Q. I recently transplanted two house plants and now
have gnats coming out of the soil and infecting my entire house. Is there
any way to kill these little buggers or do I have to get rid of all the dirt
and start over?
gnats can be a serious problem with houseplants as they can feed on plant roots
as well as the decomposing organic matter left in potting soils. The life cycle
of fungus gnats (egg, larva, pupation and adult) are fairly short, perhaps two
to three weeks.
The destructive
stage is the larva or worm stage. The pesky stage is the adult which can fly and
be bothersome. These stages are overlapping so they will not all be flying at
once but some will be in the egg stage, some in the larva stage, some pupating
and some flying.
stage is the larva or worm stage. The pesky stage is the adult which can fly and
be bothersome. These stages are overlapping so they will not all be flying at
once but some will be in the egg stage, some in the larva stage, some pupating
and some flying.
You
can attract the larva living and feeding in the soil to decaying vegetable
pieces like small pieces of potato. You can lay pieces about the size of a
French Fry on the soil surface and these larva will start feeding on them. You
can collect these pieces and dispose of them and it will help get rid of a few
of the buggers.
can attract the larva living and feeding in the soil to decaying vegetable
pieces like small pieces of potato. You can lay pieces about the size of a
French Fry on the soil surface and these larva will start feeding on them. You
can collect these pieces and dispose of them and it will help get rid of a few
of the buggers.
Let
me point you in the direction of an organic product that may work for you. This
is supposed to be available at hardware stores and home improvement stores. It was
originally labeled for controlling mosquitos but is now approved for fungus
gnats.
me point you in the direction of an organic product that may work for you. This
is supposed to be available at hardware stores and home improvement stores. It was
originally labeled for controlling mosquitos but is now approved for fungus
gnats.
This
is an “organic” product made from Bt (a bacterium) with a homeowner trade name
of “Mosquito Bits”. There have been a few other homeowner products made from this
Bt for indoor plants in the past but they have disappeared from many
marketplaces I assume because the homeowner didn’t know about them and how to
use them.
is an “organic” product made from Bt (a bacterium) with a homeowner trade name
of “Mosquito Bits”. There have been a few other homeowner products made from this
Bt for indoor plants in the past but they have disappeared from many
marketplaces I assume because the homeowner didn’t know about them and how to
use them.
 |
| Mosquito Bits is a formulation of a special Bt for controlling fungus gnats. |
A
word of explanation. As I said, this is a Bt product. I have mentioned Bt in
the past but this one is a DIFFERENT form of Bt so it will not work to use the
Dipel or Thuricide product that you would use for grape leaf skeletonizer,
tobacco hornworm, tomato fruitworm and other garden pests.
word of explanation. As I said, this is a Bt product. I have mentioned Bt in
the past but this one is a DIFFERENT form of Bt so it will not work to use the
Dipel or Thuricide product that you would use for grape leaf skeletonizer,
tobacco hornworm, tomato fruitworm and other garden pests.
This
form of Bt is rather unique to certain types of insects such as mosquitos and
fungus gnats. The commercial formulation of this product is called Gnatrol.
Apply this product according to the label directions.
form of Bt is rather unique to certain types of insects such as mosquitos and
fungus gnats. The commercial formulation of this product is called Gnatrol.
Apply this product according to the label directions.
Below I have pasted a document that explains the different types of Bt and how they might be used.