If you keep an infestation under control, fungus gnats normally won’t harm your plants, but they are very bothersome. They often fly directly into your face as they flutter around it. Additionally, they appear to follow you everywhere. It’s best to address their presence even when they don’t actually harm your plants because they are frequently indications of issues with your maintenance routine. Create a proper watering schedule.
Establish an appropriate watering routine
To eliminate any eggs or larva in the soil, establish a suitable watering schedule. Additionally, it will keep fungus gnats from settling there in the future. Before watering, always make sure the top few inches of soil are dry (for more common houseplants). A moisture meter is available, but I don’t bother with one.
You can print off my free printable plant watering trackers if you’re having trouble remembering when you last watered your plants. Every time you water your plants, update it on your fridge and laminate it!
Use sticky fly traps
In the gift guide I created the previous year for houseplant lovers, I featured my favorite yellow sticky stake fly traps. Since then, I’ve been purchasing inexpensive yellow fly paper, cutting it into strips, and affixing it to the stakes. or simply hang it up. These are quite effective at managing adult populations.
The yellow color of the fly traps attracts swarms of adult gnats. They perish after becoming entangled in the deadly yellow fly paper. Gnats, I’m sorry. And once adult numbers are under control, there is nothing on which to lay eggs.
Invest in a Katchy machine
Okay, I’ll confess it: after seeing one of my planty pals on Tiktok post about her Katchy, I went out and purchased one myself. I was struggling to handle a severe fungus gnat infestation at the time. I gave in and purchased it, and it’s actually pretty wonderful!
The advantage of the Katchy is that it actually has a very attractive appearance—much nicer than a bunch of garishly colored fly paper hanging all over your home. Additionally, you can rapidly replace the sticky fly traps to give it a fresh look.
You turn on the UV light that is mounted on top of it at night to attract flies to it. The flies are then drawn down onto the fly paper by the machine’s fan.
Get rid of gnats in houseplants with vinegar
A quick and easy method for reducing adult gnat populations is vinegar. In addition to sticky traps, this is a fantastic alternative. Simply add a few drops of dish soap to a small shallow bowl of vinegar. Refresh as it fills up with dead gnats every few days. They adore this material.
Use sand or gravel to dress the soil
Fungus gnats lay their eggs in the top few inches of soil, so covering the top with sand or gravel can assist to keep them out. I’ve done this with decorative pebbles or sand, but that’s not my preferred approach. However, I am aware that some people adore this approach. So it’s worthwhile to try.
Hydrogen peroxide mix
You most likely already have hydrogen peroxide in your home, which is another substance that can help control fungus gnats in addition to vinegar. When watering dry soil, use 1 part hydrogen peroxide with 5 parts water to help kill off any organisms. Almost all common houseplants won’t be harmed by this, just avoid using straight hydrogen peroxide!
Try a soap and water mixture
This was briefly discussed in my essay on how to debug plants before storing them for the winter. To get rid of everything in the soil, I usually put an insecticide on it and mix it with some soapy water.
I don’t give this much thought. I simply fill a watering can with warm water, a few drops of mild dish soap (one without a degreaser), and the soap. It will start to bubble. The plant is then given water. Simply sprinkle the top layer of soil if your plant is already damp to stop further overwatering.
Neem oil spray
You may also get rid of fungus gnats by using neem oil. Either get a diluted neem oil spray or a neem oil concentrate and make your own dilution. A concentration I purchase, I find, goes further. My own has been around for a while, and I simply reuse an old spray bottle.
Sprinkling cinnamon
Okay… I’ve tried it before, but I don’t think it had any effect. But a lot of folks suggest cinnamon. Cinnamon, a natural fungicide, can be sprinkled on top of the soil. This should be done while the earth is dry, worked into the top inch or two of soil, and then the plant should be watered.
Use a systemic pesticide
A systemic pesticide can also be used to eradicate everything in the soil. When you water the plant, the pesticide kills everything. You can apply insecticides to the top few inches of the soil. In all honesty, since fungus gnats are less difficult to eradicate than other pests, you probably don’t need this strength of insecticide on them.
I killed several thrips that I had in my giant monstera deliciosa and other indoor plants with insecticide granules. It succeeded! Praise be, it also wiped off all of the fungus gnats. Consequently, it was a plus!
How can fungus gnats in houseplants be eliminated?
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.
Why do houseplants get fungus gnats?
What can you do to keep fungus gnats out of your houseplants? To prevent these little insects from taking over your plants, you can take a number of steps. Your quickly expanding plant will be strong and thriving without any pesky insects with only a few easy steps!
Avoid Overwatering
Overwatering is the main reason why fungus gnats appear on plants, so try to allow the soil completely dry out between waterings as often as you can. To keep gnats away, check the soil with your finger every few days, and once you notice it beginning to dry out, leave it that way for approximately a week. Keep in mind that these guys prefer damp environments, so pay attention to how often you water your plants!
Use a Pot with Good Drainage
In order to prevent the gnats from laying eggs and spreading, make sure the pot your plant is in has sufficient drainage. Additionally, having proper drainage will stop root rot, a horrible disease that grows in overwatered plants.
Check Plants Before Bringing Inside
When individuals initially bring plants into their homes, they frequently assume that they are bug-free. Even while that’s not always the case, it’s still crucial to examine your plants for gnats or any other bothersome small bugs before bringing them inside.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you still have unanswered queries about how to get rid of fungus gnats? To help you become the best gardening and houseplant expert you can be, we’ve included some frequently asked questions below.
Will fungus gnats go away on their own?
The fungus gnats won’t go away by themselves. You’ll need to take matters into your own hands and try several various approaches to get rid of them if you want to make sure that these bugs don’t remain for an extended period of time. The issue might be resolved by just draining the extra water, or if there are too many, traps may be necessary.
Can I spray fungus gnats?
Yes, spraying them is a good alternative if you want to be sure the gnats are gone from the plant. You have two options for treating insects: you can use water and soap to treat them naturally, or you can choose an aggressive insecticide spray from the market. Use caution while using these sprays because they can kill beneficial insects.
Do gnats fly around the house?
Although fungus gnats have wings, they only use them to fly around the soil or close to the plant. You might see some of them floating close to your mouth or nose because they are drawn to carbon dioxide as well.
Even though fungus gnats can be rather bothersome, neither you nor the plant in your pot will be harmed by them. However, it’s still critical to find them quickly to prevent an infestation. You’ll be equipped to deal with everything that comes your way if you follow our advise!
Where can I find gnat-free potting soil?
If you have a lot of indoor plants, it might be challenging to get rid of fungus gnats. The adults can effortlessly fly or leap from one plant to another, depositing their eggs in any location with moist soil.
The adult fungus gnats have a short lifespan, similar to fruit flies. Therefore, your fungus gnat problem will be solved once all the larvae have died.
Fungus gnats can be readily controlled without the use of dangerous synthetic pesticides by adopting natural pest control solutions and techniques. The greatest ways to get rid of those pesky flying gnats from your indoor plants are listed below.
Control soil moisture
Therefore, avoiding overwatering your plants is the simplest and most efficient way to control plant gnats and ultimately get rid of fungus gnats.
On most indoor plants, though, you don’t want to let the soil entirely dry up. To keep the ideal moisture level for your houseplants and get rid of gnats in plant soil, use a soil moisture sensor.
Indoor plant watering tools also make it simpler to water houseplants and aid in preventing overwatering, which will help you get rid of plant gnats.
Water plants from the bottom
When you water plants from the top, the top inch of the soil, where fungus gnat larvae typically dwell, tends to stay rather damp.
Without endangering the plant’s general health, bottom watering plants will make it simpler to maintain drier top soil.
Simply pour water into the plant’s drip tray or storage pot to water it from the bottom, and the plant will absorb the liquid through the drainage holes.
Never let your plant sit in water for an extended period of time. After soaking for around 30 minutes, drain out any extra water.
Use yellow houseplant sticky stakes
A very safe technique of pest control is to place a yellow sticky trap next to the plant. This will draw and catch the adult fungus gnats.
This will only work to control the adult population; it won’t address the root cause of the issue (the larvae).
However, yellow sticky traps unquestionably assist in preventing adult fungus gnats from flying to other plants.
Apply organic pest control products
To get rid of gnats in potted plants, pour or spritz an organic insecticidal soap or a neem oil mixture into the top of the soil.
I mix 1 tsp of mild liquid soap with 1 liter of water to produce my own insecticidal soap.
Neem oil has a lasting effect that aids in prevention and is excellent at killing pests that attack indoor plants. Neem oil can be purchased here.
After a few applications, these organic gnat pesticides ought to work; just be careful not to overwater your plants.
How can fungus gnats be eliminated naturally?
You can sprinkle some cinnamon on top of the soil while you’re waiting for diatomaceous earth to arrive or as soon as you realize you have fungus gnats. The cinnamon stops them from laying eggs and acts as a natural fungicide and irritant.
Ceylon cinnamon is what you want to use, not the common variety that most people already have at home.
Water with Mosquito Dunks/Bits
The wonder solution known as mosquito dunks will stop fungus gnats in their tracks and is also quite simple to use.
You simply need to place a small piece in your watering can and use it to water your plants. Additionally, each component will withstand numerous waterings.
These include the naturally occurring bacteria BTI as the active ingredient, which is poisonous to insect larvae like gnats and mosquitoes.
Toxins produced by the active substances only affect gnats, their larvae, blackflies, and mosquitoes. The gnat larvae are enticed to consume this rather than the fungus or roots because of this.
Hydrogen Peroxide Drench
Pour 4 parts water and 1 part hydrogen peroxide, 3 percent, over the soil of your plant.
The only effective method for eradicating the gnat population is to use hydrogen peroxide, which kills all fungus gnat larvae.
This dilute concoction has the ideal strength to kill insect eggs without harming your plant (it actually aerates the soil and cleans the roots).
Do not water your plant when it is already moist. Only do this when your plant genuinely needs water.
Use an Apple Cider Vinegar Mix
Killing out all of the eggs and larvae in the soil is crucial for getting rid of gnats in your houseplants.
After using the aforementioned techniques to accomplish that, you should catch every adult gnat that is still flying around to prevent them from laying more eggs.
Placing an apple cider concoction next to your problematic plant is one natural method for catching gnat insects. One teaspoon of sugar, two parts water, one part apple cider vinegar, and a few trace amounts of liquid dish soap should all be combined in a shallow dish (Blue Dawn is best).
Because apple cider vinegar is slightly sweeter than white vinegar and has an orange tint that also attracts pests, you must use it.
Use Yellow Sticky Traps
These sticky traps also work great if you don’t have apple cider vinegar or don’t want to deal with the vinegar scent. The gnats are drawn to them because they are yellow.
However, whether you employ the sticky traps or the apple cider vinegar approach, they only offer you a general idea of how terrible your gnat problem is. You must employ these techniques in addition to addressing the larvae issue.