My entire plant collection is being attacked by fungus gnats, and it's a real mess. My boyfriend is suggesting I put 95% of them outside (keeping just one or two inside) or even get rid of them completely. To be honest, these gnats were everywhere! I've dealt with mold issues before, but this is on another level. We ended up moving all the plants outside on Sunday, switching them from diffused light and stable temperatures to harsh outdoor full sunlight. Now, I'm worried my lovely njoy pothos is getting sunburned and my tradescantia won't handle the sudden change. I know most of the plants are going to go into shock or get sunburned, leading him to say I should just toss them. Right now, I'm trying a peroxide watering routine, but I know that could harm some plants too. If that doesn't work, I'm looking for mosquito bits, but Amazon isn't shipping them to my location for some weird reason. Just needed to reach out for advice! Has anyone had success with putting sand on top of the soil to deter gnats? Any other tips?
3 Answers
I've had a similar problem before! I saw a trick on YouTube where someone used fine steel wool over the soil. It blocks the gnats from getting in to lay eggs, and if they try to get out, they end up stuck. It worked wonders for me!
You might want to check for other products that contain bacillus thuringiensis israelensis. Items like Gnatrol, mosquito dunks, or Aquabac might be found locally if you check your pest control product registry. Moldy soil can really contribute to gnat problems, especially with soils that stay overly soggy, like Miracle-Gro. Maybe consider changing the soil if it's too soggy?
You should definitely check your soil! Sometimes the issues can be rooted in the soil itself!
Nematodes and fly paper have been effective for me. It's worth a shot! The nematodes attack gnat larvae in the soil, while fly paper catches the adults.
Yes, it was Miracle-Gro that I used! I added perlite for better drainage, but I guess it wasn't enough. I think the soil was already infested when I bought it because the infestation started right after I repotted. Thanks for the advice!