One day you see one ; the next daytime a small grouping … A calendar week on , your house is swarming with many petite , black flying insects …
That ’s what happens if you are not careful with fungus gnats , also acknowledge as soil gnats .
One of the most common problem with houseplant , territory gnat can be a real nuisance … You do n’t desire them flying all over the shoes , do you ?
Fortunately , they are totally innocuous to Humans and you could easily get rid of them . And this is exactly what we are going to talk about .
So , how do i get rid of gnats in my potted plants ?
There are many way of preventing fungus gnat as they are passably vulnerable piddling insects . The unspoiled direction to get rid of gnat in indoor plants is with a multiple approach : reduce and change the way you water your potted plant , remove the top soil and put a layer of gumption on top of it to remove the larvae and finally use some indispensable oils to make certain the adult leave and do n’t come back .
register on and you ’ll find out all about fungus gnats , how they be , how you could recognize them but also how to how to get free of them and foreclose them from coming and how to send them packing if they do .
What are fungus gnats?
Fungus gnats , also known as dirt gnats appear as very tiny , dark fly , only a few millimeter long .
They are of course of study winged and slim in appearance . From a scientific point of view , they are not a species , but many different ones from six families : Bolitophilidae , Diadocidiidae , Ditomydiidae , Keroplatidae , Mycetophiliiae and lastly , in alphabetical order , Sciaridae . This may not mean much to you , but just take away the point that the terminus “ fungus gnat ” is more a horticulture one than a zoological definition .
Still , they all have something in common and the clue is in the name : they prey on constitutive matter found in the soil , including rot leaves , and , of course , kingdom Fungi .
Their biography are scant , and they are in four phases , as typical with insect :
As you’re able to see , their whole life cycle is shorter than a calendar month . unluckily , this also means that they reproduce very fast .
Are fungus gnats dangerous to Humans?
I am pleased to differentiate you that they areonly an inconvenience . In fact , they do n’t sting , do n’t expect disease and wholly brush aside us . No danger for you , your family or even your favourite then !
Are fungus gnats dangerous to your Indoor plants?
Even in this respect , fungus gnats do not pose a threat to your potted plants . They usually do not damage plants at all , as they only feed on the constituent matter in the soil .
It does happen though that the larvae do gnaw at aside at some bantam radical , but nothing that can threaten your plants . However , some of them may transmit the spores of Pythium on their invertebrate foot ; this is a genus of a parasitic body of water mold that can vote out young seedlings as before long as they germinate with a condition called damp - off .
Basically , the young stems become toughen and cease growing . Only some coinage from the Sciaridae family are actually dangerous to some mushrooms , as they can make the leathery and stunt their ontogeny .
How can you recognize fungus gnats?
Many people lean to confuse fungus gnats with fruit flies . There ’s a huge deviation though ; yield fly larvae rise up , you hazard , inside fruit .
Fungus gnats are far less likely to find your nursing home a suitable breeding ground for them , though they may come to confab you , especially if you have right fruit that they may want to use as a “ nursery ” …
If you are in dubiety , there are three indicators that can help you recognize fungus gnats :
Why do plants get fungus gnats?
This question take a double resolution . On the one hand , fungus gnat are very minor beast that dwell many ballock , so , it is wanton for them to enter any place in search for a effective position to call home . But there is another , and more preventable movement of fungus gnats in houseplants , and , like with many other plant issues ( ascendant bunk , for lesson ) it has to do with watering .
These cute niggling creatures in fact like to feed on moist organic matter . The more profusely you irrigate your industrial plant , the more probable you are to have these undesirable guests . Soil that is particularly rich in organic matter is also more likely to attract these fertile insects .
To be dependable , they do sometimes pose a trouble also with plant that grow in soil that is less rich in organic issue , like succulents and cacti , for example .
Still , the more constitutional matter you have in your muckle , the more they will witness it appealing .
Solving the problem of fungus gnats
I bet you are think , “ But is there a solution ? ” Fortunately , there is n’t just “ a solution ” but a series of solutions and they are very flashy and easy .
solution are nastily of three types :
While the first resolution is often neglected , the second is a routine drastic and unneeded , and the third is , in my purview , the good , most honorable and even most gratifying answer .
Preventing gnats from taking home in your house plants
There are a few ways in which you may keep them from coming :
With succulent you may even cut their intellectual nourishment provision drastically , take “ off the shelves ” their best-loved repast , fungi , by scatter a bit of constitutive activate charcoal in your posting territory .
This prevents fungal growing , so , your pot will come down down the leaning of preferent places to take up as nesting grounds … This is not advisable with plant that need more mutualism with mycorrhiza to get .
In fact , fungus kingdom and plants collaborate enormously underground ; we now understand that roots put to work in mutualism with many microorganism and fungi to absorb food .
Taking fungus gnats as a sign of overwatering
Before moving to drastic measures , we should learn from what Nature is tell us with the presence of gnat : we may well have overwatered the plants .
If we look at the problem from this perspective , we can even see fungus gnat as our friends . No adult plant dies from these tiny creatures , but tons die from overwatering .
So , let ’s take it as if fungus gnats were telling us that we are killing our plants with overwatering .
The first thing you need to do if you have fungus gnat is reduce watering .
This alone will , in a short time , get rid of most of the gnats . It will also reduce the population of larvae , so , it is a medium to long term answer .
Is killing house gnats necessary?
While the temptation may be strong , there are three issues with it :
How to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats In Houseplants
1: hydrogen peroxide To Get Rid Of Fungus Gnats On A House Plant
This is an quondam - fashioned way of dealing with fungus gnats in the houseplant soil , deriving from that prospicient history of divergence into “ industrial ” ( or chemical ) farming which , as luck would have it , we are now flummox out of . If you are organically inclined , do hop-skip straight to the next section if you want .
Her ’s how to practice hydrogen peroxide to get rid of fungus gnats on a house plant life :
This will kill the larvae , allegedly , and many citizenry urge this method . However , there are four major issues :
So , if you want my advice , I would definitely not use this method , common though it is . It smack of a “ quick fix ” and chemical at that , but the devil is in the detail , and we do n’t want to repeat the mistakes of the past times .
2: sticky tape and similar methods
This can be an constitutional solution , but still it involve giving them quite a horrifying destruction . It is based on the same concept as flypaper .
This method has also three major disadvantage :
This too , therefore , is a method acting I would apprise against ; it is inefficient as well as mussy and cruel .
3: Getting rid of gnats by removing the top soil
Why kill all the adults when you could just “ force out ” the larvae ? Yes , the good newsworthiness is that they only live in the first inch or so of land from the surface . In fact , they do not burrow deeply into the ground . This mean that you may just move out about 2 inches of the top grime and substitute it with some unexampled potting filth . This is executable with many plants without even having to repot them . If you are so inclined , you may even put the old filth in a garden or common and give the little creatures a 2nd chance . No remorse , no hassle , no chemicals need . This method can be a good first measurement which , if combined with reduced watering , may well just do the trick .
Still , it may not be fully effective , as you may miss some eggs if you ca n’t dig deep enough . It is still worth a endeavor though .
4: Getting rid of fungus gnats with sand
Yes , you heard me right-hand … just grit ! This method acting is so simple , cheap and efficacious that it is fast becoming a favorite with many gardeners , growers and even hoi polloi who just have a few potted plants by the settle . How can you do this ?
That ’s it . How does it work though ? The sand simply dry too tight for fungus gnats to breed in it . It essentially stays ironical all the prison term and the larvae just can not experience in it .
In fact , it may even be a form of prevention if you are upset about your flora . If you want to splash out , add a full column inch of sand ( 2 curium close to ) …
If you need to combine this method with the previous one , you will get a much better result :
The only drawback with this system is that you will have to top the sand up every now and then . This is because it will perforate down into the after some clock time . Still , it only takes a minute .
And you may bestow a splash of color to your potted industrial plant while you ’re at it …
5: use essential oils
indispensable oils are fast becoming a favorite organic method acting of pest command .
In late years , we have determine these nice smelling instinctive oils applied to many eccentric of pest and unwished guests .
So much so that we have a go at it exactly which oils form for which dirt ball , fungus or other problem .
They , in fact , have many advantages :
Using essential oil colour works on the rule that some plants by nature repel some louse . This is harnessing Nature rather than agitate against her .
They are repellants rather than killers , but in the close , what you need is to get rid of them , and they do it absolutely well . fortunately enough , fungus gnats are very sensitive little beings ; this mean that there are many , but really many , aromas you may take from .
you may , in fact , choose any of the pursual , grant to your own personal taste :
The range of petroleum you could choose from also means that you are more likely to line up one that fits the purpose in your cupboard as well on the ledge of your local herbalist .
In fact , unless you use net shopping , the principal issue people have with essential oil is finding them . This depends very much on where you live , in fact .
How can you use them though ? Nothing could be well-to-do …
Fungus gnats will simply feel the place unbearable and leave alone . It ’s as round-eyed as that . you’re able to even employ them to prevent them from coming if you want .
If you then need a longer effect , you could just use a piece of woodwind ( sandalwood or true fir are quite common ) and put a few drops of your essential crude of choice on it .
Just aim it in the pot near your plant and it will free the aroma very slowly , keep these tiny winged animals away .
The best way to get rid of fungus gnats
I think a multiple approach of prevention and a few light stair to commit them packing if and when they amount is the best solution . Change your lachrymation routine and urine from below ; take out the top soil and add sand on top ; use essential oils to tell them kindly that they are unwished and they will just conform to your confidential information and go . The best way of looking at these tiny , though peradventure inconvenient , Edgar Albert Guest is as a distress signal your plants would care you to plunk up . Your lacrimation skills need improving .
They are no threat to anybody , but if you do n’t want to have them vaporize around ( and into your meth , who knows why , they tend to do it ) , then the solution is unsubdivided and in force , but it does not take to be fierce or harsh at all . And if you get a line your moral , you will also gain the gratitude of your beloved houseplants .
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Amber Noyes was pay and raised in a suburban California townspeople , San Mateo . She holds a master ’s degree in gardening from the University of California as well as a BS in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience influence on an organic farm , water preservation research , Farmer ’ market , and plant nursery , she see what makes industrial plant expand and how we can better empathise the connection between microclimate and plant health . When she ’s not on the land , Amber loves informing the great unwashed of novel mind / affair related to gardening , specially organic gardening , houseplant , and growing plants in a small space .
