JACUMBA, Calif. -- Some major relief could be headed to the East County community of Jacumba, which has been tormented for the last decade by an invasion of tiny eye gnats, 10News reported.

Their breeding ground is an organic spinach farm where conventional pesticides are not used.

Jim Bethke, a University of California researcher heading a team in San Marcos, has been studying how to kill the gnats thanks to San Diego County grants. He told 10News he has found three organic pesticides that kill the gnats in laboratory settings, by killing the larva in the soil before they become adults.

"We're very excited to find something that will work; I'm optimistic. Two are plant-based pesticides, the other one is a soil-based bacteria," said Bethke.

Several measures recommended by Bethke, including a barrier and drying out crops and reducing the gnats' food source, have killed as much as 70 percent.

However, millions of gnats remain, and they go straight for Jacumba residents. Many said the gnats are hurting the quality of life and the local economy. The gnats target the mucus in a human or animal's eye, nose and ears in order to reproduce.

"We're confident with a greater effort including these pesticides, it can come down much greater than 70 percent," said Bethke.

Bethke has conducted some tests involving the pesticides, but the site tested did not have enough gnats, so the results were inconclusive. His group will begin new tests on the pesticide when bug season hits in May.

An estimated 90 million gnats are hatched during hot summer breeding months, experts said.