war with bounce

My next move against the annoying swarms of fungus gnats is bounce dryer sheets.

I picked up this tip from a gardening forum. I don't usually even buy dryer sheets because I don't like perfumes (in anything). Turns out the bugs don't like them either, and this has been proven. So I spent a good hour the other morning cutting dryer sheets into strips and taping them around the edges of various plant containers.

Not only the ones that are infested, but others too, in case the bugs try to move house.

Already I see their numbers dropping. And more are drowning in the cider vinegar, searching for moisture away from the soil. So I'm hopeful for this method.

But there's a downside. It turns out I also find the scent of bounce dryer sheets repellent. Ever since I put the strips around my plants, I've had a faint headache and feeling of nausea. It dissipates when I leave my home. But I think I can stand it for the week it will take to work through the bugs' short lifespan and break their cycle of egg-laying...