Eye Gnats

San Diego County Eye Gnat Research & 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 Gnats-Pest Note - published by San Diego County Ag Weights and Measures

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
• 2012-13 County Eye Gnat Report Research Report 2012-13
• 2018 County Eye Gnat Report Research Report 2018
• 2008-2020 Eye Gnat Project Power Point Presentation

Click here to view the Presentations from the 2012 Eye Gnat Symposium