Bradysiaspp., Orfeliaspp.
Once you comment them , flying slenderly above your plant or in your face , you ca n’t cut fungus gnats .
Somehow , these smooth , tiny flies are as annoying as noisy house flies , and you ’re on a delegation to deal with them once and for all .
We link to trafficker to help you find relevant products . If you corrupt from one of our link , we may make a commission .
Photo by Sylvia Dekker.
as luck would have it , there are a variety of options for safely and effectively free your houseplant of the slight flies that are emerging from the filth metier .
Everything you need to make love about these lilliputian maggot is lay out for you below !
Here ’s what we ’ll cover :
What You’ll Learn
What Are Fungus Gnats ?
Identification
Biology and Life Cycle
Monitoring
Organic Control
Chemical Control
Fungus gnat , also sometimes call dark - winged fungus gnat , are minor flies in the Sciaridae family andBradysiaandOrfeliagenera .
They can be irritating and look dirty , flying around your works , your head , and low-cal root , but these flies are mainly a nuisance blighter .
The adult are harmless . However , their maggot - like larvae which live in the grease can induce damage , especially to young plants .
The larvae provender on fungi , alga , and decaying organic matter in the develop mass medium , but they may nosh on root hairs and roots if populations are tumid .
Through alimentation , they can send industrial plant disease such as black root bunkum triggered by various species ofThielaviopsis , Pythium , Verticillium , Botrytis , andFusariumfungi .
badly damaged plants may wilt . However , you will usually observe the fungus gnat themselves rest on the growing medium or flee about before this happens , give you time to deal with them .
Why do they love your indoor garden so much ? It ’s comfortable to overwater a houseplant . Plus , houseplants like spider plants last a foresighted clock time and can spend years in the same wad and sensitive .
As the growing medium years , it tardily degrades and hold onto moisture for longsighted . dampish peat , a common fixings in soilless premix , is a preferred substrate for the females to lay their eggs in .
Adults are black - corporate fly an eighth of an inch in duration , with retentive leg and section antennae that are long than their heads . They have dark , semitransparent wings that fold over their backs when they are at balance .
minuscule , saturnine , and delicate , fungus gnats are often misidentified as shoring rainfly orfruit flies . To read more about how to severalise them aside , record our guide .
Fungus gnat maggots are petite , semitransparent , legless , grovelling larvae with black head capsules . At maturity they can pass a stern of an inch in distance .
At a typical way temperature of 65 to 75 ° F , a fungus gnat ’s aliveness rhythm can be completed in as short as three to four week . Onindoor plants , contemporaries overlap , and reproduction occurs year - circular .
grownup are very short - lived and do n’t feed . Females have a seven- to 10 - day lifetime , during which they put down about 200 eggs into moist arise medium , choose type with high proportions ofpeat moss .
The orchis take three to six days to hatch into larvae . The maggots spend their lives eating fungi , alga , and decaying organic subject in the top two to three inches of the soil or soilless growing medium .
When populations are large , they may resort to feed on works root hairs , and cause damage to the roots in the process .
The larvae go through four instars over a period of one to three weeks before pupating near the ground surface . Within four to five days , the adults will emerge .
Fungus gnat population on houseplants often seem to peak in the spill and winter .
One understanding for this is that we incline to pass a lot more prison term indoors during these time of year , so we are quicker to point out tiny insect flying around the plant or against the window .
Plus , any houseplants require alfresco during the summertime may be colonized by eggs and larvae , and when the plants are take in for the parky time of year , the warmth leads to a universe blowup .
When I work in greenhouses for a living , I ’d inspire the odd pest on juncture while walking through a cloud of these rainfly .
That was a rather unpleasant prod to indicate that populations had grown , but I monitor these dirt ball with xanthous sticky trap and hebdomadal counts , adjudicate to enamor them before they reached this stage . Plus , I ’d also scrutinise the soilless medium that we used for larvae .
you’re able to use sticky traps in your home to monitor for these gnat too , but they are n’t the prettiest summation alongside your beautiful houseplant .
If you have fungus gnats on your houseplants , you ’ll know it . Keep an center out for them hovering around your plants , lie on the leave of absence and stain , or flying against your windows and other light sources .
If you wish to actively monitor for the larva , post a poop - in - thick slice of tater on the surface of the potting mass medium . Fungus gnat larvae will feed on and tunnel inside the potato , so tally it after a few daytime , and toss and replace it if it is full of larvae .
Organic Control Methods
It is tantalising to bring in out the big guns when there are cloud of tiny fly front harassing you and your plant life , but keep in mind that you are sharing an environment with your plant as well .
Whatever you handle them with must be safe for enjoyment around you too , as well as your tyke and pets .
as luck would have it , there are a mixed bag of good , effectual methods you may use to battle fungus gnat infestation in your houseplants .
Cultural and Physical Control
If you ’re look for an easy and efficient way to divvy up with these little flies , every reputable source you check will hold on one foolproof method acting :
neuter the environmental term .
Fungus gnats are often associated with overwatered houseplants . Sure , notoverwatering your plant life is often easier said than done , but saturated potting medium is very attractive to laying females , not to mention the perfect environment for the wiggly baby fungus gnats to develop in .
As an alternative , you canbottom water your plantsso the soil surface , where the eggs are laid and larvae favor to attend out , never stays soggy .
Speaking of hefty works , verify they receive adequate luminance and ideal temperature for whatever variety you are grow .
Also avoid fecundate with lots of manure , parentage meal , or other products that are high in organic matter , since these flies love these carbon - rich material when they begin to degenerate .
Repot your plants on a regular basis , particularly when you remark signs of potting medium degradation . These signal let in the spiritualist not drying out as fast as it used to , compaction , and a lack of varying speck sizing .
try out how the medium is doing by dumbfound dirty : feel it with your finger’s breadth , dig around a little , and crumble a small smattering back into the flowerpot . If the mass medium is punishing ( i.e. not fluffy ) , o.k. , and uniform ( i.e. it does n’t have chunks of different sizes ) , you may need to repot .
Remove any decompose leaves or other works number whenever you see them .
Cover the surface with half an inch of vulgar moxie or a fine gravel , which will discourage the female from put down their eggs .
If you ca n’t wait until the control list above eventually reduce the annoying grownup number and desire to add up a trap to your arsenal , you could purchase Enoz BioCare Gnat Stix , which draw and ensnare the adults .
Enoz BioCare Gnat Stix
They areavailable at Arbico Organicsin clique of 12 , 24 , or 48 .
Biological Control
Besides – or in addition to – try the cultural controller described above , you could also prove some biological restraint options . Many of these focus on the larvae or pupae in the soil .
Steinonermafeltiaenematodes apply to the soil will help oneself to control the larvae .
NemAttack Beneficial Nematodes
These areavailable for purchase at Arbico Organicsin various software package sizes .
Simply mix the nematodes in piddle and apply to your weed with a watering can , pump atomizer , or syringe . Nematode app rates depend on surface area .
For example , five million nematode ( the small packet sizing Arbico Organics dribble ) is enough to treat 1,600 solid feet of grime or soiless medium .
Infested larvae will perish within three to four days .
The good , soil - dwelling miteStratiolaelaps scimitus(previously known asHypoaspis geographical mile ) will also avail to keep gnat levels modest andcan be purchased at Arbico Organicsas well .
Stratiolaelaps scimitus
These speck will also lash out thrips pupa , so they are extra ready to hand to have living in your container .
Rove beetles ( Dalotia coriaria),available to enjoin from Arbico Organics , are soil - dwelling predatory insects that dine on a variety show of cuss including fungus gnats , so turn over adding these to your armory as well .
Rove mallet ( Dalotia coriaria )
These should be use after repotting has taken place , to check that you are not toss away of most of the estimable bozo with the old soil .
Organic Pesticides
Thanks to the mass of easygoing , good , and in force cultural , physical , and biologic options available , pesticides are often an unnecessary control route , especially in your home .
Even commercial greenhouses rarely care for for fungus gnat if they have a good cultural and biologicalintegrated plague managementprogram in spot . Only very serious infestation may call for pesticide use .
If you do decide to implement a pesticide , opt one that ’s labeled for indoor use and safe for use around humans and pets .
Pesticides , especially tangency types which do not persist for very long such as soap and oils , are not very effective against this type of pestilence , and require repeated applications to the soil aerofoil to catch the adult as they come forth . Do not spray the air where the adults are flying .
AzaGuard
Try AzaGuard , uncommitted at Arbico Organics , which is labelled for fungus gnats and is safe for usance indoors in homes where homo and favorite survive .
Chemical Pesticide Control
Persistent chemical , such as neonicotinoids and pyrethroids , are the most good options for habit against fungus gnat when it comes to pesticide .
However , chemical pesticides are not advocate for use in the home , and most chemical options are only necessary in commercial outer space when infestations are severe .
Gnat Welcome in My House
Fungus gnats are annoying , potentially harmful dirt ball that can plague your most darling works in your own home , not to mention fly in your face and against your window .
Luckily , there are legion ways to control and deoxidise populations without having to resort to pesticide .
The most crucial step is altering the environmental shape that favour fungus gnat reproduction . These methods are elementary , effective , sustainable , and hopefully mean your houseplants can dwell gnat free .
And while you ’re thinking about protecting your houseplant , read about otherplant pestshere :
© postulate the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more contingent . Product pic via Arbico Organics . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Sylvia Dekker
