you’ve gotten an overwhelming amnt of advice and i have nothing further to offer. i just wanted to say the panic in this title is relatable asf 😭 good luck
That’s hilarious! I have this in my basement growtent and I never even considered it a problem, but I’m new to indoor plants. I’ll put out 10 sticky traps and they all completely fill within a week. I got some carnivorous plants to grow 😂
Mosquito Bits are the only thing that helped my plants. I make a "tea" by steeping the bits in water for like 20 minutes and water my plants with the tea. I used that and sticky traps until they were gone. Now I use the tea less frequently, but always on new plants or new soil.
the key here is doing both mosquito bits AND the sticky traps.
understanding what is happening, will help understand why both is needed. mosquito bits is responsible for killing off the larvae, while the sticky traps catch the adults. so you're basically killing off every life stage of theirs, and preventing successful reproduction
This is the only advice anyone needs really. I should add an advisory to mosquito bits though that I figured out the hard way. DO NOT, add mosquito bits to gallon jugs of water and let sit for a week or more thinking “oh, I’m gonna make this ahead of time so I can just grab and water as needed.” My nostrils were met with one of the worst smells I have ever smelled in my life when I reopened my pre prepared jug of skeeter bit water I had left sitting for 2 weeks. Bowled me right the fuck over. HOLY Mother of Mergatroid!
Yes I keep a huge jug of mosquito bits. It’s a god send. I also cover the top inch of my soiless mix with coco coir and it seems to help as well. I know people use gravel and diatomaceous earth as top dressings too. The DE is sharp and literally cuts them to shreds. With the BTi (mosquito bits) make sure you use a filter bag or nylon stocking because they will mold if left in the water too long. I use an an aquarium filter mesh bag as I have tons and this way after I steep I can just toss the bits. I once made the mistake of tossing the bits into the water and they wound up molding. Do a steep from 30 mins to 24 hours but I wouldn’t exceed that due to possible mold growth. Bti is safe for springtails. I have quite a few colonies of them. The bti is very specifically targeted towards mosquito and gnat larva. I would use it in my colonies themselves if they got infested. All my plants get springtails dumped in and they are fine. I did a bit of research to make sure it was safe. This is a type of bacteria, bacillus if I recall correctly and it’s safe for humans, pets (unless your pets are gnats!), aquatic life, and plants. Amazon, nurseries, and home improvement stores all carry this stuff. They also make dunks which is the same thing compressed into a donut shape, same exact stuff. I prefer the bits as I can easily measure the exact amount I want.
If anyone is wondering about the why of this putrid concoction, it’s because the bits in Mosquito Bits are little woody pellets made from hunks of corn cob (pretty sure). The granules are processed by soaking them in a soup of bacterial spores from the species Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) and then dried and packaged up. When you add a tablespoon of these granules to a gallon of water, the dried and dormant bacterial spores spring to life and start multiplying like a motherfucker. And the woody pellet substrate they’re embedded in plus the teaspoon of miracle grow fertilizer which I added as well, gave all the nutrients other hitchhiked bacterial anaerobes would need to thrive. And thrive they did. Hydrogen sulfide especially, but also methane and ammonia…are what got brewed up. Stick to the instructions and add the bits to your water 30 minutes ahead of watering. Just need to make a lightly brewed tea…not bog of eternal stench water.
p.s. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis produce toxic protein crystals as a byproduct of their metabolism. This is especially toxic to fungus gnat larvae who ingest the protein that is now suffused into the soil thanks to your little natural pesticide producing helpers. It binds to the larva’s gut and renders it incapable of absorbing nutrients consequently starving the larva to death. This disrupts the lifecycle and in a matter of a couple weeks, your fungus gnat problem will be completely resolved. Thanks Bti. We love you. Never change. 🙏
p.p.s. Don’t forget to setup sticky traps. They trap and kill the egg laying adults and speed up the extermination process. The cute [butterfly shaped](https://a.co/d/gw8oDLD) ones designed to be stuck right into the soil are my favorite.
p.p.p.s. Fungus gnat infestations are pretty much inevitable if you have houseplants. And guaranteed if you have a small plant habit that friends and family have voiced concern about. Unlike the plant addiction, fungus gnats are a wholly treatable problem. Mosquito bits, sticky traps and you’re golden. As easy to treat as a raging case of gonorrhea.
Exactly this!! Just like this comment, use the tea by filtering out the bits. From a previous experience, if you leave the bits, they got moldy.. and taking the bits out of my plants was a nightmare.. 🫠
I tied a piece of tulle fabric on the end of my watering can to filter out the water and keep the bits in the can. I dump them out when they're dry. I only do that to maximize the bacteria on the bits; I'm sure it's actually much easier to just scoop the bits out before watering.
I usually will recycle larger water bottles and make holes on the cap, which then works perfectly to pour some of the mosquito bits in there and use the water bottle as a watering tool! And it’s soo easy to just dump the mosquito bits afterwards!
This. The bag says 4 tablespoons of bits per gallon of water. It's highly effective but consistency until they die is key. I also used electric bug zappers from Amazon that were a godsend for killing the adults. I put them up before bed when I got them, then by morning the electric bars were so covered in dead gnats that the living ones couldn't make enough contact to get zapped.
Yess mosquito bits on amazon or from home depot helped me so much and i make the little “tea” kinda thing too and just watered my plants as normal and then they went away after a couple weeks and now i always do it like every other watering just to make sure they never come back
Has anyone used similar products in the EU? I miss mosquito bits, and the product here that seems to have the same bacteria just straight up didn't work.
The package of mosquito bits says you can use as a soil additive also - this is what I did and it seems to have helped a lot. This way every time I water, they release more juices (or at least that’s the rationale I’ve told myself idk)
I never got around to nematodes but I tried all sorts of DIY shit, sticky traps, & mosquito bits. I ended up repotting literally all of my plants & said fuck Miracle Grow potting mixes. Switched everything to have Fox Farms Ocean Forest as the base in my potting mixes & voila - my problem is solved. THANK GOD, cuz the fungus gnats were obnoxious & out of control in my house for a while. I’m convinced it’s cuz I was lazy about ordering Fox Farms & went back to stupid Miracle Grow.
Hey, I also had a huge infestation coming from my Miracle Gro potting soil. My solution was to put the bag into an empty kitty litter bucket, closing the lid, and putting it in direct sunlight for over a week. A week might be overkill, but I left mine for like a month because I didn't need it at the time. Never saw another fly come out of the bag, and it's been months.
Ugh. I've never had problems with gnats till I moved to this house. It's endemic. I guess I have to hang up the towel on miracle grow lol. Only issue is that I get it for free bc my partners mom is a florist 🥲
While it's not the best, you can use it. You can either freeze the soil before using (kills the bugs), treat with hydrogen peroxide before using, or just use a top dressing of sand or horticultural mix so the soil is covered.
Oceans Forest is the truth. I use it religiously. A friend of mine gave me a ornamental tree that had some miracle grow potting mix in it and I noticed all of these gnarly little small bugs that I’ve never seen before in any of my other potted or in ground plants. So I immediately swapped it out and I haven’t seen them since. I don’t know if it’s all the leaves and mulch and wood stems that’s in it, but it sure does attract a lot of those pests. No good.
Yup. I either use fox farms or make my own soiless mix and the only time I get gnats is when bringing a plant home that has them, but it never gets out of control at all. Once I repot it usually resolves itself.
Came here to say this. Had a problem with them recently and nematodes got rid of them. Took a little time but I don't think I add enough the first round
I mixed a teaspoon of baking soda, dish soap and castille soap each in a gallon of water and sprayed the soil in my houseplants that had gnats and they disappeared. 👻 Don’t spray the plant as it can make them turn yellow.
I got these....I'm in the UK though
Sciarid Fly Nematodes Fungus Gnat Compost Fly Organic Natural Killer Treatment Treats 12.sqm https://amzn.eu/d/cImEn84
Nematodes are microscopic and are added to the soil when you water the plants. You wont see them at all. They will live in the soil and eat the larva of the fungus gnats. You wont notice any of this happening
I find that so sad... I just imagine them dwelling the soil and finding nothing to eat anymore. Thanks for your efforts, now you can die of starvation.
I mixed a teaspoon of baking soda, dish soap and castille soap each in a gallon of water and sprayed the soil in my houseplants that had gnats and they disappeared. 👻 Don’t spray the plant as it can make them turn yellow.
I had that problem. I see 1 or 2 daily sometimes. But ever since a lil spider made his web by my plants, he takes care of them all! It's an absolutely amazing coexisting relationship. He saved me money!
I grew to love spiders because of that! Nowadays, if I leave a plant out on the balcony for a couple of weeks, most likely, a spider will start living there and help with the bugs 🥰
A long while back before I got into houseplants, I saw a little money spider by the window with at least 20 dead fungus gnats in and under the web, likely from my mum’s Areca palm.
What a madlad 🫡
A friend told me about [Mosquito Bits](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mosquito-Bits-Summit-Chemical-Co-Mosquito-Killer-Granules-30-oz-Ready-to-Use-Safe-for-Pets-Plants-and-Kids/5004003499). Instead of sprinkling it over the soil and then watering, she had better luck with mixing it with water prior to watering her plants. She used 4 tablespoons per gallon of water...let it sit for a couple minutes and then really shake it up well to mix. Water once a week with it.
It did take a while, but using this stuff in combination with the yellow sticky things sent the little b@stards to hell.
I'm a complete pacifist...you know: love all/serve all. Except for these FREAKING THINGS.
Same with this! Went from around 20 gnats caught to 1-2 per plant. I read it takes a couple weeks to fully eradicate the eggs though so it should be used every watering.
Beneficial Nematodes and sticky traps are the answer! I have a 100% success rate with this method and I’ve had this problem multiple times before and it is the only thing that has ever worked after trying all the other things you mentioned in your post for months with no success.
You can order both the nematodes and the sticky traps on amazon (at least you can in the US). I’ll post the descriptions below.
Beneficial nematodes come in a refrigerated package and look like a tan powder. You can’t see the nematodes bc they are microscopic. Let your plants dry out completely first. Mix the powder with water (read the instructions on the package but I always just sort of estimate with measurements and put in WAY more nematode powder in than I’m supposed to and have been totally fine). Then water all your plants with the mix regardless of if you think the plant has gnats or not. Water ALL your plants with this water.
Make sure you have good drainage and your plants aren’t sitting in water in their trays at all. ever. Be vigilant about water in the trays. Never let them sit in water!
At the same time, put the sticky traps in your plants for a few weeks to catch and kill the adult gnats. The beneficial nematodes will kill all the eggs and larvae in the soil. If your infestation is really bad you may have to change the sticky traps a few times but they come in a large pack and are pretty cheap.
If your infestation is really really bad you may need to repeat the cycle by letting the plants dry out completely and doing another cycle of watering with nematode water. Keep the unused and unmixed nematode package in the fridge.
I’ve used the nematodes multiple times in the past 7 years with 100% success rate. I used to get them in my plants when I got a new plant from a store so now I’ll pre-treat new plants with them just in case. I haven’t had an infestation since I started doing this!
I don’t recommend other brands of nematodes like the “slow release” ones you can buy at garden stores. I have several friends who have used them without success but have had complete success with the brand I’m referring to below (please note, I’m not sponsored or anything, just love plants and want your plants to thrive!)
This whole process may take a few weeks to fully work but it should solve your issue! Keep us updated if this works for you!
Nematodes: BioLogic Scanmask Steinernema Feltiae (Sf) Beneficial Nematodes for Natural Insect Pest Control, 5 Million Size
Sticky traps: 72 Pack Sticky Traps Indoor, Plant Trap Fungus Gnat Trap for House Plant, Gnat Killer Indoor and Outdoor, Bug Killer Fruit Fly Trap Non-Toxic
you are amazing omg !!! thank you so much you have no idea how helpful this was 😭🤍 going to do exactly this
https://preview.redd.it/jpmeiugkq17d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=732239d3600f5d6a214165cf55a46e9107893218
here’s an updated photo of my plants !! 🤍 my collection has grown so much in the last 6 months so i feel like im still learning so much everyday 🥲 so i appreciate the details so much 🫡🤍
Something I don't see suggested yet and had a ton of success with: a carnivorous plant. I got a cape sundew and it got rid of my (albeit small) fungus gnat issue, and is growing like a weed. It's even flowering.
It took me three rounds of doing it but finally worked. Took weeks and was brutalz but Didn’t wanna use harsh chemicals inside. I also did like 50/50 water mix which was stronger than what most of the websites I used. Also used traps and let the soil get pretty dry. These things suck. I repotted all my plants in the spring with infected soil and had an absolute infestation to deal with
Take a deep breath and realize that fungus gnats are seasonal and typically don’t cause damage. Yes, they are annoying, but they’re also harmless.
I treat for them with a systemic in the fall after it’s too cold for pollinators. Otherwise they just come in from outside all summer anyway.
However, the systemic will allow mites to thrive so you have to have a backup for them. The systemic knocks out everything that preys on the mites. It’s a double edged sword.
Fungus gnats might seem bad but they are much better than mites.
This! People do more damage to their plants fighting these guys than the pest will do to the plant. Neem occasionally and call it good. They also LOVE moss and moss poles so if you use those, you’ll see more in summer
The easiest way for me was to keep my kitchen and home in general immaculate - they loved a dirty drain, so bleach into the kitchen sink every night - and to go as long as I could between waterings as the dry soil is incompatible with them laying eggs. I also used Zevo plug ins to take care of live ones with good effect
I got rid of my by stopping watering all together and basically let them go to the brink of death before bottom watering. Rinse and repeat. Plants recovered just fine, no issues for a few years now.
BTI and sticky traps not doing enough for me
Will also grab Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control and Beneficial Nematodes per this thread
Keep fighting the good fight 😢
You burn the house down 🙃 Still working through mine but close to beating them. I used a few different types of treatments together, there’s no single way to beat them. Sticky traps, which you are using already 👍 biggest help - mozzie tea, look up how to make it with mosquito dunks. To strengthen the treatment I also sprinkled mosquito bits into the soil and then poured the mosquito tea over it. Let the soil dry out as much as your plants can handle it and bottom water unless it’s mozzie tea. Keep repeating as needed and switch out sticky traps to monitor the infestation. Good luck!
I spray with bug spray for houseplants, and cover the top of my plants with aquarium gravel to suffocate any eggs they laid in the soil, also keep up with the sticky traps
They are perfectly killed by Dinotefuran. The plant is treated with watering, I dilute according to the instructions in a concentration for spraying (it is weaker, but it works fine too)
It will take several treatments, the maturation period of the larva is about 21 days. I use it again when young mosquitoes appear. After about 2 weeks. It took 3 uses in the apartment for them to disappear. If you live in a house, the chance of re-infection is higher, because they can fly in from the yard
Dinotefuran non-toxic to humans, and can be safely used indoors.
All methods with traps or reducing watering are not very effective, I have been fighting this pest for 3 years. Only pesticides really helped.
I'm sorry if my English is not very correct. I tried to double-check several times 😅
If your not using beneficial bugs, and you are inside, add a top lay to your soil of diatomaceous earth. About have a centimeter or so. It’s like micro razor blades to bugs. This will stop the flys from being able to lay eggs in the soil and from the larvae already in the soil from emerging as flys. Very violent but it works
Yes. I agree with everyone. Battled these little shits myself. Tried Neem oil, didn’t work. Tried to use a potent powder pesticide- that killed the ones on contact, but more just came up right through the powder. Then I tried Hydrogen peroxide and water mix, it probably killed some underneath. Then… mosquito bits & fly traps. That REALLY helped. I had to repot one as it was ground zero. Don’t give up. Be consistent, be thorough. Keep those yellow traps out too! Good luck. 🍀
Battling these fuckers for four years and counting. I live in Canada where mosquito bits cannot be found - at least in my region/online, and I assure you I have tried EVERYTHING else
Here is what has worked best, with best meaning - I maybe see one flying around per month, usually in warmer months, with none seen during colder months.
1. Sticky traps - you’ve got them already
2. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE - I buy it in bulk on Amazon and mix it in the watering can (roughly 1 H2O2:6 H2O). Use this to water your plants ensuring to cover the entire top surface area of soil.
3. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE - I mix a stronger ratio (1 H2O2 : 2 H2O) and put it in a mister, like the ones a hairdresser uses to wet your hair prior to cutting, and soak the top surface area of soil between watering. As I understand it, the bastards reproduce in the top layer of soil and H2O2 kills them. So step 3 is not to water your plants, but merely wet the top layer where the eggs are.
I wish you all the best.
Be brave.
On the downside, they’re damn hard to get rid of.
On the upside, they’re pretty harmless to any plant that isn’t very young or a seedling. The most annoying thing is the flying adults.
So don’t kill yourself panicking over them, just take it easy and I’m sure it’ll get easier to deal with them over time.
Heck, you could even make it fun by getting a cape sundew (_Drosera capensis_), or another sundew or butterwort, they’ll appreciate the food supply 😁
Is it just me or is a small amount of fungus gnats normal? You don’t have an infestation, when in check they just eat fungus like any other detritivore.
these sticky traps are new i just put them in that’s why there’s not a lot, tbh i wouldn’t say i have a HUGE infestation but it’s enough to where it’s genuinely bothering me lol and i have to change out the stickies often. plus in my baby pots i literally see them just crawling around 🤢🤢🤢🤢
I have been going through it with these damn fungus gnats as well. I've done the stickies, the bits, neem oil, peroxide, alcohol, and have tried the bits steeped in water with added neem oil... the first time I had this problem, diatomaceous earth got rid of them. This time around NOTHING has worked. When I buy potting soil I add diatomaceous earth to it while potting my plants AND water with dunks/bits. I never even heard of the nematoad way. That is going to have to be my next step!
I haven’t seen this mentioned yet but I’ve had great success with some DIY traps using apple cider vinegar. Take a small jar and mix up a solution of apple cider vinegar and water (I did 50/50 but you can probably use less vinegar). Then add a little sugar and a few drops of dish soap. Cover the jar with Saran Wrap and poke some holes in it with a toothpick or something similar.
It tricked pretty much all the gnats. Once they’re in the holes they have trouble escaping then eventually die. Worked like a charm
I put ACV into a dish, add a drop of dish soap and then a bit of hot water. Makes the ACV sudsy and pungent. the soap increases the surface tension to the stupid gnats get stuck in it. You can use saran wrap with holes poked in it, but I'm too lazy for that and this works just as well.
Happy happy houseplant makes drops call Death Drops, they are a gnat killer that you mix when you water. I used to make the mosquito bits tea and the death drops are easier and more efficient. 2 rounds of watering knocked it out for me.
Miracle Grow Potting mix is notorious for attracting them. If that's what you're using, re-pot in another brand like Pro Mix, (or the Miracle Grow Indoor potting mix is ok)
Otherwise, it's overwatering. Adults look for overwatered soil to lay their eggs because their larvae eat the fungus that grows there.
You need to allow the top 2-3 inches of your soil (at least) to dry out between waterings to interrupt the food supply which interrupts their life cycle.
Do you have a spray bottle? Spray the surface of the soil, the entire surface, with alcohol. Get 70% rubbing alcohol from the store and use that. Do this while you also let the soil dry. Fungus gnats larvae live in the soil so if you can let the soil dry out, they’ll dry out. Don’t mind your plants for missing a day or two of watering. They’re both resilient species and will do fine. You can fix this issue in a week or less.
Alternatively, if you don’t want to use alcohol (which the alcohol will not damage your plant even the slightest), then you can use food grade diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it on to the soil. Again, letting the soil dry out somewhat for a few days. This stuff is completely natural so it’s 110% non toxic, sustainable, and a preferred method by the EPA. Just wear an n95 while you initially put it over the soil (it’s a fine dust).
I water all my plants with hydrogen peroxide (a ratio of 1/10 probably in water) and that really helps! I use systemic granules too. I’ve tried a bunch of diy stuff but the hydrogen peroxide trick is always what helps me. Oh and I have those zevo plug in lights! They’re expensive but they really do attract and kill a lot of bugs
Beneficial nematodes. I tried everything, but the nematodes did the trick. They EAT THEIR BABIES!
If that doesn’t work, burn the place down while pulling your hair out.
Has anyone mentioned Neem oil yet? Because Neem oil works absolute wonders with these, just mix some neem oil and washing up liquid in with water and they’ll all be gone after 3 waters
I love that you can HEAR it working. If there are eggs in the soil it bubbles and fizzes right up, killing them all dead. I stand there and cackle. I feel like a low key serial killer.
I’ve created a system that works for me. First of all assume every bag of soil you purchase has gnats in it. Some people pour boiling water over their soil and let it drain and cool before potting, some people put the soil in the oven for 25 mins at 250 or so and then let it cool.
After I water my plant and the top of the soil is partially dry, I put diatomaceous earth on the top of the soil near the stem in a little mound, as well as on the draining pan under the drain hole. For me, I find gnats breed in the drain hole as it stays moist. If the diatomaceous earth gets MOIST, it won’t work.
Repeat this process and use insecticidal soap every week or whenever you see gnats (make sure to spray them directly).
Works for me!
Ummm, how weird is that I’m currently on my way to the plant store to purchase the remedy for fungus gnats, I open Reddit and I see this😅 With the warm weather it’s really their time to wake up and start hatching from their larvae 😭 Others said it. Nematodes do the work as intended in one single time. You did a great job asking for advice here on the early stages of the infestation. Most of the time google recommends natural remedies like cinnamon or yellow sticky traps that don’t do shit, it just leaves more room for them to spread even more.
Had problems with fungus gnats for years, a layer of sand (i just use play sand) on the top and if you can on the bottom as well (either in the pot or around the edge of a drainage pan) will instantly relieve you of them. Tried everything from nematodes to sticky traps to diatomaceous earth and sand is the real winner. It makes for a nice aesthetic look too.
i just bought sand so when that comes in i think i’ll try that first the only thing is i feel like it’ll be so messy ??? idk i kinda like the look of my dirt lol
it stays in place pretty well especially after the first couple of waterings which will help settle it into place- I was on the same dirt boat too 😭, but I was too tired of gnats everywhere
right !!! a lot of comments say the same pretty much but look for the realllllly long comment (you’ll see mine under with a pic of all my plants!!) that one i found to be one of the most helpful with like FULLLL details of everything!!!!!
I run a houseplant shop and part of my thing is making sure people don't end up with pests coming home on their new plants. Sticky traps are good, but you've totally gotta try Gnatrol. Mosquito bits go moldy and are meant to release slowly, so they aren't the most effective. Gnatrol is just a powder you mix into water and use really easily. It's that same non-toxic bacteria that specifically kills larvae of flies, gnats, and mosquitos. It doesn't hurt anything else. DM me and I can send you a little baggy lol
Water less, allow your plants to dry out properly. This helps stop the laying of eggs and makes living harder the for babies.
Use the sticky pads like you already are to catch the adults.
Get some sort of organism to kill the babies in the soil. Some say mosquito bits and I've heard are great, I couldn't get them in my country so I used [this](https://www.plantagen.fi/nemablom-551216.html?gad_source=1). Put them in my watering can and it worked a charm. May take multiple tries, but I was lucky on my first go.
To stop them in the future, isolate new plants until you know they're safe.
Don't over water, let plants dry out enough (obviously don't under water, find a balance) this is good for their health also which is something I've learnt doing bonsai. The constant cycle of wat, and dry allows oxygen and moisture and has made my plants in general look so much healthier and grow like crazy.
This honestly doesn’t look that bad. I had the same traps set up for a day and they were covered with gnats. What I did was change the soil, washed the roots before repotting, and then covered the top on the soil with a thick layer of sand. For watering, try not to over water. They love the moisture. Instead try bottom watering where you sit the pot in a bucket of water for 30 minutes and let the roots suck the water they need. That will prevent the soil on top from being too moist
Changing the soil is possible but is a bit drastic. There’s also little ampules you can use to treat your soil or put a layer of sand on the soil; it stops the flies from laying eggs that can hatch :)
If you're up for caring for one, maybe a butterwort? They love eating fungus gnats and they come in quite a variety. It won't get rid of the problem completely, but it will keep it under control and you'll have a new plant! But yeah, only get one if you can care for it, I've heard they can be fussy.
I’ve never seen one of these since I started using these [BTI drops](https://www.amazon.com/MICROBE-LIFT-Biological-Treatment-Decorative-Fountains/dp/B007UTE55A?pd_rd_w=wrVdH&content-id=amzn1.sym.80dcf868-30d4-456c-80b3-2eca10988d54&pf_rd_p=80dcf868-30d4-456c-80b3-2eca10988d54&pf_rd_r=5KEJAW5T43GWEFYDWCVY&pd_rd_wg=XUL7o&pd_rd_r=70a6bba0-4b94-4ad3-8126-7db280841786&pd_rd_i=B007UTE55A&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_grid_dv_rp_0_85_pr_pr1_sc). I use one drop per gallon of water
If they are fungus gnats just dial back your watering a bit. They only live in overly wet soil and only do damage if the plants roots are already suffering from said overwatering
You just have to water less and make sure the plants getting enough light to actually cycle through the water. I have like 350 houseplants and the only gnats I have are in a cabinet that holds way too much humidity. And they’re not even alive. I just see em on the pings I have in there lol
I used tea with mosquito dunks and that drastically reduced them, as well as the sticky traps. But I have very few now and I switched out my dirt and that was the icing on the cake. I don't like Miracle Grow dirt, but I just found one a few weeks ago that's formulated against fungus gnats and I actually like it. It's very well draining, and I actually mixed some bark and perlite in it for most of tropical plants.
Sometimes I find it helpful to let the soil dry out completely in between watering to kill the bugs off
Just have to be careful the roots dont get /too/ dry
Vinegar and a drop or two of dishsoap in a small, shallow dish or plastic container will attract and drown them. I have containers all around the house (by the plants, on the window sill, on the kitchen counter, in the bathroom--where ever you see them). At my house they ignore the yellow stickers but love the vinegar!
Planting them in Lechuza Pon instead of soil helps according to several posts on this topic in my Coleus Facebbok group. The flies lay egg in the soil but pon is a kind of mineral stones and that doesnt work for fly breeding.
Mosquito bits work magic. They work on a genetic level so safe for anything other than mosquitos and their pesky cousins. They are also compostable so not adding anything harmful to your plants or home. They are made to keep ponds clear of mosquitos but work on fungus gnats as well.
Basically, you soak them in water to release the active ingredients and then water your plants with the resulting "tea". The bits can go into compost but I just mix them into my potting mixes.
I mixed a teaspoon of baking soda, dish soap and castille soap each in a gallon of water and sprayed the soil in my houseplants that had gnats and they disappeared. 👻 Don’t spray the plant as it can make them turn yellow.
I always have an issue with these when I water from the top. I have these sticky traps in the usual offender plants, I've switched to water globes for watering other plants that need more frequent watering, and I use a mix of food grade diatomaceous earth and aquarium rocks on the top of other plants.
you’ve gotten an overwhelming amnt of advice and i have nothing further to offer. i just wanted to say the panic in this title is relatable asf 😭 good luck
glad it was conveyed 😭🤣
That’s hilarious! I have this in my basement growtent and I never even considered it a problem, but I’m new to indoor plants. I’ll put out 10 sticky traps and they all completely fill within a week. I got some carnivorous plants to grow 😂
I just want to say your avatar is so cute!!
Mosquito Bits are the only thing that helped my plants. I make a "tea" by steeping the bits in water for like 20 minutes and water my plants with the tea. I used that and sticky traps until they were gone. Now I use the tea less frequently, but always on new plants or new soil.
the key here is doing both mosquito bits AND the sticky traps. understanding what is happening, will help understand why both is needed. mosquito bits is responsible for killing off the larvae, while the sticky traps catch the adults. so you're basically killing off every life stage of theirs, and preventing successful reproduction
Do mosquito bits kill springtails?
[no](https://www.google.com/search?q=Do+mosquito+bits+kill+springtails)
😈
springtails are highly beneficial though!
I know I was making sure my clean up crew was safe
This is the only advice anyone needs really. I should add an advisory to mosquito bits though that I figured out the hard way. DO NOT, add mosquito bits to gallon jugs of water and let sit for a week or more thinking “oh, I’m gonna make this ahead of time so I can just grab and water as needed.” My nostrils were met with one of the worst smells I have ever smelled in my life when I reopened my pre prepared jug of skeeter bit water I had left sitting for 2 weeks. Bowled me right the fuck over. HOLY Mother of Mergatroid!
oh my god thank you because this is 100000% something i’d do 😭🤣🤣
Yes I keep a huge jug of mosquito bits. It’s a god send. I also cover the top inch of my soiless mix with coco coir and it seems to help as well. I know people use gravel and diatomaceous earth as top dressings too. The DE is sharp and literally cuts them to shreds. With the BTi (mosquito bits) make sure you use a filter bag or nylon stocking because they will mold if left in the water too long. I use an an aquarium filter mesh bag as I have tons and this way after I steep I can just toss the bits. I once made the mistake of tossing the bits into the water and they wound up molding. Do a steep from 30 mins to 24 hours but I wouldn’t exceed that due to possible mold growth. Bti is safe for springtails. I have quite a few colonies of them. The bti is very specifically targeted towards mosquito and gnat larva. I would use it in my colonies themselves if they got infested. All my plants get springtails dumped in and they are fine. I did a bit of research to make sure it was safe. This is a type of bacteria, bacillus if I recall correctly and it’s safe for humans, pets (unless your pets are gnats!), aquatic life, and plants. Amazon, nurseries, and home improvement stores all carry this stuff. They also make dunks which is the same thing compressed into a donut shape, same exact stuff. I prefer the bits as I can easily measure the exact amount I want.
If anyone is wondering about the why of this putrid concoction, it’s because the bits in Mosquito Bits are little woody pellets made from hunks of corn cob (pretty sure). The granules are processed by soaking them in a soup of bacterial spores from the species Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) and then dried and packaged up. When you add a tablespoon of these granules to a gallon of water, the dried and dormant bacterial spores spring to life and start multiplying like a motherfucker. And the woody pellet substrate they’re embedded in plus the teaspoon of miracle grow fertilizer which I added as well, gave all the nutrients other hitchhiked bacterial anaerobes would need to thrive. And thrive they did. Hydrogen sulfide especially, but also methane and ammonia…are what got brewed up. Stick to the instructions and add the bits to your water 30 minutes ahead of watering. Just need to make a lightly brewed tea…not bog of eternal stench water. p.s. Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis produce toxic protein crystals as a byproduct of their metabolism. This is especially toxic to fungus gnat larvae who ingest the protein that is now suffused into the soil thanks to your little natural pesticide producing helpers. It binds to the larva’s gut and renders it incapable of absorbing nutrients consequently starving the larva to death. This disrupts the lifecycle and in a matter of a couple weeks, your fungus gnat problem will be completely resolved. Thanks Bti. We love you. Never change. 🙏 p.p.s. Don’t forget to setup sticky traps. They trap and kill the egg laying adults and speed up the extermination process. The cute [butterfly shaped](https://a.co/d/gw8oDLD) ones designed to be stuck right into the soil are my favorite. p.p.p.s. Fungus gnat infestations are pretty much inevitable if you have houseplants. And guaranteed if you have a small plant habit that friends and family have voiced concern about. Unlike the plant addiction, fungus gnats are a wholly treatable problem. Mosquito bits, sticky traps and you’re golden. As easy to treat as a raging case of gonorrhea.
Thanks for the heads-up because this was what I was planning to do after reading the comment.
Glad to hear my stanky misstep with this stuff has led to some wisdom I can pass along. Now go murder those fungus gnats for me.
I am forever in your debt! Thank you!
Exactly this!! Just like this comment, use the tea by filtering out the bits. From a previous experience, if you leave the bits, they got moldy.. and taking the bits out of my plants was a nightmare.. 🫠
I tied a piece of tulle fabric on the end of my watering can to filter out the water and keep the bits in the can. I dump them out when they're dry. I only do that to maximize the bacteria on the bits; I'm sure it's actually much easier to just scoop the bits out before watering.
I use a coffee filter and rubber band
I use old knee highs
I'm using "disposable cotton tea filter" :) Easy in, easy out. It's very cheap and you can do a lot of stuff with it.
I usually will recycle larger water bottles and make holes on the cap, which then works perfectly to pour some of the mosquito bits in there and use the water bottle as a watering tool! And it’s soo easy to just dump the mosquito bits afterwards!
How does this work with fertilizer/plant food? Can I use both together?
Yes I do.
UMMM good to know thank you 😭
This. The bag says 4 tablespoons of bits per gallon of water. It's highly effective but consistency until they die is key. I also used electric bug zappers from Amazon that were a godsend for killing the adults. I put them up before bed when I got them, then by morning the electric bars were so covered in dead gnats that the living ones couldn't make enough contact to get zapped.
Could you link which one you’re talking about?
[Mosquito Bits](https://a.co/d/2LMWmVf)
Ohhhhh thank you! I have a bug light this is going to really help me!
Yess mosquito bits on amazon or from home depot helped me so much and i make the little “tea” kinda thing too and just watered my plants as normal and then they went away after a couple weeks and now i always do it like every other watering just to make sure they never come back
This has worked so well for me.
Has anyone used similar products in the EU? I miss mosquito bits, and the product here that seems to have the same bacteria just straight up didn't work.
You can just buy the active ingredient in the bits - BT - in a concentrated liquid. Then you just add a teaspoon or two to your water. Way easier.
That does sound way easier!
Thuricide BT by Bonide is the one i use! I’m sure there’s other brands that are just as good.
The package of mosquito bits says you can use as a soil additive also - this is what I did and it seems to have helped a lot. This way every time I water, they release more juices (or at least that’s the rationale I’ve told myself idk)
I never got around to nematodes but I tried all sorts of DIY shit, sticky traps, & mosquito bits. I ended up repotting literally all of my plants & said fuck Miracle Grow potting mixes. Switched everything to have Fox Farms Ocean Forest as the base in my potting mixes & voila - my problem is solved. THANK GOD, cuz the fungus gnats were obnoxious & out of control in my house for a while. I’m convinced it’s cuz I was lazy about ordering Fox Farms & went back to stupid Miracle Grow.
waaiiittttt… i defff be using miracle grow 😭😭😭😭
Fox Farms Ocean Forest 👍🏼 Search it on this sub & any other plant subreddits & you’ll see the consensus!
Hey, I also had a huge infestation coming from my Miracle Gro potting soil. My solution was to put the bag into an empty kitty litter bucket, closing the lid, and putting it in direct sunlight for over a week. A week might be overkill, but I left mine for like a month because I didn't need it at the time. Never saw another fly come out of the bag, and it's been months.
I had the same problem, took the miracle grow soil out of everything. It really does help a lot.
Miracle Grow organic potting mix killed all of my plants in 2020. Now I stick to local organic stuff from my local greenhouse.
Ugh. I've never had problems with gnats till I moved to this house. It's endemic. I guess I have to hang up the towel on miracle grow lol. Only issue is that I get it for free bc my partners mom is a florist 🥲
While it's not the best, you can use it. You can either freeze the soil before using (kills the bugs), treat with hydrogen peroxide before using, or just use a top dressing of sand or horticultural mix so the soil is covered.
Miracle Gro is directly from Satan’s ass. I LOATHE that company!
Oceans Forest is the truth. I use it religiously. A friend of mine gave me a ornamental tree that had some miracle grow potting mix in it and I noticed all of these gnarly little small bugs that I’ve never seen before in any of my other potted or in ground plants. So I immediately swapped it out and I haven’t seen them since. I don’t know if it’s all the leaves and mulch and wood stems that’s in it, but it sure does attract a lot of those pests. No good.
Yup. I either use fox farms or make my own soiless mix and the only time I get gnats is when bringing a plant home that has them, but it never gets out of control at all. Once I repot it usually resolves itself.
I had an infestation recently and the only thing that got rid of them was nematodes
today i found out nematodes are worms and not frogs lol
Aw it's so much cuter the first way
i’m gonna keep it that way 🙂 the show doug was my first and only reference
Came here to say this. Had a problem with them recently and nematodes got rid of them. Took a little time but I don't think I add enough the first round
Also came here to say this. I tried mosquito bits, cinnamon, hydrogen peroxide, and sticky traps. Nematodes worked!
I’ve used a combination of the nematodes and sand successfully multiple times. The key is once you get rid if them, quarantining new plants
I mixed a teaspoon of baking soda, dish soap and castille soap each in a gallon of water and sprayed the soil in my houseplants that had gnats and they disappeared. 👻 Don’t spray the plant as it can make them turn yellow.
Which one do you recommend? The ones I see on Amazon are outrageously expensive.
I got these....I'm in the UK though Sciarid Fly Nematodes Fungus Gnat Compost Fly Organic Natural Killer Treatment Treats 12.sqm https://amzn.eu/d/cImEn84
[Arbico Organics ](https://www.arbico-organics.com/category/beneficial-nematodes)
I’ve used SF nematodes from Natures Good Guys to great success, although ultimately reached for the variety pack after fruit flies moved in
i hate bugs and spiders and anything crawly so the thought of adding MORE bugs 😭 that’ll be my last resort lol
Nematodes are microscopic and are added to the soil when you water the plants. You wont see them at all. They will live in the soil and eat the larva of the fungus gnats. You wont notice any of this happening
oh. hm genuinely did not know this lol i never even bothered looking it because the thought was too much 🤣
Yeah I'm squeamish too but they come mixed into diatomaceous earth and it truly just feels like you're handling flour.
The nice thing about them is they die as soon as there's no larvae anymore.
I find that so sad... I just imagine them dwelling the soil and finding nothing to eat anymore. Thanks for your efforts, now you can die of starvation.
Let’s think of it like we gave them a happy and long and full filling life and they were very tired and ready to go when they were done..
Oooh I didn’t know either! What happens to the nematodes after?
They form a democracy and live a peaceful life in your plant soil.
The Nematorial Candidate, in theaters next Spring.
Todeally going to win an Oscar
😂😂
I mixed a teaspoon of baking soda, dish soap and castille soap each in a gallon of water and sprayed the soil in my houseplants that had gnats and they disappeared. 👻 Don’t spray the plant as it can make them turn yellow.
I had that problem. I see 1 or 2 daily sometimes. But ever since a lil spider made his web by my plants, he takes care of them all! It's an absolutely amazing coexisting relationship. He saved me money!
I grew to love spiders because of that! Nowadays, if I leave a plant out on the balcony for a couple of weeks, most likely, a spider will start living there and help with the bugs 🥰
Lol I noticed a house spider made a home over my plants and I gave myself pause before putting it outside. He has trapped 6 flies so far lol.
A long while back before I got into houseplants, I saw a little money spider by the window with at least 20 dead fungus gnats in and under the web, likely from my mum’s Areca palm. What a madlad 🫡
i used those yellow sticky things and bonide systemic houseplant insecticide! hope this helps
Yep! Bonide and stickies. I also have a bug zapper light on the floor in front of the shelves. Haven't seen a bug for a while!
Good to know, I just bought bonide for these mfs
This!! I now put insecticide on the top soil for my plants just to be safe. One breakout of fungus gnats was enough
A friend told me about [Mosquito Bits](https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mosquito-Bits-Summit-Chemical-Co-Mosquito-Killer-Granules-30-oz-Ready-to-Use-Safe-for-Pets-Plants-and-Kids/5004003499). Instead of sprinkling it over the soil and then watering, she had better luck with mixing it with water prior to watering her plants. She used 4 tablespoons per gallon of water...let it sit for a couple minutes and then really shake it up well to mix. Water once a week with it. It did take a while, but using this stuff in combination with the yellow sticky things sent the little b@stards to hell. I'm a complete pacifist...you know: love all/serve all. Except for these FREAKING THINGS.
ooo thank you so much !!!!! also yes SEND THEM ALL TO HELL 😭😭🤣🤣
Same with this! Went from around 20 gnats caught to 1-2 per plant. I read it takes a couple weeks to fully eradicate the eggs though so it should be used every watering.
I sprinkled cinnamon all over my plants and they went away!
Me too!
No way
Beneficial Nematodes and sticky traps are the answer! I have a 100% success rate with this method and I’ve had this problem multiple times before and it is the only thing that has ever worked after trying all the other things you mentioned in your post for months with no success. You can order both the nematodes and the sticky traps on amazon (at least you can in the US). I’ll post the descriptions below. Beneficial nematodes come in a refrigerated package and look like a tan powder. You can’t see the nematodes bc they are microscopic. Let your plants dry out completely first. Mix the powder with water (read the instructions on the package but I always just sort of estimate with measurements and put in WAY more nematode powder in than I’m supposed to and have been totally fine). Then water all your plants with the mix regardless of if you think the plant has gnats or not. Water ALL your plants with this water. Make sure you have good drainage and your plants aren’t sitting in water in their trays at all. ever. Be vigilant about water in the trays. Never let them sit in water! At the same time, put the sticky traps in your plants for a few weeks to catch and kill the adult gnats. The beneficial nematodes will kill all the eggs and larvae in the soil. If your infestation is really bad you may have to change the sticky traps a few times but they come in a large pack and are pretty cheap. If your infestation is really really bad you may need to repeat the cycle by letting the plants dry out completely and doing another cycle of watering with nematode water. Keep the unused and unmixed nematode package in the fridge. I’ve used the nematodes multiple times in the past 7 years with 100% success rate. I used to get them in my plants when I got a new plant from a store so now I’ll pre-treat new plants with them just in case. I haven’t had an infestation since I started doing this! I don’t recommend other brands of nematodes like the “slow release” ones you can buy at garden stores. I have several friends who have used them without success but have had complete success with the brand I’m referring to below (please note, I’m not sponsored or anything, just love plants and want your plants to thrive!) This whole process may take a few weeks to fully work but it should solve your issue! Keep us updated if this works for you! Nematodes: BioLogic Scanmask Steinernema Feltiae (Sf) Beneficial Nematodes for Natural Insect Pest Control, 5 Million Size Sticky traps: 72 Pack Sticky Traps Indoor, Plant Trap Fungus Gnat Trap for House Plant, Gnat Killer Indoor and Outdoor, Bug Killer Fruit Fly Trap Non-Toxic
you are amazing omg !!! thank you so much you have no idea how helpful this was 😭🤍 going to do exactly this https://preview.redd.it/jpmeiugkq17d1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=732239d3600f5d6a214165cf55a46e9107893218 here’s an updated photo of my plants !! 🤍 my collection has grown so much in the last 6 months so i feel like im still learning so much everyday 🥲 so i appreciate the details so much 🫡🤍
Thank you so much for this. You’ve inspired me to try nematodes.👍🏼
Also try bottom watering, they prefer wet soil for their eggs so if the surface of the soil is dry, they ll eventually leave
yes !!! all i really do is bottom water them tbh except my tiny ones 🙂
Are you letting your plants dry out? They need wet soil.
Spider plants (like the one in the first photo) really do prefer the soil to dry completely between waterings
Yes, I realize my wording was really unclear. By "they" I meant fungus gnats, fungus gnats need wet soil. Not the plants!
Did you get a new plant or recently repot with new soil?
no !! 😭 they come and go (stay longer than they’re gone) but no nothing new like pretty much ever
After trying everything else, I finally eliminated the problem by covering the top of the soil in horticultural charcoal.
Something I don't see suggested yet and had a ton of success with: a carnivorous plant. I got a cape sundew and it got rid of my (albeit small) fungus gnat issue, and is growing like a weed. It's even flowering.
Yup. Two butterworts solved my issue. There haven't been any gnats inside in such a long time that I put them outside so they could eat.
Hydrogen peroxide
tried this it didn’t work
It took me three rounds of doing it but finally worked. Took weeks and was brutalz but Didn’t wanna use harsh chemicals inside. I also did like 50/50 water mix which was stronger than what most of the websites I used. Also used traps and let the soil get pretty dry. These things suck. I repotted all my plants in the spring with infected soil and had an absolute infestation to deal with
Killed my plants but not the bugs
Take a deep breath and realize that fungus gnats are seasonal and typically don’t cause damage. Yes, they are annoying, but they’re also harmless. I treat for them with a systemic in the fall after it’s too cold for pollinators. Otherwise they just come in from outside all summer anyway. However, the systemic will allow mites to thrive so you have to have a backup for them. The systemic knocks out everything that preys on the mites. It’s a double edged sword. Fungus gnats might seem bad but they are much better than mites.
This! People do more damage to their plants fighting these guys than the pest will do to the plant. Neem occasionally and call it good. They also LOVE moss and moss poles so if you use those, you’ll see more in summer
The easiest way for me was to keep my kitchen and home in general immaculate - they loved a dirty drain, so bleach into the kitchen sink every night - and to go as long as I could between waterings as the dry soil is incompatible with them laying eggs. I also used Zevo plug ins to take care of live ones with good effect
I second the zevo
I’m getting another plant 😈sun dew here I come
Honestly between my sundew and my collection of butterworts I hardly ever see fungus gnats anymore.
Yall really out here doing the lord’s work! Thanks for the great advice.
i’m saying !!!!!! literally reading every single comment and taking notes LOLLL
Diatomaceous earth sprinkled on the top soil will dry it out so anything like eggs or bugs in it won’t be able to survive
I got rid of my by stopping watering all together and basically let them go to the brink of death before bottom watering. Rinse and repeat. Plants recovered just fine, no issues for a few years now.
BTI and sticky traps not doing enough for me Will also grab Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control and Beneficial Nematodes per this thread Keep fighting the good fight 😢
just water less and spray the soil with neem oil
Inch of sand fixed it for me
Yes or replacing the top inch of soil (very annoying).
yea i think this’ll be the first thing i try if not ill try those bits things people are mentioning LOL
Mix equal parts water and hydrogen peroxide together and soak it through.
I don't know. I am using them too....
Mosquito bits for 3-4 top waterings and bunch of sticky traps.
You burn the house down 🙃 Still working through mine but close to beating them. I used a few different types of treatments together, there’s no single way to beat them. Sticky traps, which you are using already 👍 biggest help - mozzie tea, look up how to make it with mosquito dunks. To strengthen the treatment I also sprinkled mosquito bits into the soil and then poured the mosquito tea over it. Let the soil dry out as much as your plants can handle it and bottom water unless it’s mozzie tea. Keep repeating as needed and switch out sticky traps to monitor the infestation. Good luck!
I spray with bug spray for houseplants, and cover the top of my plants with aquarium gravel to suffocate any eggs they laid in the soil, also keep up with the sticky traps
They are perfectly killed by Dinotefuran. The plant is treated with watering, I dilute according to the instructions in a concentration for spraying (it is weaker, but it works fine too) It will take several treatments, the maturation period of the larva is about 21 days. I use it again when young mosquitoes appear. After about 2 weeks. It took 3 uses in the apartment for them to disappear. If you live in a house, the chance of re-infection is higher, because they can fly in from the yard Dinotefuran non-toxic to humans, and can be safely used indoors. All methods with traps or reducing watering are not very effective, I have been fighting this pest for 3 years. Only pesticides really helped. I'm sorry if my English is not very correct. I tried to double-check several times 😅
i understood you just fine, thank you so much! 🙂🤍
If your not using beneficial bugs, and you are inside, add a top lay to your soil of diatomaceous earth. About have a centimeter or so. It’s like micro razor blades to bugs. This will stop the flys from being able to lay eggs in the soil and from the larvae already in the soil from emerging as flys. Very violent but it works
get a sundew! r/savagegarden can help you there!
Yes. I agree with everyone. Battled these little shits myself. Tried Neem oil, didn’t work. Tried to use a potent powder pesticide- that killed the ones on contact, but more just came up right through the powder. Then I tried Hydrogen peroxide and water mix, it probably killed some underneath. Then… mosquito bits & fly traps. That REALLY helped. I had to repot one as it was ground zero. Don’t give up. Be consistent, be thorough. Keep those yellow traps out too! Good luck. 🍀
Sounds like what I’ve done. Even when I think they are finally gone look at the sticky traps and there’s more. 😡 They are the bane of my existence
Yep. Agreed. THE bane of my ENTIRE existence. 😵💫
Battling these fuckers for four years and counting. I live in Canada where mosquito bits cannot be found - at least in my region/online, and I assure you I have tried EVERYTHING else Here is what has worked best, with best meaning - I maybe see one flying around per month, usually in warmer months, with none seen during colder months. 1. Sticky traps - you’ve got them already 2. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE - I buy it in bulk on Amazon and mix it in the watering can (roughly 1 H2O2:6 H2O). Use this to water your plants ensuring to cover the entire top surface area of soil. 3. HYDROGEN PEROXIDE - I mix a stronger ratio (1 H2O2 : 2 H2O) and put it in a mister, like the ones a hairdresser uses to wet your hair prior to cutting, and soak the top surface area of soil between watering. As I understand it, the bastards reproduce in the top layer of soil and H2O2 kills them. So step 3 is not to water your plants, but merely wet the top layer where the eggs are. I wish you all the best. Be brave.
On the downside, they’re damn hard to get rid of. On the upside, they’re pretty harmless to any plant that isn’t very young or a seedling. The most annoying thing is the flying adults. So don’t kill yourself panicking over them, just take it easy and I’m sure it’ll get easier to deal with them over time. Heck, you could even make it fun by getting a cape sundew (_Drosera capensis_), or another sundew or butterwort, they’ll appreciate the food supply 😁
I name mine.
Is it just me or is a small amount of fungus gnats normal? You don’t have an infestation, when in check they just eat fungus like any other detritivore.
these sticky traps are new i just put them in that’s why there’s not a lot, tbh i wouldn’t say i have a HUGE infestation but it’s enough to where it’s genuinely bothering me lol and i have to change out the stickies often. plus in my baby pots i literally see them just crawling around 🤢🤢🤢🤢
I mix mosquito bits into my soil medium and that seems to do the trick
Beautiful plants, by the way.
Bti solves it every time. Mosquito bits or mosquito dunks
I have been going through it with these damn fungus gnats as well. I've done the stickies, the bits, neem oil, peroxide, alcohol, and have tried the bits steeped in water with added neem oil... the first time I had this problem, diatomaceous earth got rid of them. This time around NOTHING has worked. When I buy potting soil I add diatomaceous earth to it while potting my plants AND water with dunks/bits. I never even heard of the nematoad way. That is going to have to be my next step!
I haven’t seen this mentioned yet but I’ve had great success with some DIY traps using apple cider vinegar. Take a small jar and mix up a solution of apple cider vinegar and water (I did 50/50 but you can probably use less vinegar). Then add a little sugar and a few drops of dish soap. Cover the jar with Saran Wrap and poke some holes in it with a toothpick or something similar. It tricked pretty much all the gnats. Once they’re in the holes they have trouble escaping then eventually die. Worked like a charm
I put ACV into a dish, add a drop of dish soap and then a bit of hot water. Makes the ACV sudsy and pungent. the soap increases the surface tension to the stupid gnats get stuck in it. You can use saran wrap with holes poked in it, but I'm too lazy for that and this works just as well.
Happy happy houseplant makes drops call Death Drops, they are a gnat killer that you mix when you water. I used to make the mosquito bits tea and the death drops are easier and more efficient. 2 rounds of watering knocked it out for me.
Get sundew and butterwort plants they eat these.
Took 3 weeks but Neem Oil spray once a week and the Zevo bug trap in the same room… No more dumb dumbs left to bother me or my plants
Miracle Grow Potting mix is notorious for attracting them. If that's what you're using, re-pot in another brand like Pro Mix, (or the Miracle Grow Indoor potting mix is ok) Otherwise, it's overwatering. Adults look for overwatered soil to lay their eggs because their larvae eat the fungus that grows there. You need to allow the top 2-3 inches of your soil (at least) to dry out between waterings to interrupt the food supply which interrupts their life cycle.
Do you have a spray bottle? Spray the surface of the soil, the entire surface, with alcohol. Get 70% rubbing alcohol from the store and use that. Do this while you also let the soil dry. Fungus gnats larvae live in the soil so if you can let the soil dry out, they’ll dry out. Don’t mind your plants for missing a day or two of watering. They’re both resilient species and will do fine. You can fix this issue in a week or less. Alternatively, if you don’t want to use alcohol (which the alcohol will not damage your plant even the slightest), then you can use food grade diatomaceous earth and sprinkle it on to the soil. Again, letting the soil dry out somewhat for a few days. This stuff is completely natural so it’s 110% non toxic, sustainable, and a preferred method by the EPA. Just wear an n95 while you initially put it over the soil (it’s a fine dust).
I water all my plants with hydrogen peroxide (a ratio of 1/10 probably in water) and that really helps! I use systemic granules too. I’ve tried a bunch of diy stuff but the hydrogen peroxide trick is always what helps me. Oh and I have those zevo plug in lights! They’re expensive but they really do attract and kill a lot of bugs
Beneficial nematodes. I tried everything, but the nematodes did the trick. They EAT THEIR BABIES! If that doesn’t work, burn the place down while pulling your hair out.
Has anyone mentioned Neem oil yet? Because Neem oil works absolute wonders with these, just mix some neem oil and washing up liquid in with water and they’ll all be gone after 3 waters
I use hydrogen peroxide and water. Mosquito bits didn’t work for me. Use 4 parts water to 1 part hydrogen peroxide. Works amazing
I love that you can HEAR it working. If there are eggs in the soil it bubbles and fizzes right up, killing them all dead. I stand there and cackle. I feel like a low key serial killer.
I’ve created a system that works for me. First of all assume every bag of soil you purchase has gnats in it. Some people pour boiling water over their soil and let it drain and cool before potting, some people put the soil in the oven for 25 mins at 250 or so and then let it cool. After I water my plant and the top of the soil is partially dry, I put diatomaceous earth on the top of the soil near the stem in a little mound, as well as on the draining pan under the drain hole. For me, I find gnats breed in the drain hole as it stays moist. If the diatomaceous earth gets MOIST, it won’t work. Repeat this process and use insecticidal soap every week or whenever you see gnats (make sure to spray them directly). Works for me!
Ummm, how weird is that I’m currently on my way to the plant store to purchase the remedy for fungus gnats, I open Reddit and I see this😅 With the warm weather it’s really their time to wake up and start hatching from their larvae 😭 Others said it. Nematodes do the work as intended in one single time. You did a great job asking for advice here on the early stages of the infestation. Most of the time google recommends natural remedies like cinnamon or yellow sticky traps that don’t do shit, it just leaves more room for them to spread even more.
Had problems with fungus gnats for years, a layer of sand (i just use play sand) on the top and if you can on the bottom as well (either in the pot or around the edge of a drainage pan) will instantly relieve you of them. Tried everything from nematodes to sticky traps to diatomaceous earth and sand is the real winner. It makes for a nice aesthetic look too.
i just bought sand so when that comes in i think i’ll try that first the only thing is i feel like it’ll be so messy ??? idk i kinda like the look of my dirt lol
it stays in place pretty well especially after the first couple of waterings which will help settle it into place- I was on the same dirt boat too 😭, but I was too tired of gnats everywhere
I don't have any answers because I'm just dealing with this problem myself! Grateful for all this excellent advice
right !!! a lot of comments say the same pretty much but look for the realllllly long comment (you’ll see mine under with a pic of all my plants!!) that one i found to be one of the most helpful with like FULLLL details of everything!!!!!
I run a houseplant shop and part of my thing is making sure people don't end up with pests coming home on their new plants. Sticky traps are good, but you've totally gotta try Gnatrol. Mosquito bits go moldy and are meant to release slowly, so they aren't the most effective. Gnatrol is just a powder you mix into water and use really easily. It's that same non-toxic bacteria that specifically kills larvae of flies, gnats, and mosquitos. It doesn't hurt anything else. DM me and I can send you a little baggy lol
Water less, allow your plants to dry out properly. This helps stop the laying of eggs and makes living harder the for babies. Use the sticky pads like you already are to catch the adults. Get some sort of organism to kill the babies in the soil. Some say mosquito bits and I've heard are great, I couldn't get them in my country so I used [this](https://www.plantagen.fi/nemablom-551216.html?gad_source=1). Put them in my watering can and it worked a charm. May take multiple tries, but I was lucky on my first go. To stop them in the future, isolate new plants until you know they're safe. Don't over water, let plants dry out enough (obviously don't under water, find a balance) this is good for their health also which is something I've learnt doing bonsai. The constant cycle of wat, and dry allows oxygen and moisture and has made my plants in general look so much healthier and grow like crazy.
This honestly doesn’t look that bad. I had the same traps set up for a day and they were covered with gnats. What I did was change the soil, washed the roots before repotting, and then covered the top on the soil with a thick layer of sand. For watering, try not to over water. They love the moisture. Instead try bottom watering where you sit the pot in a bucket of water for 30 minutes and let the roots suck the water they need. That will prevent the soil on top from being too moist
I use regular ground cinnamon & Demetrius earth. The DE kills ALL bugs and babies. Plz look it up and do some reasearch I promise no more gnats
\*Diatomaceous earth
I’m a lil illiterate 😭sorry
DEMETRIUSSSSSS!!!!!
LMFAOOOO IM SO SORRY IM A LIL ILLITERATE
Changing the soil is possible but is a bit drastic. There’s also little ampules you can use to treat your soil or put a layer of sand on the soil; it stops the flies from laying eggs that can hatch :)
If you're up for caring for one, maybe a butterwort? They love eating fungus gnats and they come in quite a variety. It won't get rid of the problem completely, but it will keep it under control and you'll have a new plant! But yeah, only get one if you can care for it, I've heard they can be fussy.
I got a butterwort because of an insane gnat problem, killed it 😅😅😭
Yeah, sadly butterworts are pretty difficult so don't feel bad at all
I use a Grub Grenade once a year and it really helps. They're on Amazon. If you look them up there's a list of all the parasites they'll deal with.
I’ve never seen one of these since I started using these [BTI drops](https://www.amazon.com/MICROBE-LIFT-Biological-Treatment-Decorative-Fountains/dp/B007UTE55A?pd_rd_w=wrVdH&content-id=amzn1.sym.80dcf868-30d4-456c-80b3-2eca10988d54&pf_rd_p=80dcf868-30d4-456c-80b3-2eca10988d54&pf_rd_r=5KEJAW5T43GWEFYDWCVY&pd_rd_wg=XUL7o&pd_rd_r=70a6bba0-4b94-4ad3-8126-7db280841786&pd_rd_i=B007UTE55A&psc=1&ref_=pd_bap_m_grid_dv_rp_0_85_pr_pr1_sc). I use one drop per gallon of water
I have carnivorous plants (butterworts) that will catch these pesky boogers.
If they are fungus gnats just dial back your watering a bit. They only live in overly wet soil and only do damage if the plants roots are already suffering from said overwatering
You just have to water less and make sure the plants getting enough light to actually cycle through the water. I have like 350 houseplants and the only gnats I have are in a cabinet that holds way too much humidity. And they’re not even alive. I just see em on the pings I have in there lol
I used a hydrogen peroxide wash and a [katchy](https://a.co/d/gyALfon). Worked great! Haven’t had a problem since
I used tea with mosquito dunks and that drastically reduced them, as well as the sticky traps. But I have very few now and I switched out my dirt and that was the icing on the cake. I don't like Miracle Grow dirt, but I just found one a few weeks ago that's formulated against fungus gnats and I actually like it. It's very well draining, and I actually mixed some bark and perlite in it for most of tropical plants.
Sometimes I find it helpful to let the soil dry out completely in between watering to kill the bugs off Just have to be careful the roots dont get /too/ dry
i’ve done this many times along with only bottom watering it never seemed to work for me 🥲
Vinegar and a drop or two of dishsoap in a small, shallow dish or plastic container will attract and drown them. I have containers all around the house (by the plants, on the window sill, on the kitchen counter, in the bathroom--where ever you see them). At my house they ignore the yellow stickers but love the vinegar!
Hydrogen peroxide dilution worked well for me. It'll also cause plants to flower so thats a nice bonus.
Pyrethrum
Mixing cinnamon into the soil (top inch, mainly) of all my plants got rid of them for me!
Little cinnamon on the soil surface and a Katchy machine
I think you can just pull them out of the soil and discard them. /s
Planting them in Lechuza Pon instead of soil helps according to several posts on this topic in my Coleus Facebbok group. The flies lay egg in the soil but pon is a kind of mineral stones and that doesnt work for fly breeding.
change the soil completely, keep it dry for longer and lots of cinnamon on top
I put a bowl of water with a bit of Dawn dish detergent and they eventually drowned themselves. It took a couple of rounds though.
Are those mosquitoes?
I bought predatory mites and distributed some into every pot. Gnats disappeared completely within a month and never returned.
Mosquito bits work magic. They work on a genetic level so safe for anything other than mosquitos and their pesky cousins. They are also compostable so not adding anything harmful to your plants or home. They are made to keep ponds clear of mosquitos but work on fungus gnats as well. Basically, you soak them in water to release the active ingredients and then water your plants with the resulting "tea". The bits can go into compost but I just mix them into my potting mixes.
Nematodes
I mixed a teaspoon of baking soda, dish soap and castille soap each in a gallon of water and sprayed the soil in my houseplants that had gnats and they disappeared. 👻 Don’t spray the plant as it can make them turn yellow.
Bottom watering helps a lot.
I always have an issue with these when I water from the top. I have these sticky traps in the usual offender plants, I've switched to water globes for watering other plants that need more frequent watering, and I use a mix of food grade diatomaceous earth and aquarium rocks on the top of other plants.