Purchasing a new house plant can be a great way to quickly add life and beauty to any area. However, Fungus Gnats can come along as an unexpected surprise. Fungus Gnats are small flying insects that live in the soil of your pots, often mistaken for fruit flies. Fungus Gnats are attracted to moist soil and the matter found within it rather than being near decaying fruit; they feed off of your plants and can cause damage if numbers increase. It is important to understand the differences between Fungus Gnats and Fruit Flies so that you can effectively combat Fungus Gnat invasion before major damage occurs. If you're unsure whether you are dealing with fungus gnats or fruits flies click here for help identifying them.
IMPORTANT ADVISE
When dealing with Fungus Gnats its strongly advised you combine multiple methods at once to combat different stages of the lifecycle to eradicate them effectively.
How To Eradicate Fungus Gnats
Control Soil Moisture
They inhabit overwatered moist soil and can quickly spread through the top inch- leaving behind their eggs! To keep these pests under control, it's important to water more sparingly and allow time for proper drainage between each watering session- or replace topsoil as a preventative measure! Drying out your soil will go along way in helping fix the problem.
Water From The Bottom
Watering your plants from the bottom and letting the moister seep up to the roots is a great way to keep the top soil dry and uninviting to gnats.
Remove Top Soil (Kills Larvae)
Fungus gnats lay their eggs in the top inch of soil, so a simple trick is to keep replacing the top inch with new unaffected soil.
Sticky Traps (Kills Flying Adult Gnats)
Catch pesky Fungus Gnats quickly and naturally with effective sticky traps! These highly efficient traps are easy to install near affected plants, providing long-lasting control for infestations. For optimal efficacy in catching flying adults, choose yellow Sticky Traps - the colour is proven to be more attractive than other shades. With quality adhesives that don't wear off easily and a natural approach, these non-harmful solutions will provide successful results fast!
Diatomaceous Earth (Kills Flying Adult Gnats)
Diatomaceous earth is a natural way to keep pesky insects at bay! A white powder composed of ground-up fossil shells, this non-toxic mineral can be used to safely dehydrate gnats when dusted directly onto plants or sprinkled around soil. For maximum effectiveness, opt for food grade DE and enjoy the benefits of an insecticide that won't harm you humans, pets or greenery!
BTI Natural Larvicide Tablets (Kills Gnat Larvae)
Fungus Gnats BTI Tablets are a great way to take care of pesky insect pests in your garden. Containing the natural bacteria, BTI, these tablets are incredibly effective at killing Fungus Gnat larvae before they can hatch into full-fledged adults. In addition, this bacteria is 100% harmless to people and other animals as well as plants and other beneficial insects. Best of all, Fungus Gnats BTI Tablets only targets Fungus Gnats, black flies, and mosquitoes—so it won’t disrupt the necessary balance of your garden's ecosystem. The tablets take just 24 hours to start breaking the pest larvae lifecycle for good! Just simply dissolve these tablets in water before feeding them to your plants for immediate results. That way you make sure that large surface area is covered and all larvae have been killed quickly!
Pot Topper (Stops adult gnats from laying eggs in soil)
Protect your house plants from pesky fungus gnats with the help of a pot topper. This easy-to-apply barrier will keep adult insects at bay and deprive any larvae underneath it of oxygen, resulting in effective prevention. For ultimate effectiveness go for one containing diatomaceous earth - this natural substance will dehydrate any intruding bugs while remaining PH neutral so as not to reduce soil quality. Investing in a reliable pot topper is key for beautiful greenery all year round!
Neem Cake (Kills Adults And Larvae)
Neem cake is a natural solution for Fungus Gnat control with long-term and low maintenance protection. For efficient repellency, creating neem tea by steeping the powder in water before pouring it onto soil will protect plants from these pests. Further, mixing neem cake directly into the soil allows plants to absorb its benefits through their roots - achieving not only excellent natural defence against infestations but also seconds as a fertiliser.
Neem Oil
Keep Fungus Gnats at bay with Neem Oil! An all-natural solution, Neem is an easy and effective way to fight pesky pests. Try crafting your own DIY spray mix by combining 5 mls of neem oil per liter of warm water plus 1-2mls (⅓ tsp) liquid soap - a surefire formula for success. With this powerful defense, you'll be victorious against gnat invaders in no time!
Soap Spray (Kills Adult Gnats)
Take control of fungal gnats in your garden with this simple, affordable solution! Make a 2% mixture of dish soap and water to create an all-natural insecticidal spray that'll keep those pesky pests away. For example mix 10ml of dish soup to 500ml of water and spritz the whole plant when you're done - soil included – for maximum effectiveness without needing any toxic chemicals. An easy fix at great value.
Hydrogen Peroxide (Kills Larvae)
Combat fungus gnats with the power of hydrogen peroxide! Dilute 1 part H2O2 to 4 parts water and then apply onto topsoil. Pouring or spraying are both viable application methods, however these solutions will only kill larvae living in soil - adult gnat infestations may require additional measures.
Conclusion
Overall, there are a number of different ways that you can take action against Fungus gnats to help keep your garden and houseplants healthy and thriving. The trick to getting rid of a fungus gnat infestation is to combine a few of the above methods and break the lifecycle from all angles. Using sticky traps alongside BTI soluble tablets is generally the most effective and 100% natural.
