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FUNGUS GNATS - help!!! šŸ¦Ÿ Soooooo I believe all my beautiful plantsā€¦ | Propagating & Sowing | Planta community

Ayris

FUNGUS GNATS - help!!! šŸ¦Ÿ Soooooo I believe all my beautiful plants got infected AGAIN šŸ™ƒ Iā€™ve been struggling with what I believe is fungus gnats and no amount of repotting / bug spraying / washing plants with water during repotting seems to be helping. Iā€™ve been having issues with yellowing leaves and no surprise it was PESTS, not my wateringā€¦ Please give me tips to get rid of them!!! how can I get rid of pests forever so they donā€™t come again??? Would propagating all my plants / re-rooting them help? Itā€™s easy to clean off the leaves but I wonder if itā€™s the roots thatā€™s my problem, making the gnats come back šŸ˜­ Pictures of my beauties for attention.

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10 comments

  1. Mullein

    I agree with Laura, I use Mosquito Bits. Beater, Bits, and Dunks are all the same product in different forms. I prefer to steep it in my watering can because it molded for me when I used it as a soil topper. I just have a little nylon gift sachet filled with bits that hangs out in my watering can at all times. As long as my watering can is always filled, I always have some mixed up and ready to go. Easy peasy

    1 like
    • Ayris

      Thanks for the alternate use! I ordered some - Iā€™ll give it some go as a topper for some of my plants and use it in the water for the rest to see which way works best!

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    • Mullein

      Awesome! Good luck šŸ¤—

      1 like
  2. Sunny

    The source of the gnats can come from infested potting soil (common), as mentioned above, and infected plants you bring home. Overwatering and slow drying soil sustains them. The larvae eats the roots damaging the plant. The adults spread the infestation. The excess water rots the roots further damaging the plant. You must treat all the areas to significantly reduce the numbers. You can never totally get rid of insects.

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    • Ayris

      Thank you for the information!! It helps to know more about how the gnats survive - and also that they might not completely go away! ā˜ŗļø

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    • Sunny

      I see one or 2 gnats a week after getting new plants. I change out the soil of the new plants to a faster drying mix like succulent mix with premium potting soil. Coco husk mix or other dirt free blends donā€™t support fungus because they are airy and drain very well. I use those with hoyas and alocasias.

      3 likes
  3. Angel

    I have 2 plants that get gnats a ridiculous amount I find the best solution is as soon as I find any gnats to put it outside for a while a week sometimes more let it dry out completely so that the eggs in the soil shrivel (at least thatā€™s what I think happens) and I water extremely cautiously from that point on. Drainage can be a massive thing too check that youā€™ve got drainage pots for all your plants.

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    • Ayris

      Thanks! Iā€™m definitely gonna let them dry out more between watering. And I basically have plastic pots with drainage holes but I place them in nicer looking no-drainage hole pots. After watering I pour away the water collected at the bottom of it. Do you think thatā€™s a good way of watering?

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    • Angel

      Yeah that sounds like how itā€™s recommended to water plants - I really underwater I think usually donā€™t pour till the watter dripps though because the density of the soil makes it take a while and I donā€™t want to water log the plant - I put enough to make a little water bubble on top and just leave it - one of my plants that gets gnats often is a spider plant and their leaves start to fade if theyā€™re thirsty so will give a little too up if that happens and with all the others Iā€™ll do I little too up if theyā€™ve been by the window on a very hot day with lots of direct sunlight and are looking dry but always air on the side of caution :)

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  4. Lolly

    I have heard that if you cut corks in half and set those on topā€¦ and sulfur matches when you put the end in the soil.

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