How to Get Rid of Gnats in Plants | Tips You Don’t Know Before

Gardening is a relaxing hobby that most people enjoy. But, if you’re like me, then there are some days when the bugs just get to you. Gnats seem to be one of those pesky critters that can ruin your day. Luckily for us, we live in an age where information is at our fingertips, and we have access to all sorts of different remedies for these pesky insects. In this blog post, I will give you 4tips on how to get rid of gnats in plants so you can go back outside and enjoy your beautiful garden without worrying about being attacked by these tiny pests!

Fungus gnats are fruit fliers-sized pests that mainly affect house plants. They are completely harmless to humans as they cannot bite or spread disease. However, they can be a problem for houseplants when their populations explode, and their fungus gnat larvae begin to feed on plant roots.

How to Get Rid of Gnats in Plants

Killing soil gnats on the ground isn’t that hard and luckily you don’t have to bomb your house. 

Make your natural living environment inhospitable

This means drying the soil they live in, as gnat larvae need moist soil. Letting it dry completely before the next watering will kill dirt stinging and discourage new adults’ fungus gnat from laying eggs.

Use a mixture of soap and water.

Take a glass of water and add a few drops of Castile dishwashing liquid or liquid soap. Splash the dirt surface with it to kill the hatchlings. Repeat this process after a few days to make sure you kill all the larvae.

Use sand or stone

Fungal gnats only lay their eggs on the ground. Adding sand or stones to those top inches creates a dry climate and cancels out the nutritional fungus you eat. Without a sufficient source of food, they will not want to lay eggs.

Remove the outer surface layer.

The eggs can still hatch. Allow them to come out, not just anywhere in your house. Do not transfer pests from one part of the house to another. By making each of these advancements, you can get rid of fungus gnats naturally.

Learn More: Do Plants Need Soil To Grow

Preventing Fungus Gnats in Houseplants

The fungus often attack houses, either because the plants have been outside, where mature tissues can lay eggs in the soil, or because the plants come from contaminated soil. The ideal approach to dispose of gnats isn’t to bring the plants inside. Houseplants normally live inside by definition, so this is not a lasting arrangement. The answer is to quarantine new plants that have been outside for a long time. Keep the plants in your room for at least 17 days (full life cycle) and inspect the plant well for an adult gnat. When everything is clear with the plant, you can start moving with other plants.

As a consistent technique for avoidance, don’t water your houseplants, as clammy soil and a full seepage rack are exactly the things organism gnats are searching for. Permit the dirt to dry between watering, yet just however long the plant can stand; this isn’t the reason to endanger the feasibility of the plant.

Learn More: Are Plants Living Things

3 Ways to Get Rid of Fungus Gnats

If you find a problem with a fungus, try isolating the infected pots from other houseplants so the problem doesn’t worsen and spread. Since both, the fungus gnats live and their damage in the soil, this is a good place to attack them.

Let the soil dry

The easiest first step is to let the soil dry for a few days before watering again. Eggs and larvae will eventually disappear in dry soil. Also, remove any water that has collected on the drain plates. Another simple tip is to use sterile potting soil, as there isn’t much organic matter for the gnat to feed on.

Close them off

Existing fungus larvae can be captured with raw potato wedges. Place the potato slices face down on the ground and check every other day. Remove the larvae from the feed and replace the potatoes with fresh pieces. Do not let the potatoes dry.

Adults are short-lived, but a decrease in their population will also decrease the number of eggs laid. The best way to deal with adult fungus gnat is with sticky traps. That’s exactly what it looks like: sheets of yellow paper with glue. You can find yellow sticky traps in the pesticides department of your garden center. Gnats are attracted to the yellow color and get trapped. When the trap is full, throw it away and put in another one.

Apply biological control measures

There are several biological control agents for fungal tissue, but these are mainly used in greenhouses where plants are propagated. If houseplants reduce your muscle problems so drastically that you’re considering biological control, it’s probably best to sacrifice your houseplants and start over. 

These bacteria also kill gnats but are not harmful to humans or pets. 

Look for “But” in mosquitoes or pellet form (in a pest control department or near a body of water at a home or garden center). You may need more attachments, but follow the instructions on the label.

Prevention and Control of Fungus Gnats

To get rid of fungus gnats, you need to be constant. Catching adult’s gnats is easy enough, but as the adult population changes cyclically, you’ll need to update your traps regularly. Keep in mind that one plant container can house 3-4 generations of bugs, so multiple applications of your preferred method will likely be necessary. For best results, use a combination of the traps listed here, plus additional preventative techniques listed in the next section.

Sticky card traps

These traps are made of yellow cardboard covered with adhesive glue. They are most effective when cut into small squares and placed directly above the ground or attached to skewers just above the ground. Adult gnats fly or crawl over the book and are caught. Fungus flies are attracted to yellow, so use sticky yellow cards instead of blue ones. Both can be purchased at most hardware or garden supply stores and online.

Apple cider vinegar traps

Simple and effective apple cider vinegar traps consist of a shallow bowl filled with a small amount of apple cider vinegar, water, and liquid soap.

To make an apple cider vinegar trap 

Find a shallow container a can of tuna is ideal and fill it with equal parts water and apple cider vinegar. (The liquid should be at least an inch deep.) Add a few drops of liquid detergent to the mixture and stir gently. Place the trap close to the base of the affected plant or, preferably, in a pot above the ground. Check every few days to cool with fresh vinegar and water.

Fly Tape

Fly tape, such as those found in outdoor fly traps, can also trap gnat moss. However, these traps are usually great to kill gnat and can easily get tangled up in things you don’t want, such as furniture, hair, plants, and so on.

Keep the soil dry

Mushroom mosquitoes look for moist soil; therefore, allowing houseplants to dry out between watering can slow or stop the infestation. Let the top dry about two inches before watering and try to walk as much as possible between watering. Rats may be discouraged from laying eggs if the surface soil is dry.

Knives (with beneficial bacteria)

Fungus gnats’ knives are used to prevent mosquito larvae from colonizing wells, animal gutters, fish ponds, and other small bodies of water. The product consists of dry granules containing the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis, subspecies israelensis. This beneficial bacterium infects and kills the larvae of flying insects, including mosquitoes, fruit flies, and midges.

Using Mosquito Repellents

Fill a gallon bowl (or watering can) with clean water and throw them into the mosquito cage. It is recommended to separate the soaked solution a little before submerging it in water, or you can wait for it to soften before leaving. Soak the solution in water for as long as possible (at least overnight), then remove it from the water (it can be reused) and use this water on fungus-infected plants. Bacteria get trapped in the water and infect and kill any larvae that come into contact with it in the soil. Repeat this process every time you water your plants for at least a few months.

How to Get Rid of Gnats in Plants: FAQs

How to get rid of soil gnats?

Steps to Getting Rid Of fungus gnats

• Locate and remove the source of excess moisture.
• Do not wet the soil.
• Treat the soil and remove fungal larvae.
• Kill adult mosquitoes with sticky traps and repellents.
• Run the plant watering program.

Why do I need to gnats my houseplants?

Since gnats’ stings are common when the potting mix has too much moisture, the best way to prevent stings in your home is to avoid overwatering.

Will gnats kill my plants?

The short answer is no. gnats will not kill your houseplants. Fungus gnats are generally uncomfortable and rarely harmful to plants. Sometimes they can cause root damage if the infestation is severe, but in general, fungus gnats only eat rotten roots.

How to get rid of fungus gnats from vegetables?

Blend one section 3% hydrogen peroxide with four sections of water to make a hydrogen peroxide solution; first, be sure you’re using the typical 3% household hydrogen peroxide, not the industrial-strength stuff. Let the top layer of soil dry and water the plants with this solution as usual.

The soil will start to rustle a few minutes after application; this is normal. Dilute it down slightly and mix 1 part 3% hydrogen peroxide to 4 parts water (e.g., 1 cup peroxide and 4 cups water). Contact with hydrogen peroxide will kill the fungal gnat’s larvae.

Why did gnats suffer so much in 2021?

Every year it seems that the gnats are getting worse. These small insects, especially spring pests, are since the winter thaw attracts moisture. Muscle population can be explained simply by the humidity of the environment; the more rain and precipitation, the greater the chance of gnats.

How do you stay away from gnats?

Try lighting lemongrass candles with lemon or vanilla spray. While gnats love sweet-smelling fruits, it doesn’t support vanilla, lemon, or even lavender. At least a little spray can keep them at bay.

Which Home Remedy Kills Houseplant gnats?

If these pests just don’t give up, you can use soap and water for solution in a spray bottle to spray (or water directly on) the soil surface. You can also do this with an organic insecticidal soap or a blend of neem oil; these natural pesticides should be effective after multiple treatments.

How Does Dawn Laundry Detergent Kill gnats?

Simply mix two tablespoons of vinegar with one liter of water. Add a spoonful of sugar and a few drops of washing powder, stir everything and place the bowl next to the fruit.

How to spray houseplants against gnats?

If you only see one or two gnats in your room, this method is for you: Fill a spray bottle with a mixture of a glass of water, a tablespoon of vinegar, and a couple of drops of dish cleanser.

What kills the gnat instantly?

In a little bowl, join a large portion of some warm water in addition to two tablespoons of apple juice vinegar, one tablespoon of sugar, and around six drops of fluid cleanser. The sugar combination will entice gnats; however, once they suffocate before they drink, the tacky cleanser will get them.

Conclusion

Gnats are pesky little bugs that can be difficult to get rid of. They love hanging out in the soil around your plants, and they especially enjoy laying eggs there too! Once a gnat has laid its eggs in the dirt, you’ll have an infestation on your hands for quite some time. This guide has discussed above the simple ways to keep these critters at bay so you don’t spend hours trying to find where they’re coming from every day.

Read More: How To Keep Weeds From Growing Under The Fence

Plant pests are irritating but harmless to humans and animals. They are relatively easy to eliminate with a few simple solutions when treating pests, give plants time to recover.