These tiny, wingless insects, which when gathered together seem white, are typically found on plant stems, leaves, and nodes (the area where leaves meet the stem). According to Scott, “Mealybugs are drawn to excessive succulent growth, which can be brought on by overwatering and overfertilizing, particularly with fertilizers heavy in nitrogen.” Plant development slows down and leaves often curl and turn a faint shade of yellow as a result of their feeding on plant sap.
By delicately wiping them with a cotton swab dipped in 70% isopropyl alcohol (avoiding touching delicate leaves), or by misting them with a solution of dish detergent and water, you can get rid of the bothersome insects (one teaspoon of soap to one gallon of water). Mealybugs can also be controlled with insecticidal soap, neem oil, and horticultural oil. Follow a planned fertilizer schedule rather than indiscriminate feeding to stop breakouts, advises Scott. Mealybugs can easily be removed with your own hands if discovered in time.
How can I naturally get rid of bugs in my house plants?
When Acree returns home with a fresh plant, she immediately disposes of any pests by placing it in the bathtub. She tops the soil with pet- and kid-safe food-grade diatomaceous earth powder, which dries out the insects and their larvae, after lightly misting them with a natural DIY bug repellent that you can prepare with 1 tablespoon of tea tree oil and 1 cup of water.
Spray your plants
Making an insecticidal soap to spray on your plants is your best option if you’re dealing with soft-bodied pests like mealybugs, aphids, whiteflies, and spider mites. While you may purchase one at the shop, it’s simple to make a DIY version with organic ingredients. Simply combine 1 Tbsp liquid dish soap (free of bleach, degreaser, synthetic colours, and scents), 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and 1 Tbsp liquid dish soap in a spray bottle, then top it off with warm water and shake. Once a week, you can spray your plants with the combination to get rid of pest problems.
Dry out your plants
By simply eliminating the moisture, pests like fungus gnats that prefer damp soil in houseplants can be controlled. (Excuse me, gnats.) The best course of action in these types of circumstances, according to Susan Spanger, a professional gardener and floral designer at Bloomful Floral Design, is to water your plants less frequently than usual in order to let the top few inches of soil totally dry up.
You eliminate the source of food for fungus gnats—fungi in the soil—by not maintaining damp soil. The Sill claims that by letting it dry up, that important food source will be eliminated, which will also eliminate the fungus gnats. According to Spanger, you can also cover the top of your soil with a half-inch of sand. She claims that mature fungus gnats find the rough surface unpleasant and that it dries off soon. Those pests on the houseplants will never return.
Why are the bugs on my house plants there?
I’ll address some of the most frequent inquiries I receive about fungus gnat control in houseplant soil in this section. Ask your query in the comments section if you can’t find the solution here.
Will treating the soil with hydrogen peroxide kill fungus gnats?
Hydrogen peroxide application to the soil may be effective in eliminating fungus gnats. Try moistening the top inch of the soil with a solution made by combining 1 part hydrogen peroxide to 4 parts water.
Pouring or spraying it on top are both acceptable options. Remember that the adult gnats that are flying around won’t be killed by this; only the larvae that are dwelling in the soil will.
Controlling the amount of water you provide indoor plants is the most crucial thing to keep in mind while trying to get rid of fungus gnats.
Keep in mind that fungus gnats like damp soil to breed, and that overwatering is the leading source of gnat infestations in indoor plants.
Even if you are successful in getting rid of a fungus gnat infestation in your home, further issues are challenging to stop. Fungus gnats are one of the houseplant pests that are easiest to manage, which is excellent news.
Check out my eBook on houseplant pest control if pests are driving you mad and you want to learn how to permanently get rid of plant bugs. You will learn how to recognize common houseplant pests and kill them effectively before they harm your prized plants. Get your copy now to permanently get rid of bugs on indoor plants!
How can bugs in potting soil be eliminated?
How Can I Naturally Get Rid of Bugs in the Soil of a House Plant?
- Use a three percent hydrogen peroxide solution in water to thoroughly water the plants.
- Add some diatomaceous earth to the soil’s surface and the saucer of the pot.
- Put the plants somewhere well-ventilated, and let the soil dry up entirely.
What can I use as a spray to get rid of gnats on my houseplants?
Some gnat species favor infesting indoor plants. Gnat-eliminating pest management techniques can be used without endangering your collection of indoor plants.
- Two liters of water and one tablespoon of dish soap with a lemon scent. Into a spray bottle, pour.
- Apply the soap mixture liberally to the infected indoor plant. Make sure to properly cover the dirt, stem, and leaves. Any adult gnats on the plant or in the pot will be eliminated as a result.
- One to two hours after applying the mixture, spray the plant with plain water to remove the soap.
- Let the dirt around the plants dry out. Wait until the top two inches of soil have dried completely before watering the affected plant again. Any larvae or eggs that the adult gnat has laid will perish under these circumstances. The plant could falter a little, but if you start watering it again, it should recover.
- Gently repot the afflicted plant in a new planter and fresh soil if the gnats are persistent. Place the old soil and planter in an outdoor garbage can for disposal.
Gnats in potted soil: how can I get rid of them?
Fortunately, there are several of organic and chemical-free ways to get rid of fungus gnats from your prized plants. You can use a traditional trap or common household goods like potatoes and dish soap!
Let the Soil Dry
It’s important to remember to let the soil dry out for a few days and refrain from watering your plant because fungus gnats and their larvae prefer to nest in moist soil. The gnats will be forced to live in an uninhabitable habitat as a result, and they will disappear in dry soil. Do not be afraid to skip your next watering in order to get rid of the gnats; your houseplant will be able to endure the dryness for a longer period of time than you might imagine.
The best advice is to take your plant out of the planter and drain any extra water from the bottom. Thus, there won’t be any dampness where gnats might deposit their eggs.
Use Traps
There are numerous traps you may employ to get rid of these bothersome bugs if you’re seeking for a speedier fix. You can choose to DIY these with a few common things or run to the store and buy specialist traps, depending on what best suits your needs.
- Pour a cup of white vinegar and a few drops of liquid dish soap onto a shallow saucer. The gnats will be drawn to the solution and fall into the trap if you place the bowl near your plant. Repeat the procedure until no more gnats are present.
- Sticky fly traps are an alternative if the smell of vinegar deters you from making your own homemade gnat trap. These little yellow paper sheets attract gnats and trap them with glue because of their brilliant hue. Although it might not be visually appealing, this procedure is simple and safe.
- Consider purchasing an indoor fly-catching gadget if you’re sick and tired of gnats in your plants and need an urgent fix. These are typically USB-powered and can be purchased locally or online. The blowers and LED lights draw the gnats, and eventually they are drawn into the trap.
- Are there any extra potatoes in the kitchen? Set a trap for them! Place the potatoes flesh-down on the ground after cutting them into little pieces. The fungus gnats will be drawn to the potatoes by their dampness. Just be careful that the parts don’t dry out otherwise it won’t operate.
Sanitize and Repot
Consider removing the plant from its planter and scraping out the soil if you want to take matters into your own hands. When doing this, take care not to disrupt the roots and take only what you can get rid of. Put the contaminated soil in a plastic bag and wash the planter with soap and warm water to sterilize it. Repot your plant into new soil after this is finished, then put it back into its planter.
Use a Spray Bottle
Take a spray bottle and combine water and dish soap in it. Repeat the technique until all of the gnats are gone by spraying the solution on the top layer of soil. If you’re seeking for a quick and natural solution to get rid of fungus gnats, try this.
Does vinegar eliminate gnats from indoor plants?
She asked me to write about a true issue she was having with her indoor plants. Of course! I bet many of you are struggling with the same issue.
Have you ever purchased houseplants for your home or office with the intention of bringing some nature indoors but noticed after a week or so that obtrusive small black flies are darting in and out of your line of sight with your computer screen? Ugh! You have a problem with fungus gnats!
Although fungus gnats resemble tiny mosquitoes or fruit flies, they are unrelated and do not bite. They can be spread by cut flowers, especially those with stale vase water, or even by plants with unsterilized soil (poinsettias can be the worst).
In moist plant soil, residential drains, and sewage areas, fungus gnats can be found. In wet soil, fungus gnats lay their eggs. Prior to developing into adult gnats and flying out of the plant soil onto your face, their larvae, which are only one-hundredth of an inch long, are almost impossible to notice. They eat plant roots, soil-borne leaves, and decomposing plant matter. It takes them around 10 days to grow. Indoors, they can reproduce all year long.
This issue is being exacerbated by the gentle care you provide your indoor plants, including watering them. The fungus gnats will like staying in your home if the soil of your houseplants is continually moist. The growing medium used for houseplants is another factor. Numerous potting mixture types contain components that hold onto moisture, and everything that promotes moisture also promotes fungus gnats. To avoid potential pests, Good Earth Plant Company only purchases from nurseries that pre-treat the soil.
So what can you do to combat these annoying little gnats? You must approach the issue from many angles.
Start by starting to wait longer between waterings for your indoor plants. One to two inches of the surface ought to be entirely dry. Sub-irrigation functions well for this reason, among others.
2. Make careful to get rid of any fallen or decomposing plant materials (leaves and roots) as these serve as fungus gnat larvae’s feeding sources. Place a few slices of uncooked potatoes on the surface of the soil to see if you have them. Take a look at the bottom after a few days. Are they chewed-looking? Your plants contain fungus gnat larvae.
3. You can cover the soil with a quarter- to-half-inch layer of diatomaceous earth or horticultural sand (NOT playground sand) to control the larvae. If you water it, the plant will dry out more quickly and fool the fungus gnats into thinking it is not a good site to lay eggs. Additionally, they are actually cut to death if they crawl across the DE.
4. Add one tablespoon of liquid dish soap and one teaspoon of white vinegar to the water every other time you water. The fungus gnat larvae will eventually perish as a result.
5. You can remove the plant from the pot, remove as much soil as you can without harming the plant, and then repot it to expedite the process. Place all of the used soil in a sealed bag and discard it. It cannot be applied elsewhere because doing so will just exacerbate the issue.
6. You can create organic traps on your own to get rid of the adult fungus gnats. You can pour a few drops of liquid dish soap to the bottom of a deep bowl after adding apple cider vinegar or red wine. Put it next to the infected indoor plants. The gnats adore it and will suffocate in it if they fall in. Every couple of days, replace it.
7. You can either buy or manufacture some sticky insect traps. Use cardboard pieces that are a vibrant yellow color, and cover them with Vaseline. For optimal effects, place them horizontally over your plants. Use a card holder from your florist, or one that comes with a plant. Put the card holder with the sticky trap inside, then affix it to your plant.
8. Some backyard gardeners fervently advocate adding three percent hydrogen peroxide directly to the soil of your plants. I wouldn’t advise this as your first option if you have a plant that is very priceless or sensitive.
It could be extremely difficult to entirely eradicate fungus gnats on your own if they frequently infest your plants, especially those in your office. In one instance, the gnats were entering through the ventilation system from another office, as I’ve seen!
We only utilize plants from reputable growers, and our experts take great care to prevent conditions from becoming such that fungus gnats can easily reproduce. We quickly remove any infected plants from our care (which doesn’t happen very often) to prevent fungus gnats from spreading to the rest of your plants.
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.
Spread cinnamon liberally throughout the soil’s surface for a double dose of fungicidal effects.
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.