Getting your first houseplant is an exciting moment. You’ve probably spent weeks researching the right fit for your light and watering capabilities. And once you’ve brought the first one home and it is actually growing, you could not be more proud. You’re a successful plant parent! But inevitably, some bugs may find your plant, and wreak havoc.
The most common insect pest on houseplants is basically unavoidable, even if you do everything right. The pest? Fungus Gnats.
At first you may think that they are just fruit flies, but if the gnats are hovering around your houseplant rather than your bananas, those bugs are most likely fungus gnats.
Fungus gnats, as their name suggests, are gnats with a larval stage that feed primarily on fungus. Almost any potted plant will, at some point in its life, have beneficial fungus in the soil. Mycorrhizal fungus attaches itself to the roots of a plant and helps the plant take in more water and nutrients than it would otherwise be able to. Fungus gnat larvae will occasionally resort to munching on plant roots if they get out of hand, which can damage the plant’s health.
I recall the first time that I encountered fungus gnats. I was mortified. All of my houseplants got them. I tried everything. I tried drying out the soil until the plants were near death. That did not work. I tried keeping them outside for months, in the hopes that beneficial insects would eat them. They still had the gnats when I brought the plants back inside. Nothing worked, and I almost gave up.
But then, I heard of a new solution!
We have nailed down controlling fungus gnats in houseplants with two simple steps.
1. Scatter Mosquito Bits® on top of the soil of your houseplants to kill the larvae in the soil.
2. Set up sticky traps to capture adult fungus gnats.
That’s it! Within about two weeks you should stop seeing the annoying little gnats. The Mosquito Bits release a beneficial bacterium into the soil that targets and kills fungus gnat larvae. The sticky traps help to expedite the process by catching the adults.
Best of all, Mosquito Bits® are readily available for purchase in the Garden Showplace!
How it works:
Mosquito Bits® uses a strain of Bacillus thuringensis which kills mosquito larvae in standing water, and also kills fungus gnat larvae. The bacteria is only effective for controlling the larvae, so if using the Mosquito Bits® alone, it will take up to two weeks for all of the adult gnats to die. That’s where the sticky traps are useful, as they are very effective at trapping the adults. Any fly traps work, but we really like the kind that come with a little stake, as they are easier to use in houseplants.