đŠđWhatâs an effective spray to get rid of gnats? Iâve been using a combination of hydrogen peroxide and water, and a Katchy trapper. This combination works for a while but not as effective as I would like, I still see gnats flying here and there. What have you all tried? Thanks!!
iâve seen people use cinnamon on top of soil and cayenne pepper. Iâd the patchy trapped the sticky traps? Also when i get a new bag or batch of soil i usually treat with peroxide and water mix first because a lot of the time the gnat spawn are already in the bag.
1 me gusta Ah good tip! Iâll do this next time thanks
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are your plants in plain potting soil? or has it been amended with additional drainage material, like pumice and perlite? most of the time when people have fungus gnat infestations itâs the soil theyâre using. miracle gro is well known for being full of pest eggs and larvae, typically because the bags are stored outdoors. you may also be overwatering your plants. fungus gnats breed and thrive on moist soil since they eat the fungus that also breeds and thrives in moist conditions. if your soil and watering habits are all good and you still have a gnat infestation, i would recommend looking into btiâ itâs a type of bacteria that kills the larvae and eggs in the soil. a trap of some sort will take care of the adults
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Does this apply to orchids as well? I have been told a few different things like hydrogen peroxide and water or alcohol and dish soap mixed with water and just tried the alcohol and dish soap yesterday.
2 Me gusta I wouldnât say itâs an infestation⊠the gnats come and go, and usually after treatment with hydrogen peroxide/water theyâre 80-90% gone. I was hoping there was a treatment where they would be gone permanently.
2 Me gusta i have heard of BTI drops⊠i may get them now thanks
1 me gusta hi jenna, this advice applies to every houseplant. iâm not sure about isopropyl or dish soap but i know a thoroughly diluted hydrogen peroxide flush will kill anything living in the soil. i would not recommend using dish soap on plants at all, most brands are too harsh. i use dr bronnerâs castile soap as an insecticidal soap since i already have it for my skin and hair. orchids are epiphytes and prefer to be in an airy, chunky mix that should prevent fungus gnats, they wonât lay their eggs in bark chips even if itâs wet. the media your orchid is in should dry out considerably between waterings (at least halfway) and this will also prevent fungus gnats. if your orchid is in a clear pot, knowing when to water is easier since you can see the moisture in the media and the roots turn silver when theyâre dry.
2 Me gusta Yes I got the orchid from a friend who had them planted in the wrong kind of soil so it came to me with the fungus gnats and I also use Castile soap for soaps around my house due to me being allergic to basically everything but wasnât sure how it would affect the plant that is why I did not try it and only tried the alcohol and water mixture so far. Thank you for the information i tried the hydrogen peroxide mix after posting this so hopefully that will help!! Thank you again!!
1 me gusta hi candy, that was poor phrasing on my part, i read âhere and thereâ in your original post but did not process it fully. it would have been better to say âif youâre still seeing gnatsâ rather than if you still have an infestation. iâm an underwater by nature (i have chronic fatigue and tend to forget about plants) and simply underwatering my plants was enough to eliminate the gnats once i stopped using miracle gro soil and switched to a homemade mix with superior drainage. if youâd rather not subject your plants to some drought, iâm sure the bti drops will work great to eliminate the gnats for you. use it with every watering on every plant and they should go away for good
1 me gusta i donât actually mind underwatering, in most cases they are preferable and now having read that that might help with staving off gnats, Iâm more confident about it⊠thanks for the advice about using a homemade mix if possible vs miracle gro, i didnât know that itâs notorious for the gnats eggs etc etc.. iâll just use it all up and start fresh next time.. do you have a recommendation on a good homemade pottery soil mix that would work on most houseplants? thank you!
0 Me gusta no problem! iâm happy to help. my homemade mix starts with a base potting soil (the moisture retentive element) that is roughly 80% coco coir and worm castings and 20% fine perlite. i get a 3-pack of coir bricks from a local pet store (itâs often sold as reptile/hermit crab bedding) and rehydrate one with a bit of peroxide in the water to kill any potential hitchhikers, then add a few handfuls of worm castings and mix in the perlite. on its own this is a great media for outdoor plants since the soil will dry quickly or for propagating/sowing since newly developed roots need more moisture. if iâm planting or repotting succulents iâll add coarse perlite and pumice until itâs about 60-70% grit. for aroids iâll add coco husk chips too for a looser airier media, then coarse perlite and pumice until itâs about 30-40% grit depending on the species. plants with thick roots tend to prefer a media that holds less moisture and dries out faster than those with fine roots. i found it helpful to consider my watering habits as well as the plantsâ preference. since i know i tend to underwater, a really gritty media that dries out quickly isnât appropriate except for plants that like to be dry. if you tend to overwater, a media thatâs very coarse and dries out faster, like sol soilsâ mixes, may be preferable for all your plants. making your own media involves a fair amount of trial and error. if all these steps sound like a lot, it may be a good idea for you to continue to use a premixed potting soil (like miracle gro) and amend it with bark or coco husk chips and grit like pumice and perlite until itâs the appropriate ratio for you and your plants, or use a premixed media like the sol soils one i mentioned earlier or one from repotme dot com.
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