San Diego County Eye Gnat Research and Education Project

Eye gnats can be found all over the country, but they have become a very serious nuisance pest in San Diego County. The communities of Jacumba and Escondido have been calling county and extension offices in search of some relief to the issue. However, it is a very difficult issue to mitigate.

There are numerous flies that are called gnats, but eye gnats are a small fly that hovers and waves back and forth across the eyes, nose, ears, mouth, etc. They need to feed on a protein source such as the mucus found around your eye. In numbers, they can be very bothersome. For more information see the links below.

Eye gnat pest note published by San Diego County Ag Weights and Measures

Pest Notes - Eye Gnats

The information in the PowerPoint presentation below is a summary of the research study conducted on the serious eye gnat infestation in the community of Jacumba in San Diego County.

Jacumba 2008-2009 Eye Gnat Research Project Power Point Presentation

2008 County Eye Gnat Report Research Report 2008

2009 County Eye Gnat Report Research Report 2009

Research Update as of June 24, 2010 Adult eye gnat numbers are coming down!

2010 County Eye Gnat Report Research Report 2010

Eye Gnat Research and Education Symposium 2012

2011 County Eye Gnat Report Research Report 2011