Hello! I need help identifying these intruders :~) they walk really fast and have tiny wings. I found dead bugs in my spider plant jar and they have stripy bodies? I’m not sure if they’re the same tho. What should I do ??
Fungus gnats, I think. They’re attracted to moist soil and decay. It can mean one or some of your plants have soil staying wet for too long.
If you’re in a country that has the product “mosquito bits” that’s the easiest thing to get. You use it to make a tea in your watering can and over time it kills the larvae in the soil. Couple it with yellow sticky traps all around your plants and house will catch all the adults.
Similar options if you country doesn’t have mosquito bits: gnatrol and tanlin drops.
You can also try a thick layer of diatomaceous earth over the top of your soil. I’ve never gone this route but people on this sub suggest it often.
Beneficial nematodes is another option. Can be expensive depending on where you live. I’ve personally never tried but I read good things.
If they’re really bugging you, repotting in fresh dry soil and throwing out the old soil can work but depends if you can narrow down which plants have larvae in them/how many plants you own.
Mental_Chip9096
Your water plant.. take it out. Wash it ALL thoroughly, plant and cup. Not sure the props on the left will survive. Might need a trim.
Refresh the water regularly to fill, and do a big clean when it’s cloudy or funky, or once every few weeks to a month.
a_fizzle_sizzle
Hard lesson to learn! Always use a chunky aroid soil, it’s better for roots, better for plant health and you won’t get gnats! It’s a win/win!
Remove *all soil* you can do this by a hose and spraying the rootball or soaking the rootball in a bucket or bowl of water.
Potting mix for aroids:
Using a utility bucket and a garden scooper or an ice scoop…
– 1/2 scoop of cactus soil
– 1/2 scoop worm castings (optional, but good for nutrients)
– 1/2 scoop of compost (optional, but good for nutrients)
– 2 scoops perlite
– 2 scoops horticultural charcoal
– 2 scoops orchid bark
Mix it all up, and you want to get the impression of, “that’s chunky” If you don’t get that impression, add another scoop of charcoal and perlite.
3 Comments
Fungus gnats, I think. They’re attracted to moist soil and decay. It can mean one or some of your plants have soil staying wet for too long.
If you’re in a country that has the product “mosquito bits” that’s the easiest thing to get. You use it to make a tea in your watering can and over time it kills the larvae in the soil. Couple it with yellow sticky traps all around your plants and house will catch all the adults.
Similar options if you country doesn’t have mosquito bits: gnatrol and tanlin drops.
You can also try a thick layer of diatomaceous earth over the top of your soil. I’ve never gone this route but people on this sub suggest it often.
Beneficial nematodes is another option. Can be expensive depending on where you live. I’ve personally never tried but I read good things.
If they’re really bugging you, repotting in fresh dry soil and throwing out the old soil can work but depends if you can narrow down which plants have larvae in them/how many plants you own.
Your water plant.. take it out. Wash it ALL thoroughly, plant and cup. Not sure the props on the left will survive. Might need a trim.
Refresh the water regularly to fill, and do a big clean when it’s cloudy or funky, or once every few weeks to a month.
Hard lesson to learn! Always use a chunky aroid soil, it’s better for roots, better for plant health and you won’t get gnats! It’s a win/win!
Remove *all soil* you can do this by a hose and spraying the rootball or soaking the rootball in a bucket or bowl of water.
Potting mix for aroids:
Using a utility bucket and a garden scooper or an ice scoop…
– 1/2 scoop of cactus soil
– 1/2 scoop worm castings (optional, but good for nutrients)
– 1/2 scoop of compost (optional, but good for nutrients)
– 2 scoops perlite
– 2 scoops horticultural charcoal
– 2 scoops orchid bark
Mix it all up, and you want to get the impression of, “that’s chunky” If you don’t get that impression, add another scoop of charcoal and perlite.