by Jordan Gales
Fungus gnats are peculiarly teasing but common houseplant plague . They might be unmanageable to blemish ahead of time on and multiply rapidly . Fungus gnat larvae feed on the antecedent of plant , peculiarly potted house works , which can cause flora to wither and die if the infestation is n’t address . Separately from the event they make dear plant , they are just obviously bothersome to have around living place . If you ’re looking to get free of fungus gnat , you ’ve come to the proper place .
What are fungus gnats?
Fungus gnats are brownish or black two - winged tiny insects commonly slip for yield flies , drainpipe flies , or mosquitoes . They have a slimmer , longer body and long leg and antennae than fruit flies . Fungus gnats are little in size than mosquitoes , and do not seize with teeth humans . They are particularly pesky because they do n’t target the leaves or stems the way other plant pestilence might . Fungus gnat larvae feed on the beginning , so they may be more difficult to identify during a quick visual CAT scan .
Why do they appear?
Fungus gnat are attracted to just that : dilapidate constitutional material . but put , they are in particular attract to damp soil and standing pee near flora . If you are a inveterate over - waterer when it comes to your indoor plants , they will plague your plant over those cared for with benignant neglect every sentence .
What damage do fungus gnats cause plants?
Adult gnat do n’t cause any harm themselves – to plants or humans . The larva are the cock-a-hoop trouble . Fungus gnat larvae target the ancestor of plants as a intellectual nourishment reference , which can fix growth and even cause plants to die if the infestation is n’t addressed . Early on , infected plants may arrest turn . It may commence to sag . It may start to abnormally lose leave . And eventually , it may fail .
Younger plants are at a higher risk of irreversible legal injury . Since sprout and youthful plants do n’t have many etymon , they are more vulnerable to root impairment from fungus gnat larvae . sr. plants have more roots and this bold loudness can make them more insubordinate to permanent damage from fungus gnats .
How to know if you have a fungus gnat problem
flora suffering from a fungus gnat plague will show the following sign too soon on :
To identify an infestation , visually check for the above sign and look first to the plant that have moist soil .
Plants such as jade industrial plant are particularly susceptible because their territory will be frequently moist from unconstipated tearing . However , do n’t deduction plants that are n’t watered as frequently . Any plant that has moist dirt or a plant saucer that frequently holds standing water will be a magnet for fungus gnats .
How to prevent fungus gnats in the first place
The near fashion to deal with fungus gnat is to prevent them in the first billet , mind your plant phosphorus ’s and Q ’s .
When purchasing works at garden centers , it ’s a good idea to select salubrious plants with vibrant colors . Inspect the plant ’s leaf and avoid plants that are sagging or wilted . Do not select one that have brown floater on leaves or stem . Unhealthy plant attract pests such as fungus gnat .
If you’re able to visibly see plant roots before leverage , skim for tiny clean fungus gnat larvae twist around the roots . If a plant already infested with fungus gnat is brought home , it ’s only a thing of clock time before the moved plant causes an infestation that spreads to other plants .
boost conditions that are prohibitory to fungus gnat . do it your plants well and handle attentively for their specific watering indigence . Ensure potted flora have grime that drains properly and opt for pots with drain kettle of fish over ones without . A 1 - 2″ layer of sand over the top of the soil or potting admixture can also provide defense against fungus gnat larvae since it dries speedily and wo n’t have the tasty organic matter that fungus gnats love .
Avoid overwatering plant life and err on the side of benign neglect where possible . When watering plants , use a towel to smirch and fleece up piddle in any saucer that bewitch body of water or water plant in a cesspit , expect until they are done draining , then move them back to their disc . supererogatory piddle around the base of a plant is a neon sign advertising free - for - all buffet for fungus gnat .
How to get rid of fungus gnats
If the infestation is not that defective , simply drying plants more than usual might address the issue effectively . If it is a big outlet , you may want to turn to H hydrogen peroxide soil soak , yellow pasty traps , or a combination of both . It can take several twenty-four hours for the full liveliness wheel of a fungus gnat plague to die out , so be patient .
A hydrogen peroxide soil soak is an effective handling that will turn to the tooth root job of fungus gnat : the larvae . Hydrogen hydrogen peroxide cleanses the soil and the larvae along with it . A 4:1 ratio of 4 parts body of water to 1 part atomic number 1 hydrogen peroxide ( 3 % ) would be safe for plants and effective for killing off fungus gnat larvae . you may just water the grunge with your 4:1 water system - H peroxide resolution , being careful to quash wetting the leaves , or specify the base of the Mary Jane in the solution where the ground can be reached and give up the soil to soak it up and take it to the root of your plants .
For an in - depth explanation about proper hydrogen peroxide dirt soak , check out this video :
Yellow mucilaginous traps such as those find here ( https://amzn.to/2D7bThM ) are another dependable way to get rid of fungus gnats by place the adult population . xanthous sticky traps pull the fungus gnat in the grownup stage and they are unable to fly away to lay more fungus gnat testis . Cutting sensationalistic sticky sheet to size and set the traps across the surface of the ground is an effective method at getting rid of an infestation over time since fungus gnat will inevitably creep onto them . This targets the adult fungus gnats , not the larvae .
For a tutorial on making your own scandalmongering gummy traps out of newspaper and safety cement or petroleum jelly , check out out this TV :
Summary
Fungus gnats are a persistent pestis that can damage greenhouse and indoor potted flora , especially immature ones that do n’t have many roots . They can be mistaken for other home pestis like mosquitos , but do n’t cause strong-arm harm to human beings . Drier plant conditions will keep off making a comfy plate for fungus gnats and can keep them from taking hall in the first office . If you already have an plague , hydrogen peroxide soil soaks and icteric sticky traps are first-class methods to get rid of fungus gnats . Happy hunting !
