--- title: "I feel like all I think about is fungus gnats these days. We’ve had…" description: "I feel like all I think about is fungus gnats these days. We’ve had an infestation since June, due to moving house next to a pretty swampy park. I wanted to…" url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/5QURMG5QQmynyOp8_yJyag" community: "Pests, diseases and problems" author: "MoMo" published: "2024-08-08T07:45:24.3851Z" language: "en" image: "https://images.getplanta.com/v2/cloudinary/global_data/communities/pestsDiseasesAndProblems.jpg" --- [Community](https://getplanta.com/community.md) / [Pests, diseases and problems](https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ.md) # I feel like all I think about is fungus gnats these days. We’ve had… _Posted by MoMo on 2024-08-08_ I feel like all I think about is fungus gnats these days. We’ve had an infestation since June, due to moving house next to a pretty swampy park. I wanted to share what I’m doing that’s worked (and what didn’t) and see if anyone has any novel ideas… it’s all out war at this point. What’s worked and didn’t work, in order of how many gnats they have killed, from least to most: \- Kill count: low (do not recommend): 1\) Nematodes. People rave about these but mine didn’t work well. I’m not sure why tbh, tried twice and didn’t see any difference. 2\) Neem oil spray. Very annoying to use, screwed up my lovely mister. Gnats didn’t care. \- Kill count: nil (do not recommend): 1\) Hanging Citronella pods. Found a gnat chilling out on top of one. 2\) Hope and prayer. They do not go away. \- Kill count: medium (meh) 1\) Apple cider vinegar, sugar \& dish soap mix. This killed approx 30 over the course of 24 hours. But then I dropped it on the way to the sink. Yuck. \- Kill count: not measurable (but recommend): 1\) Mosquito bits and mosquito dunks - can’t tell how effective they are in real numbers but I have noticed a dramatic education in how many gnats “hang out” at the soil surface. 2\) Repotting everything into an airier soil mix and into terracotta pots. Yes, I am watering them far more often and it’s annoying, but I’ve gotten used to it! It has reduced the amount of moisture hanging around in the plants. \- Kill count: high (strongly recommend): 1\) Sticky yellow fly traps. These get about 50-70 p/day. Not all though, crucially, which leads to… 2\) A fly swatter. I now have one in every room and at the hight of the infestation I killed 128 gnats in one day. Which is insane. I did patrols every hour and they just kept appearing. Now down to approx 20 p/day, which are visibly juvenile so, progress! Overall, my secret sauce seems to be mosquito bits, sticky yellow fly traps and a rigorous regime of swatting. ## 15 comments ### Josie commented on 2024-08-08 You could get the zeevo plug in traps to add to your regime. I use it along with mosquito bits and it has been a life saver. I went from changing the sticky traps once every couple weeks to changing them maybe once a month. And no swatting. I do have a few of the yellow sticky traps for the pots but only in a few plants that have been extra problematic and the numbers have dwindled on those as well #### MoMo replied on 2024-08-08 Oh - is that an electric zapper trap? I forgot about it! I do have one but to date, it doesn’t seem to have killed any. I was expecting to find them around it but didn’t - is that maybe not how it works, do they just disappear? #### Josie replied on 2024-08-08 It’s not a zapper trap it’s a plug in sticky trap with blue light to attract them and you refill the sticky slides every so often. I’m betting with a zapper trap they probably disintegrate with how tiny they are though. ### Olivia B commented on 2024-08-08 Haha I totally feel the all out war vibes! Same here—what soil did you end up buying? I’m thinking of trying something similar! #### MoMo replied on 2024-08-08 I ended up putting them in a home made recipe because I was worried about bringing other pests in. The mix is: coco coir (rehydrated at home from a block), bark, worm castings, horticultural charcoal and perlite. I changed the percentages slightly based on the type of plant (in the ones that need more moisture I reluctantly added 15% potting soil) but most of my plants are aroids so I’ve gone for a super chunky tropical mix. ### YinDeezy commented on 2024-08-08 What brand of nematodes did you use and did you treat your entire collection at the same time? Killing 50-100 per day is insane! #### MoMo replied on 2024-08-08 I used Gardening Naturally, and then tried again with Nemasys. And yes, we had huge numbers of them! Every time I opened the balcony doors, they just seemed to be multiplied. I’ve only swatted about 30 tiny ones today so it’s getting better 👍🏽 And I’m going to try the electric zapper again tonight. ### Adrian commented on 2024-08-08 Have you tried bottom watering the plants so they stop getting attracted to moist top soil? Hope this helps. #### MoMo replied on 2024-08-08 I considered it, but now that I have the super well draining soil (and water with mosquito bits), I’m seeing if I can avoid it. It’s not my preferred method but I know it works super well for others. ### Danii commented on 2024-08-08 Fighting my own war myself. Slowly winning. Been using a mix of mosquito bits, yellow sticky traps, and a systemic. Although the systemic only seems to kill any that are in the soil and not new ones entering. Oh also an electric fly swatter, very satisfying. #### MoMo replied on 2024-08-08 What’s a systemic - is that the same as nematodes? Ha I would love an electric fly swatter - maybe a gift to myself soon. It is weirdly satisfying. My husband heard me muttering, “I am Genhis Khan” as I swatted earlier - not my finest moment. #### Danii replied on 2024-08-08 Systemic granules, Bonide is the brand I use, are a pesticide basically. It kills most houseplant pests minus spider mites. I give it to any new plant as a precaution and if gnats are extra bad. I just sprinkle a little on the soil and water it in. I only apply once but can apply every 8 weeks if dealing with a pest. Just know not to give it to your plants if pets like to chew on plant leaves or get into the dirt. Kinda my nuclear option lol #### Danii replied on 2024-08-08 An electric fly swatter was the best investment. Learned about them in Jamaica and now the summer fly or gnat doesn’t last long lol ⚡️⚡️ ### BlondeinBrooklyn commented on 2025-06-16 Yup. Just went through same thing. Sticky traps to kill adults \& Bits to kill larvae. #### MoMo replied on 2025-06-18 Amendment from my original post - the gnats kept coming back! I repotted everything (again) into clear plastic plant pots and that’s really helped as I can see the moisture level and keep the plants as dry as possible without putting them at risk. I also moved to black sticky traps (vs yellow) and estimate they work 1x better than the yellow ones. But overall, have accepted that the outdoor environment invites gnats and that it’s a war of attrition. --- _Source: the Planta community (https://getplanta.com). Reading is open to everyone. To post, comment and like, get the Planta app: https://getplanta.com/download_