The small black bugs that you see swarming around your indoor plants are called fungus gnats. Fungus gnats are not enjoyable at all, and getting rid of them from indoor plants can be difficult. Fortunately, I can provide you some excellent advice to help you permanently get rid of these pesky little critters.
How to eliminate fungus gnats from indoor plants: There are six ways to get rid of fungus gnats in houseplants:
- Use a solution of water and hydrogen peroxide.
- Observe the drying of the potting soil.
- Plant repotting or replacement of the growth media
- Yellow sticky cards can be used to lure and capture fungus gnats.
- Pesticides should be added to the potting soil.
- Utilize a biological pesticide
Fungus gnats are generally innocuous as adults, but the larvae can injure property. The majority of the time, larvae consume algae and fungi, but they can also consume soil-dwelling plant roots, which can result in root injury and reduced growth. Fungus gnats should ideally be exterminated as soon as you see them. Continue reading to discover how to successfully eradicate fungus gnats from indoor plants and how to avoid repeat infestation.
How can fungus gnats in potting soil be eliminated?
So your African violets have been invaded by fungus gnats? Let’s now discuss methods for managing both adult flies and fly larvae. Here, we advise using an integrated pest management strategy to cover all your bases and permanently safeguard the inhabitants of your greenhouse and houseplants.
Organic Fungus Gnat Control
Surprisingly, one of my top suggestions for getting rid of these pests is a common household item. You can saturate soil in hydrogen peroxide (the standard topical variety, 3 percent).
Pour a solution of one part hydrogen peroxide to four parts water through the soil in the root zone of the pot until it starts to emerge from the bottom. On contact, fungus gnat larvae are killed by the peroxide.
Neem oil works well as a soil soak to get rid of fungus gnat larvae. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions to dilute the oil with water, then immerse the plant’s roots in the solution. To deter adult gnats, you can additionally spray the plant’s uppermost part.
Neem oil contains concentrated azadirachtin in its natural state. It is safe to use indoors, in greenhouses, gardens, and hydroponically. Use it as directed by the manufacturer, much like you would neem oil.
Sprays containing pyrethrin are also effective at killing fungus gnat larvae. Use pyrethrins by misting the soil’s surface and all plant surfaces with a light mist. A light mist will do; you don’t want the plants to get drenched. Spray the soil exactly where adults usually rest to completely hydrate the top if there are fungus gnat larvae present, then prevent overwatering. Let the soil dry to a depth of at least two. When the issue has passed and the insects are no longer a concern, reapply these after three to four weeks.
Adults and larvae are the targets of a predatory Hypoaspis miles mite. Additionally, it preys on other insects like thrips and springtails, which can be a pest in a greenhouse or garden. Since solitary specimens are more difficult to treat, these are best used outside or in greenhouses.
As you can see, there are numerous biological control treatments available for the removal of fungus gnats. Apply pesticides along with wise cultural habits and effective preventative measures, and you’re good to go!
Cultural Control of Fungus Gnats
Avoid flooding your growing media. These insects thrive in the moist growing medium found in houseplants. Do not leave standing water in saucers next to growing medium or below houseplants for an extended period of time. Keep your growth medium away from your potted greenhouse residents and fix any irrigation system leaks that develop. To get rid of any larvae that may be feasting on the organic elements in your compost, pasteurize the growing medium. If you don’t like the notion of doing it yourself, use heated commercial growing medium mixtures. While you take care of the issue, keep any sick plant material and growth medium away from other people.
Biological Removal of Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnat larvae can be killed by a specific strain of bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis. Most commercial BT sprays do not contain these bacteria, although they are also present as active components in some commercial products. You should see a reduction in your fungus gnat issues if you use them to fertilize your growth media.
By scattering Mosquito Bits or Mosquito Dunks over the soil’s surface and soaking them in, you can also introduce this bacterium. These are suitable for usage both inside and outside. They aren’t just used to kill mosquitoes! As they decompose, Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis is released into your soil, where it can begin to kill larvae. Mosquito dunks are more substantial and take longer to work.
The eradication of the fungus gnat larvae might also be greatly aided by the species of beneficial nematodes. The fungus gnat larvae and many other soil-dwelling pests will be eliminated by these microscopic soil dwellers, which you cannot see. Use a pot popper to incorporate these nematodes into the soil when treating an indoor plant. Commercial formulations can cover a larger garden or the entire yard since they uniformly distribute the nematodes with water.
Be warned that using a hydrogen peroxide soil drench and helpful nematodes at the same time will kill the nematodes! Nematodes should not be added back into the soil for at least a few weeks following the infestation. Nematodes should be used in cooler weather if you’re working outside because heat will kill them before they can perform their job. Keep in mind that you must apply more than once, twice a year.
How can gnats in indoor potted plants be removed?
We plant lovers don’t want to witness plants being harmed by pests. The problem enters our homes, which is gross, therefore we especially don’t want to see pests in our houseplants! The little winged creatures known as fungus gnats are about the size of fruit flies and resemble tiny mosquitoes (don’t worry, they don’t sting!). The good news is that these pests are considerably less dangerous than many others, and even better, they are rather simple to get rid of.
What are Fungus Gnats?
It’s probably a fungus gnat if you encounter a little winged bug that resembles a fruit fly fluttering about the soil of your houseplant. They are attracted to damp, nutrient-rich soils and have long legs for a fly their size. Your plants’ leaves have very little appeal to fungus gnats; instead, they prefer the damp earth beneath the plant canopy. They devour the hair roots of your plants and lay their eggs in the top layer of damp soil. Nothing is more impolite than an unwelcome guest laying eggs in your favorite plant and consuming its roots, even though their damage may be modest. These bugs eventually cause wilting, poor growth, and discolored leaves if left untreated.
Signs of Fungus Gnats
If you have a gnat infestation, you already know how noticeable they are. Due to their poor flight abilities, these flies usually stay rather near to the plant. They’ll be moving in zigzag patterns as you watch. Their tiny, transparent larvae could be visible if the dirt is carefully stirred. Yellow sticky cards are an excellent control method as well as a terrific way to keep track of their activity. See more below on that.
The Number One Way to Get Rid of Gnats
Infestations of fungus gnats typically occur when the soil is very damp. Problems might arise when plant parents provide the same care to their plants throughout the year. Consider this: Compared to the winter, our homes are typically brighter and more humid in the summer. In the winter, most plants become more dormant as a result of the changing seasons. You can keep fungus gnats from setting up camp in your plant pots by reducing the amount of water you use.
Gnats deposit their eggs in the top layer of the soil, and the soil must remain moist for the eggs to survive. It can harm the eggs and disrupt the gnats’ life cycle if you let it dry out. Your indoor plants should be soaked from below if your pot allows it. While the soil near the root ball absorbs water, the soil surface remains dry. Place the pot in a dish of water and let the water to seep up through the drainage holes to do this.
What If That Doesn’t Work?
You can intensify your treatment plan if you’ve modified your watering schedule and the gnats are still present or if you want to get rid of them quickly. Here are a few simple methods for getting rid of gnats in your indoor plants:
Apply sticky cards. In our greenhouse, you may have noticed the yellow cards on sticks and wondered what they were for. The cards are positioned directly above the soil’s surface since gnats prefer the color yellow. Checking what you’ve captured allows you to keep track of what you have while also getting rid of all the gnats that land on your credit card. Replace your sticky card every 4-6 weeks (or sooner if it’s bugged), just to be safe.
Larvae are quickly, inexpensively, and efficiently killed upon contact with hydrogen peroxide solution. Spray your soil with a solution made of four parts water to one part hydrogen peroxide.
Although unpleasant, fungus gnats can’t stand a chance against a plant parent with a game plan. To avoid these disgusting bugs, reduce your watering frequency throughout the winter and develop the habit of bottom-watering. You won’t regret it!
Why do houseplants get fungus gnats?
Fungus gnats, which are frequently solely thought of as a small houseplant pest, can swiftly escalate into a serious problem (and inconvenience) if an infestation gets out of hand. Here’s how to spot fungus gnat infestations in your plants, get rid of them, and avoid them in the future.
Fungus gnats are a pest insect with the size of a fruit fly that mainly harms indoor houseplants. Adult gnats are drawn to the wetness in potting soil and lay up to 200 eggs on organic debris close to the soil surface. The eggs develop into larvae after approximately three days, and the larvae bury themselves in the soil to eat fungus and decomposing plant matter. Adult gnats resume the cycle by emerging from the soil two weeks later. Adults typically live for one week.
Given that they cannot bite humans and cannot transmit diseases, fungus gnats are perfectly safe to be around. However, as their population booms and their larvae begin to feed on the delicate roots of plants, they can become an issue for houseplants. A genus of plant infections called Pythium that causes “damping off in seedlings” may also be spread by fungus gnats.
Using regular management and preventative methods is essential for getting rid of a fungus gnat infestation once it has started. We’ve outlined a couple of the most effective strategies for getting rid of adult gnats and preventing the emergence of new gnats further down on this page.
How can I quickly eradicate gnats from my plants?
The good news is that you don’t need to bug bomb your house to get rid of soil gnats (yay). Disrupting their life cycle and making your home uninhabitable for these pests are the two main goals. Here are some tips for treating indoor plants naturally and getting rid of gnats in the soil.
Make the Natural Habitat Inhospitable
To survive, fungus gnat larvae require wet soil. It will eliminate the gnats in the soil and deter new adults from laying fungus gnat eggs, ultimately eliminating the larval stage, if you allow it to completely dry up before your subsequent watering.
Use a Soap-and-Water Mixture
Add a few drops of liquid Castille soap or liquid dish soap to a cup of water. To kill the larvae, sprinkle this on the soil’s surface using a spray bottle. To be sure that all of the larvae have been killed, repeat this procedure again in a couple of days.
Although some folks advise using vinegar traps, I’ve discovered that soap and water work better. Making a fruit fly trap is best accomplished using vinegar, and in particular, a bowl of apple cider vinegar.
Use Sand or Gravel
Only the top inch of soil is where fungus gnats lay their eggs. Sand or gravel replacement of the top inch results in a dry environment and deprives them of nutrient-rich fungus to feed. They won’t desire to lay eggs if their necessary food source isn’t accessible.
You can also use lovely decorative aquamarine rocks to give some of your favorite plantlings a pop of color.
Dispose of the Top Layer of Soil Outdoors
Still, the eggs might hatch. Instead of inside your home, let them hatch outside. Pests shouldn’t just be moved from one area of the house to another.
All of these actions can help you manage and stop fungus gnat infestations naturally.
Drying Out Soil
Overwatering plants is a major cause of infestations. Theoretically, you can keep your plant soil dry and inhospitable to gnats by spacing out your watering sessions.
Remove about 2 cm of soil from the plant. As a result, the larvae and eggs are exposed, hastening the soil’s drying process.
Prior to watering once more, let the soil to dry to a depth of about an inch and a half.
It did lessen the amount of larvae squirming around beneath the dirt, but it didn’t totally solve the issue.
Many plants can’t go for lengthy periods of time without water, so if you start watering normally again, the gnats will just start to reproduce once more.
Cider Traps
Apple cider vinegar is the ideal bait in this practical trap since gnats are drawn to it.
The gnats will now try to crawl through the tiny holes in the cling film, but they won’t be able to do so because of the vinegar, and they will drown in it.
The biggest drawback of this approach is that it only eliminates adult gnats, leaving hundreds of larvae and eggs still present in the soil unharmed.
However, it did kill a fair amount of adult gnats, severely reducing the gnat population’s ability to reproduce and lowering the overall population.
Potato Slices
Slices of potato are an inexpensive way to gauge the extent of the infestation and, incidentally, get rid of some larvae because gnat larvae adore raw potatoes.
Pull out the chunks after waiting 4 to 8 hours. The potato will literally be covered in larvae if the infection is severe.
Only dozens of larvae can be eliminated by each potato slice at once. Because adult gnats can lay 200–300 eggs at a time, it would be impossible to eradicate a severe infestation with only potato pieces.
But it’s great for determining the extent of the gnat population and testing the efficacy of your other strategies.
Chamomile Tea & Cinnamon
Strong natural fungicides like chamomile and cinnamon eliminate the principal food source for gnats, rendering the soil uninhabitable.
Boiling water is used to make one liter of strong chamomile tea. Once the tea has cooled, it is combined with four parts water. As normal, water plants with tea mixture.
Sprinkle cinnamon all over the surface of the soil for a fungicidal double whammy.
The gnat numbers were drastically decreased by the chamomile/cinnamon dousing within days, but the surviving population continued to grow over the following few weeks.