Fungus gnats are petite black fly about 1/8 inch long that can emerge in huge swarm in garden bed . While they seem harmless , these pests can damage your plant . Fungus gnat larvae provender on roots and facilitate the bed covering of fungous diseases . Left uncontrolled they may stunt or kill seedlings and reduce the takings of shew plants .
If your raised seam or containers are crawling with little flies , chances are you have a fungus gnat plague . Here are tips to identify , prevent , and safely extinguish these bothersome insect in your garden .
Recognizing Fungus Gnats
grownup seem like mosquitoes with long legs , vaporous wing and dark protuberant eyes . They are feeble aviator .
Larvae are thin , whitish maggots up to 1/4 in long found tunnel in soil .
Plants may appear stunt or droop easily due to damaged roots .
You may find trail of tiny flies stream over filth . gravid populations can issue , peculiarly after watering .
Where Fungus Gnats Come From
Fungus gnats are attracted to damp , organic - fertile soils to breed . Potential sources of infestation admit :
Overwatered pots and bed
Poorly draining or compacted soil
Excessive mulch in vector decomposition
deadened plant , leaves , and rubble
Active compost piles
Manure and compost supply to garden
distaff gnats lay eggs in moist soil or organic matter . The larvae provender and eventually pupate in soil before emerging as adults to repeat the cycle .
Preventing Fungus Gnats in Garden Beds
bar is the best fashion to avoid severe fungus gnat issues :
permit soil to dry out between waterings . check over wet before lachrymation .
Improve drain by adding sand , gravel , or perlite to grunge .
Eliminate weeds and garden dust where gnat may cover .
Turn compost piles regularly to kill larva . Keep compost bins away from garden .
utilize thin stratum of sand or diatomaceous earth to dissuade egg - laying .
Use sterile cum starting commixture and clean container for seedling .
Cover seedlings with floating rowing natural covering fabric to exclude gnats .
Use yellow gummy traps around bed to capture grownup gnat .
Treating Existing Fungus Gnat Problems
If you already have an active fungus gnat infestation , here are constitutional method to eliminate them :
dispatch excess moisture by allow beds to dry out out before lachrymation again . better drainage .
Eliminate garden dust , rotted produce , and wet mulch where larvae last .
Apply beneficial roundworm to soil to kill larva . make like NemAttack figure out well .
apply lily-livered sticky trap around beds to catch grownup . Move them to fresh areas every few calendar week .
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth or fine Amandine Aurore Lucie Dupin on soil to kill larvae through desiccation . Reapply after rain or watering .
Use a mellow - pressure stream of water to free larvae from soil .
Apply Bacillus thuringiensis ( Bt ) bacteria to belt down larvae without harming plants .
Re - sess hard infest plants in sweet unfertile mixing to to the full eliminate gnat .
Tackling Fungus Gnats Organically
It ’s skillful to debar using chemical pesticide which may also drink down beneficial dirt ball like bees . Here are some constituent approaches to try :
Drench soil with a root of 1 part atomic number 1 hydrogen peroxide to 4 parts water to pop larvae .
Water in mosquito dunks which contain Bacillus thuringiensis bacterium mortal to fungus gnat larvae but not plant or people .
Spray plants with neem oil colour excerption , insecticidal soap , or spinosad - based products , avoiding prime where bees forage .
Introduce natural predator like lady beetle , lacewings , and predatory mite that consume both larvae and adult .
Amend grime with diatomaceous dry land , crushed eggshells , tart sand , or gravel to abrade and down larvae .
Be Vigilant to Prevent Reinfestations
Fungus gnats can go through several generations and liveliness cycles per season . Keep monitor bed after treatment and promptly apply controller again at the first sign of backlash . Combining multiple constituent methods ply the best mastery and prevents gnats from build underground .
With persistence and patience , you could do away with fungus gnats from your garden beds and relish pest - free plants . The key is claim quick action at the initial signs of plague before it gets out of handwriting . Pay close attention while watering and work beds to spot any sudden swarms of small flies hover over dirt . address them immediately using organic methods will pinch problems in the bud .
Fungus Gnats as Disease Vectors
Fusus gnats do hurt plant life , but it ’s important to get rid of the larvae and adults because they can spread out disease . Those find from fungus gnat problem still face the risk of infection . Fungus gnat larvae can get to your plant ’s roots and spread fungus spores that grownup gnat drop there . This could go to a number of common plant life diseases . The most commonly transferred disease include dark stem rot , Pythium blight , Verticillium wilt disease , Botrytis blight , and Fusarium wilt .
As a safety measure , use a copper fungicide on any plant that are hurt and those that are nearby a day or two after using a pesticide . This verify that even if your plant come into middleman with disease - causing fungus spore , it wo n’t get the disease . A antecedent drench is more good than spraying the plant life ’s foliage , as that ’s where damage would be done .
So , fungus gnats have been eat your African violet . Let ’s talk about how to get rid of both grownup flies and their young . We suggest that you use an incorporate pest direction programme to protect all of your plant and the great unwashed who survive in your greenhouse for good .
Organic Fungus Gnat Control
Interestingly , one of the best things I love to apply to get rid of these pestis is something you probably already have at home . Hydrogen peroxide ( the stock 3 % topical variety ) can be used as a soil drench .
One part peroxide to four parts water should be shuffle together and poured through the root zone soil until it starts to come out of the pot ’s bottom . The peroxide kills fungus gnat larvae on contact .
saturated azadirachtin course occurs in neem oil . It ’s safe in hydroponic habit as well as in greenhouses , gardens , and indoors . habituate it per the maker ’s counseling in the same way you would use neem oil .
Pyrethrin sprays are also efficacious against fungus gnat and their larvae . To apply pyrethrins , lightly mist all plant open and the top of the dirt . You do n’t want the plants dripping cockeyed , a thin mist will be enough . If there are fungus gnat larvae in the soil , spray the expanse where the adult unremarkably rest to make the top level very sozzled . Be measured not to water too much . Let the stain dry to at least a 2″ depth . Reapply these in three to four weeks until the job has subsided and the insects are live on .
A predatory mite of the Hypoaspis miles coinage preys upon adults and larvae . It also gets disembarrass of thrips and springtails , which are annoying hemipterous insect that can be found in the garden or greenhouse . These are best employ alfresco or in nursery as single specimens are harder to handle .
you could get free of fungus gnats with a lot of different biologic control agent , as you could see . Apply insecticides in conjunction with good cultural practice and bar methods and you ’re rig ! .
Foolproof Fungus Gnat Prevention and Control
FAQ
Are fungus gnats bad for vegetable garden ?
How do you get rid of fungus gnats in your garden ?
How to get disembarrass of gnats in a parent garden layer ?
How do you get free of fungus gnats in vegetables ?
What are fungus gnats ?
If you live in a temperate or tropic region , you ’ve most likely visit insect gadfly called fungus gnats before . They ’re small flies that infest ground potting soil , any container media , and other organically decompose sources and materials . Fungus gnat larvae feed on fungi and plant life root word in dirt and constitutive affair .
Do fungus gnats like dry grunge ?
apply a chopstick to carefully poke into the medium , move it around a little to create air pockets and permit water to imbue deeply but run out easily . Repot every one to two years , as excessively disintegrate grime can become pack together . Okay , so now you know that fungus gnat love moist territory . ironical soil would keep infestations , but our plants do need piss .
How do I get disembarrass of fungus gnat ?
Here are some of the common discourse that did n’t solve my fungus gnat problem . Fungus gnat seem to prefer dampish soil , so by bottom tearing , you ’re keeping that top layer dry while reach your plants the hydration they require .
Do fungus gnats wrong plants ?
While adult fungus gnats do n’t directly harm garden plant , their larvae can be destructive . They flow on flora roots , causing root harm and cook the plants more susceptible to diseases . Plant etymon damage : Fungus gnat larvae feed on the fine hairs of plant life root , stunt plant ontogeny and leading to wilting or yellowing leaves .
What causes fungus gnats on houseplants ?
Well , fungus gnat are the kinds of insects that are almost always around to some degree , but there are sure thing that can induce them to take over your plant ’s soil . When it come to houseplant , the downright phone number one cause of fungus gnat is overwatering ( or want of drain , which is basically the same thing ) .
Are fungus gnats attract to indoor plant ?
Fungus gnat are attracted to a variety of indoor plants , particularly those that ask moist soil conditions , such as : These plant life are not inevitably more susceptible to fungus gnat infestation , but their originate conditions may make them more attractive to the gnats .
