Can anyone help me? I’ve had a gnat problem with my plants for over a year now. it feels like everything I do doesn’t work, i’ve done systemic, hydrogen peroxide, dr bronners soap and water, i even have one of those machines with the light that’s sucks them into a sticky thing, and i have the sticky things for the plants. But they keep coming back. it’s making me hate soil! I don’t know what else to do. any tips?
Bro if you’ve done all that including systemic granules then that makes me think your soil is too dense. What is your soil made up of? Also, I’ve heard of success with death drops and mosquito bits.
3 Likes I just use the miracle grow potting mix, what does that mean too dense?
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miracle gro potting soil on its own is over 90% organic matter like peat, compost, and recycled forest/yard products. it only has a very small amount of inorganic matter, grit, to assist drainage. it’s appropriate for outdoors where the soil will dry quickly— there’s much more airflow and heat outdoors. for indoor container plants, potting soil will need to be amended with additional grit like perlite or pumice. this ensures enough airflow to the roots. without amendment roots can suffocate in plain potting soil as it holds very few air pockets and tons of moisture. both water and airflow are essential for healthy roots
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I’m not a professional but it sounds like the problem could be the soil itself that’s holding too much moisture. Maybe try repotting the plant in different soil if you haven’t done that already. Gnats usually come out during this season as well
3 Likes I have gnats in my ivy plant 😞 but it’s a hand me down plant so I’m waiting until the soil is fully dry to see if they’ll leave on their own. I feel you. Good luck!
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You better treat it now. As soon as yu water it again the knats will return. Check for root rot. If you are over watering it causes root rot especially if the pot doesn’t have drainage You can try the hydrogen peroxide diluted first. Then mosquito bits actually work
2 Likes Yeah I think the old owner overwatered it 😪 I’ll be treating it soon
0 LikesI had a TERRIBLE gnat problem about 6 months ago. I did my research and found that the following process worked for most. I take a gallon of distilled water, put in 4 tablespoons of mosquito bits and let them soak. I actually make a few gallons at a time. The second one gets REAL potent!! 👍🏼 After I water a plant, I pour the mixture right on top of the wet soil and let it drain through. I continue this method for 2 more waterings for each plant. It is a bit of a process because not every plant needs water at the same time. My ZZ plant took forever to fully treat! lol. I put a toothpick in the soil for every treatment that I do so that I can keep track at a glance of how many more treatments are needed. I now only see gnats when I bring a new plant into my home, but immediately start the treatment. Bottom line — this WILL work as long as u have enough patience and perseverance. Good luck to you!!!! 🤞🏼🌱
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Ooh! I like that toothpick idea! I was about to start this treatment plan on my 60+ plants but was wondering how I could tell who has been treated and how many times. I have done mosquito bits before when I had a gnat problem in my snake’s bioactive enclosure and it worked great, but those three plants in their were all I had so it was easy to track :). I love that the mosquito bits don’t hurt other beneficial insects, like the isopods and springtails I have in there.
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Great advice.
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Look up "Beneficial Nematodes" in the planta chat, it's what many people swear by (including myself)
0 Likes 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 it’s the soil they’re using. gnats are attracted to the peat in many commercial mixes. miracle gro in particular is well known in experienced circles for being full of pest eggs and larvae, typically because the bags are stored outdoors. i would recommend switching to a peat-free soilless mix like one from sol soils or repotme dot com. you may also be overwatering your plants, and an airy mix will help with this too. fungus gnats breed and thrive on moist soil since they eat the fungus that also breeds and thrives in moist conditions. changing the soil on all my plants was enough to eliminate the fungus gnats along with a hydrogen peroxide flush for plants still in potting soil during the transition period. i tend to underwater and this helps as well. i would recommend letting your plants get as dry as they can tolerate between waterings. if gnats are still a problem after the soil is changed, a bti product may be a good idea.
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I recommend mixing diatomaceous earth with your new, chunkier soil. It cut my gnat problem dramatically. I’m also going to try nematodes, which are always highly recommended and a natural way to fight off gnats. Good luck!
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I recommend, sticky traps with a mister full of dish soap water and peppermint citrus oil, spray that in your plants the bubbles should suffocate them and the oils keeps them away. Also isolate all of them, and repot and throw the old soil away or take I outside and treat the soil. I recommend it in a sealed garage bag
0 Likes You need to repot it. It seems a lot of people get pests after using Miracle grow fertilizer or soil. I only bottom water my plants Too much water causes root rot. You may have some root rot going on. Do you have drainage on your plantar? I just threw two plants in the trash this year. Cause I didn’t want those plants infecting my other plants. 🪴. I can’t deal with knats. Ugh. 😩
0 Likes Let the plant dry out. The eggs are on the top soil and can’t thrive in dry soil.
0 LikesI use diatomaceous earth in my soil for plants that are prone to gnats and flies! It’s amazing!! Add it to your chunky mix.
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