant, but I would say your best bet is repotting.
Micaela

Hi Meredith:
We just had the same problem--no plants (real ones) in the
house right now. I was told to do the vinegar thing.
That seems to work even though your whole house wreaks of
vinegar! Good luck.

If they're fruit flies, make sure there's no food out in your dressing room, even fresh fruit. With nothing to eat, fruit flies die off pretty quick. Sometimes the red wine works (but I think you know that, because I think I picked that trick up from you when you talked about it on the View a few years ago). If you think it's related to the plant, just spray it with a mixture of water with a few drops of dish soap. It's one of the most effective non-toxic ways to get bugs off of house plants (and it doesn't bother the plants). Good luck!

I know this sounds crazy but it works.

Hairspray.

I've used it on flies, bees, and am sure it would work for gnats. I read it in an magazine article that the hairspray prevents them from flying anymore.

Meredith, I do i become a participant in your great millionaire show?

Honest to god the vinegar & dishsoap really does work - it will take probably a week & as it dries up - change it with a new batch. They will finally go away. It is great!

white vinegar in a small glass worked for me...amazing