# What do gnats eat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 23, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912 "2001-06-23T21:41:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Swirdle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Swirdle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swirdle)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/1 "2001-06-23T21:41:41Z")
Yes, I know “gnat” is an imprecise term and includes many different types of small (usually fruit) flies of a genus whose name escapes me…but those tiny annoying flies which hang out wasting time under overhanging branches, what DO thet eat? Especially when they make an impromptu appearance on mild days in winter. Do English ones eat different things to Scottish ones, or American ones? ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/2 "2001-06-23T21:48:38Z")
According the the [_Britannica_](http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?eu=37851&tocid=0) many of the little bastards are bloodsuckers, although the term “gnat” is imprecise enough that some non-bloodsucking insects get lumped in as well. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/3 "2001-06-23T22:53:47Z")
Some gnats gnaw on gnus. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/4 "2001-06-23T23:06:56Z")
**Colibri** : I just spent several precious seconds of my life trying to figure out how to work “gnostic” into that sentence so it made sense. Thanks a lot 😛 . - Tamerlane p.s. - As I’m sure **Colibri** will attest, some of the critters lumped into the category of “gnat” feed on gn…I mean **n** ectar 😉 . ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/5 "2001-06-23T23:11:23Z")
Gnats may also gnash at gnarled gnostic gnomes. ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/6 "2001-06-23T23:12:17Z")
All right now–gnock it off! ---
**Author:** ![black\_rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f19dbf/32.png) [@black\_rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/black_rabbit)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/7 "2001-06-23T23:14:36Z")
gnerds. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/8 "2001-06-23T23:16:41Z")
Curse you 😃 . - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![MEBuckner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mebuckner/32/2896_2.png) [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2001, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/9 "2001-06-23T23:26:24Z")
> [@](#): > > Curse you In the Gname of God we abjure thee, to be cast out into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/10 "2001-06-24T11:49:10Z")
Some Gnats are members of a sinister, Ultra-Right Wing political conspiracy. They are… ``` **Gnatzis**. :wally ``` ---
**Author:** ![Spider\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/11 "2001-06-24T12:09:41Z")
… here is some [gnews](http://altavista.com/sites/search/web?q=gnats&pg=q&kl=XXgnews) about gnats. Q. What eats gnats? A. Spiders. —:p/ —///\\ ---
**Author:** ![Swirdle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Swirdle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swirdle)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/12 "2001-06-24T13:06:15Z")
Good giggles, guys…but I really really DO want to know what GNAT’S EAT. Surely its midges & mozzies that do the blood thing. Up in the wilds of Scotland, or on a mld January day in my garden, there’s not too much blood around. (I’ve only got a palm-top computer, a small 2 inc X 5 inch black & white screen so real research surfin is a drag, so instead of the Britannica, I was searching for just this type of site… Loads of folk with enquiring minds and a sense of humour) …Please don’t say you don’t know… ---
**Author:** ![Spider\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/13 "2001-06-24T13:14:07Z")
Sorry about that previous link, **Cid**. I was actually trying to give you some information. Try [this one](http://altavista.com/sites/search/web?q=gnats&kl=XX&search=Search). It is from the AltaVista search engine, and at the bottom of that page are many more pages of gnat links. ---
**Author:** ![Spider\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/14 "2001-06-24T13:25:27Z")
[Here](http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/blackfl.html) is something a little more specific from an entymology site. I hope your little computer will be able to access it. ---
**Author:** ![Spider\_Woman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cdc98d/32.png) [@Spider\_Woman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spider_Woman)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/15 "2001-06-24T13:28:41Z")
That should be entomolgy, not entymology, sorry. [Here](http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1996/6-14-1996/bugzapper.html) is a link about bug zappers from that same site. According to this link, bug zappers kill far more beneficial insects than harmful ones (including gnats, apparently). ---
**Author:** ![Swirdle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Swirdle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swirdle)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/16 "2001-06-24T13:32:29Z")
Good giggles, guys…but I REALLYREALLYDO want to know what gnats eat. Surely midges & mozzies do the blood thing, and I know for sure there’s not alot of that about in my garden on a mild February day, or in the wilds of Scotland at any time of the year. (I only have a small 2"x5" black & white screen on my slow hand held computer, so serious research surfin tends to be tricky. So instead of Britannica and the like which I have already tried, I’ve been looking for a site like this, full of folk with enquiring minds and a good sense of humour) …Please don’t tell me that you don’t know… ---
**Author:** ![Swirdle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Swirdle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swirdle)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/17 "2001-06-24T13:46:52Z")
Thanx for the helpful links, just had a look thru’ them. I’m still looking for the answer. Perhaps UK Gnats do things very differently from those in the US (Iowa in particular). Look in on you again later. ---
**Author:** ![vivalostwages](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d07c76/32.png) [@vivalostwages](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vivalostwages)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2001, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/18 "2001-06-24T22:15:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MEBuckner \* > \*\*All right now–gnock it off! \*\* Gno way. ---
**Author:** ![Swirdle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4bbf92/32.png) [@Swirdle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swirdle)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/19 "2001-06-26T18:51:30Z")
It looks like it’s thend for this one unless anyone gnows someone who may gnow. So, so long and thanx for all the fiche. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2001, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912/20 "2001-06-26T22:21:09Z")
**Cid** , the reason no one can actually answer your question is that we don’t know exactly what kind of gnat you are talking about. As the other sources indicated, while many insects called gnats suck blood, others feed on fruit, fungus, and lots of other things. I’m afraid that “those tiny annoying flies which hang out wasting time under overhanging branches” isn’t much help when trying to look it them in an entomology textbook. Even with one of the little bastards in hand, keying out micro-Diptera is not a task for the faint of heart. We will have to know things like the fine details of wing venation, the number of hairs on the butt, and any distiguishing tattoos before we’ll be able to get anywhere with this. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-gnats-eat/69912.md?page=2)