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I live in a small apartment and am having a major fruit fly/drain… | Pests, diseases and problems | Planta-Community

Livi

I live in a small apartment and am having a major fruit fly/drain fly/fungus gnat problem. What should I do, it looks like I have them in my shower and sink drain, they also like the bathroom trash can?? Idk what products I should get. I’m on a pretty tight budget because I’m in college and just generally need any recommendations to be affordable. Theres like a million plants in the apartment and I live with two other girls. One of the people I live with has a tendency to leave half eaten food lying around either in her room, or the kitchen and the sink. My plants didn’t have anything before moving in because the first few weeks there was no problem then my roommate brought her plants and they started showing up everywhere, but we changed the soil before she brought her plants so that wouldn’t happen… anywho now I’m just ranting lol. Help would be majorly appreciated.

3 Likes 11 Kommentare

11 Kommentare

  1. Springvision

    The first thing I would do is pour boiling water down all your drains.

    3 Likes
  2. Springvision

    I use death drops from happy happy houseplants every time I water my plants. It has finally gotten the fungus gnats under control in my house.

    2 Likes
    • Livi

      I’ll def try that ty

      0 Likes
    • missycay

      I second this! All of the happy house plant line works so well!

      0 Likes
  3. Springvision

    Mosquito bits might be a little more cost-effective, but they're kind of a pain having to soak them for a half an hour, then drain the bits out before you use the water for your plants.

    3 Likes
  4. Sunny

    The fungus gnats can be killed over time by watering with a Mosquito Bits tea or using the liquid version of the same larvicide with Microbe-lift BMC. Both products kill the larvae in the soil. See the picture. Have the landlord clear the drain. Drain flies live in the scum and build up in bathroom drains. Fruit flies and regular flies are attracted to rot. You have to encourage your roommate to clean up or you will never get rid of these pests. You will even get roaches and ants. Set rules that no food go into the bathroom or bedroom trash bins to isolate the problem to the kitchen area. Take out kitchen waste nightly if needed. Run the garbage disposal every night and fully flush with water. I run citrus fruits like old limes and citrus peels every night in the garbage disposal. I grind old ginger in it too. I always have citrus and ginger in the house. I will poor baking soda in the drains. Then, poor white vinegar on it. I poor bleach in the sink if it stinks of rotten meat or fish. I never mix the bleach with other cleaning products. Close off the drains at night with stoppers. 🪴🍀

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    2 Likes
  5. Jneyman

    If the drain flies are in your sinks/shower, there may be a broken pipe somewhere. We had literally hundreds of drain flies one time and it was a broken pipe out from the house. Only able to figure it out from having plumber put a camera through the pipes. Same as with plants, they live on and multiply in organic matter so if it’s not resolving with over the counter methods, it won’t go away until the pipe is repaired because, as it was phrased to us, “there is a cesspool breading ground that won’t stop”. That said, one the pipe was repaired, they went away in like 2 days

    1 Like
  6. Katie

    for everyday management while you’re getting to the root cause, i put a little mason jar with apple cider vinegar and a couple drops of soap next to my sink and you’d be shocked at how many it kills

    2 Likes
  7. DeepRoots

    A really inexpensive option is a 3:1 ratio of water to hydrogen peroxide for the plant part. Water them thoroughly with it and it’ll help kill off the larvae in the soil and won’t harm the plants.

    2 Likes
    • Livi

      Thx I’ll try that

      1 Like
    • NamasteWithMyPlants

      I use hydrogen peroxide and water as well for fungus gnats

      2 Likes