It ’s the most vexatious thing : You buy a beautiful plant , find a good spot in your household for it , and seemingly did everything correct to keep it skillful and healthy .
Then suddenly : niggling fly everywhere !
Bugs are the bane of every houseplant lover ’s existence , and fungus gnats ( also referred to as houseplant gnats ) are among the most irritating of all .
What causes fungus gnats to appear in your plants ? How can you prevent them ? And what should you do if the piffling menaces have already oversee to take over your greenery ?
I ’ve been there , and Itotallyknow how it feels ! Keep meter reading and I ’ll fill you in on everything you need to have a go at it about fungus gnats , what stimulate them , how you could prevent them ( because bar is key to barricade them in the first station ) , and finally , how to get rid of them — for good !
What are fungus gnats, anyway?
The term “ fungus gnat ” does n’t just refer to one specie . It ’s a unwashed name used for a whole bunch of petite fly species in the superfamily Sciaroidea , the larva of which feed on kingdom Fungi and organic material in the soil ( hence the name ) .
There are many fungus gnat species , all more or less standardised :
Although fungus gnats can play an important part in soil wellness and decomposition in nature — and the adults are little more than an innocent nuisance — they unluckily do n’t heed raising their larva in our houseplants ’ soil .
This is the part that have matter for your plants , as babe gnats will eat up a range of constitutional material , include plant root .
The comportment of fungus gnat larvae wo n’t cause a healthy houseplant to stagger over and die , but they can dampen it over time . Roots become susceptible to bacteria and disease as a outcome of being erode on , grant pathogens a chance to put down and wreak havoc .
What causes fungus gnats?
So how did your houseplant go from being delightfully liberal of flies to ending up entirely infest ?
Well , fungus gnat are the kinds of dirt ball that are almost always around to some level , and in my experience , they tend to show up after I ’ve repot works and preface novel potting stain ( even if it ’s a high - quality filth from a reputable source ) . But , there are certain things that can induce them to take over your plant .
When it comes to houseplants , the absolute number one cause of fungus gnat isoverwatering(or lack of drain , which is essentially the same matter ) .
As I ’ve mentioned here on the blog before , most mass lean towards overwatering their houseplant . I ’d even venture the say it ’s the number - one reason of last for our precious indoor greenery !
Fungus gnat larvae thrive in moist condition for two reason .
The first is that dampish soil is the perfect environment for the adults to repose their eggs , and for the larva to hatch and develop without dry out .
Secondly , fungus gnat larvae love wet stain becausefungido . ( It ’s in their name for a reason ! ) The whole thing is like a babe gnat buffet , with the combination of wet and plenty of decaying constitutional material allowing spore to grow explosively . That means lots of larvae make it to adulthood to lay their own eggs in the same soil , eventually leading to a population explosion if nothing is done .
If you ’re dealing with a fungus gnat infestation , do n’t panic . As far as bugs go , they ’re among the least damaging and persistent I ( it ’s mealybugs andspider mite infestationsthat really get my stemma boiling ) . There are plenty of thing you could do to help rid your plants of them forever .
Disclosure : If you snitch from my article or make a leverage through one of my links , I may receive commissions on some of the products I recommend .
How to eliminate houseplant gnats
From personal experience , you could easily get rid of houseplant gnat within a couple week , especially if you combine method that place both the adults and the larva to put a check to their reproductive cycles .
For representative : sticky yap to kill adult gnat , plus hydrogen peroxide to excrete larvae in the soil .
Before we begin , if you have n’t already done so , separate any gnat - overrun plants from your other houseplants for now to keep the infestation from spreading .
1. Adjust the amount of water you use.
earnestly , I ca n’t stress it enough : overwatering = gnats .
Take a good look at your houseplant ’ soil . Are you an overwaterer ? You ’re not alone , as most of us have a tendency to water a bittoomuch ( especially in winter , or in rooms that do n’t have a lot of unmediated sun ) .
The first few inches of soil should be permit to dry out out regularly , your planters should have a drain yap , and the soil should be well - draining .
Also , crack whether your plant are getting enough spark . If they do n’t , they ca n’t really practice the water you give them . This causes the grease to stay dampish for too long . Almost all plant life metal money ( away from a quality fewplants that stand low light ) should be straight in front of a windowpane or under a grow light .
2. Cover any bare soil.
One simple trick to help foreclose fungus gnat from laying their eggs is to stymy their memory access to the soil . you may do this by putting a shallow layer of pebbles , marbles , shells , aquarium gravel , or other decorative stones on top of the soil .
ordinarily you see this done with cactus and succulent plantation owner , but it works for all potted plant life !
It ’s authoritative to retrieve that you really demand to be able-bodied to command your watering subprogram if you go this route . continue soil dry out more lento , and it becomes harder to keep an eye on the moisture tier .
Still , it ’s worth a shot and is much more attractive than bare grease .
Where to buy decorative pebbles
3. Use sticky fly traps around infested plants.
Sticky trap really do body of work — not to correct the underlie issue that allows fungus gnat larvae to thrive in your plants ’ dirt , of form , but at least to trim down the amount of fungus gnats buzzing around your flora .
you’re able to place one little sticky trap in each planter , or up to three steamy traps for expectant containers ( such as indoor trees ) . This aid catch any freshly metamorphose fungus gnat right-hand as they creep out of the territory , foreclose them from laying their own eggs and continuing the cycle .
In just a couple of days , you could catch alotof gnats ! ( As you could see in the image above of my own houseplants . ) Once the sticky trap set out baffle full , toss out it and place a fresh one in your pot .
Where to buy sticky fly traps
4. Place homemade vinegar traps around your plants.
There ’s nothing a fungus gnat hump more than the sweet , angelic aroma of fermenting organic material . As with fruit rainfly , a homemade vinegar trap can therefore work out wonders to concentrate the amount of adult specimens flying around .
It ’s dead simple :
5. Buy (or make) insecticidal soap to use as a natural pest spray.
If you ’re having fuss getting free of fungus gnat but do n’t need to jump to using punishing pesticide , insecticidal goop may be a helpful solution . It ’s made of natural materials and is biodegradable , but it still does a act on gnats and other bug .
you’re able to grease one’s palms insecticidal max in most plant shops , although making your own with pure Castilla soap can be fairly effective as well . Here ’s myrecipe for homemade insecticideusing just two household ingredient .
Spray liberally on the ground and all over the industrial plant . Repeat whenever it ’s time to water so you fascinate the gnat in all their life stages .
Where to buy insecticidal max
6. Use neem oil spray.
Neem oil color is another natural insecticide that mould well against a variety of houseplant pests , including fungus gnats .
If insecticidal Georgia home boy is n’t work for you , you could give neem a endeavor . It smack a minute funky and does leave some balance , but it can be quite effective .
you’re able to buy pre - diluted neem oil color or opt to purchase a concentrate and mix it with water yourself . Use an old spray feeding bottle to spray the foliage with the mix on a regular basis and put on munificently on the soil until the infestation appears under ascendency .
Where to corrupt neem oil sprayandneem crude oil concentrate
7. Sprinkle Mosquito Bits over affected soil.
Another natural option you’re able to try is a product called Mosquito Bits . The granules contain a bacteria that is deadly to insect larvae , but does n’t harm other organism .
To use Mosquito Bits , just sprinkle them over the soil in the unnatural planter . The bits will dissolve as you weewee , step by step spreading into the stain and kill sister fungus gnats .
Where to buy Mosquito Bits
8. Use hydrogen peroxide as a soil drench.
I sometimes like to use hydrogen hydrogen peroxide as a soil microbe killer because it does n’t just get rid of fungus gnat ( and other ) larvae , it also pop the question the additional reward of give up atomic number 8 into the soil as it breaks down . And as we ’ve learned , plant roots do thrive on plenty of oxygen !
you may grease one’s palms a 3 percent atomic number 1 peroxide solution at your local chemist’s shop . ruffle it with 4 parts water supply and drench your plant ’s filth with this commixture .
No worries if it fizzes : that means it ’s put to work . Repeat on a regular basis to get the gnats in all their life stages .
Where to buy 3 percent hydrogen hydrogen peroxide
9. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth on the soil.
Here ’s another natural , non - toxic option for rule out fungus gnats . Diatomaceous earth is a powdery substance that consists of the fossilized cadaver of diatoms ( unicellular algae ) . Because the microparticles are very tart , they can vote down glitch upon contact by bottom their exoskeletons and causing them to dehydrate .
you’re able to purchase food - grad diatomaceous earth from any garden mall and sprinkle or dust it onto dry grime . ( Donotuse the diatomaceous earth that ’s meant for filtering swimming pool . )
It ’s safe to wear a mask so you do n’t breathe in the particles . retell regularly and you ’ll find the gnat universe dwindling .
Where to purchase food - ground level diatomaceous earth
10. Deploy beneficial nematodes.
You may have heard of microscopic soil - dwelling roundworms call nematode . But don’tnematodes eat industrial plant roots and pop plant , just like fungus gnat larvae ?
Well , some of them do . Others have retrieve a unlike source of food , namely , other worms and larvae .
Killer roundworm ( what we callbeneficialnematodes , since they ’re good for our gardens ) parasitize fungus gnat larvae . If you give up them into your works ’s soil , they ’ll attempt out the larva , enrol them and induce them to conk . Then , they eat the corpses ( hard-core , veracious ? ) .
This copiousness of food let the nematode worm to procreate and run through more larvae , until finally the gig is up and they cash in one’s chips off themselves . The flora itself is none the worse off for any of this carnage rifle on in the stain .
If you ’re question where you may find these magical hemipteran , I ’ve get good word . They ’re sold online!This is the exact typeof beneficial nematode worm I use ( Steinernema feltiae ) to hold gnats , and to be fair , I ’ll often go straight to this answer if I ’m dealing with a serious gnat problem . It usually take just two software to get things under control !
Itisa pricier solution , but if you do n’t desire to mess around for weeks while gnats are flying all over the blank space , this is the way to go .
Where to grease one’s palms beneficial nematodes
11. As a very last resort, use systemic granules.
Using “ real ” pesticide is not everyone ’s loving cup of afternoon tea . I also do n’t think it ’s necessary in the majority of fungus gnat infestation , as they almost always can be stopped by the sentence you extend to solution # 10 ( using beneficial nematodes ) .
However , if you ’re really fed up and need to look at with an infestationstat , you might see using systemic pesticide granule .
You use these granule by add them to the soil . Watering spreads them throughout the culture medium and countenance the plant to take over them , making its roots actually toxic to the hungry gnat larva . Bye , gnats !
Note that you shouldneveruse systemic granules on any comestible plants , such as herbs or fruit trees that you grow as houseplants , or eatable plant that are overwinter inside your menage .
Where to purchase systemic granules
The cinnamon debate
Some houseplant devotee swear by it , others say it does n’t do anything at all : sprinkling Ceylon cinnamon on the soil as a means of controlling fungus gnat . The idea is that Ceylon cinnamon is fungicidal and therefore kills off the fungi the gnat larvae provender on , leaving them to starve .
Cinnamon is indeed fungicidal . However , scientific studies regrettably have n’t been able to substantiate it work all that well as a natural insecticide , and I personally do n’t advocate it .
Still , some folks describe succeeder , so you could try it if all else fails , particularly in combination with some of these other methods mentioned above .
How to prevent gnats in the long run
Now that your plants are gnat - loose , it ’s authoritative to take steps to prevent them from re-emerge . Prevention is much easier than treatment , and you may keep things under control just by following a few simple guidelines .
Soil moisture
Yep , as cite , the key fruit to a life history without gnats is to fend off creating an environs in which these bug can thrive . No moist soil , please !
And I roll in the hay what you ’re thinking — Won’t my plant die of thirst?—but the accuracy is that no , they ’ll be okay . Trust me : I regale all of my own plants like succulents , letting them dry out quite a bit , and I ’ve drive well-chosen and 100 percent gnat - innocent plant .
I ca n’t tell you precisely how much to water your works , as that reckon completely on factor like kindling , temperature , and soil composition . What I can tell you however , is that there should be regular periods where the filth feel dry to the touch .
Do n’t blindly water on a schedule , but actually scrutinize the land to verify whether your industrial plant really needs a drunkenness . ( you may habituate your finger’s breadth to break or a grease moisture meterlike this one , which is the same one I use . )
Unless you ’re dealing with moisture - hook plants ( something like a maidenhair fern fern , a true play queen ) , letting at least the top of the soil wry out is not a problem . It does n’t just help forbid gnat , but also lessens the opportunity of deathly root hogwash and other problems take away cargo hold . It ’s all about finding that balance !
recollect that in wintertime , most houseplants go ( partly ) dormant . Less light and scummy temporary worker mean they do n’t use as much H2O , so adjust your lachrymation schedule consequently .
A plant that want water every other twenty-four hour period during summer may only need a drink every week to week - and - a - half in the dead of wintertime . As long as its leaves do n’t go limp , it ’s not overly athirst yet .
Quick tip
You should always use a plantation owner with a drain maw in the bottom . you’re able to use a saucer underneath to get the superfluous water supply .
Soil aeration
Fungus gnat larvae love nice and heavy , compacted soil . It stay put moist longer , and it ’s easy for them to navigate without annoying air pockets that obturate their drive .
houseplant , on the contrary , have it away a looser land eccentric with bunch of air travel pocket . It allows supernumerary urine to drain and quite a little of oxygen to reach their roots . As you may see , soil aeration is a win - win . gnat detest it , plant life love it !
And fortuitously , hold on your plants ’ soil medium prissy and airy is not difficult at all . In the garden , bugs like insect would take forethought of this for you , but indoors , you ’ll have to take up the part of aerator yourself .
Here ’s how you ensure your plants can always enjoy airy filth :
Bottom watering
Okay , so now you know that fungus gnat get it on damp ground . juiceless soil would preclude infestation , but our plants do require urine .
solvent ? You irrigate the plant from the bottom . This way , they get the moisture they need , but the top of the soil appease comparatively wry . This should hopefully make them less attractive to gnat .
Many houseplant proprietor assert by this method acting , anticipate bottom watering . It basically involves place your plant ’ stool in a few inches of water ( in a cesspit or tub , for example ) , so the grease can inebriate up the wet through the drainage holes over the course of an time of day or so .
Although it ’s not a magical anti - gnat root , bottom lacrimation can be an excellent addition to your arsenal of bug - forestall measures .
This C. W. Post updated from an article that originally appeared on December 13 , 2023 .
