Planta
Torna a Pests, diseases and problems

Help! I got Fungus flies from a Christmas Cactus I bought at the… | Pests, diseases and problems | Comunità di Planta

MP

Help! I got Fungus flies from a Christmas Cactus I bought at the grocery store, and it spread to all my plants. It has been a month and the nasty little critters are still flying around. Her is what I’ve done: -I watered all the plants with 1/4 hydrogen peroxide and 3/4 water. -I put traps in all the plants - I put blue light up plug in traps around the downstairs. - I watered 2 weeks later with mosquito dunk granules. At first it seemed it was getting better, but still fungus flies ( yes I check ) flying around face and nose, a few upstairs now as well. But, now it seems they are proliferating again. Any and all advice would be welcome. My husband is ready to toss all my plants!

2 Mi piace 13 commenti

13 commenti

  1. Kameron 🌿

    fungus gnats are the absolute worst. And seriously, you’ve already done a lot — peroxide, dunks, traps, lights — you’re not slacking. They’re just stubborn. If they’re still popping up, it usually means there’s still some damp soil they’re using. Let the top layer dry out all the way and stick to bottom‑watering for a bit so the surface stays dry. A little sand or DE on top can help break the cycle too. And don’t toss the plants. You’re close, it just feels endless because they breed fast. You’re doing everything right, it just takes a minute to fully knock them out. Don’t let those gnats win. ( Sand personally worked best for me ) Goodluck

    3 Mi piace
    • Greenthumbhopeful

      Sand worked for mine as well in addition to those sticky traps

      2 Mi piace
    • Bunny

      And don’t forget they have a gestation cycle so find out when they lay eggs and create more bugs for you. That’s the time to get those little critters. Don’t let them proliferate.

      0 Mi piace
  2. MP

    What is DE? Someone had suggested small white gravel, but you think sand is better?

    0 Mi piace
    • Kameron 🌿

      DE is just diatomaceous earth basically a super fine powder made from fossilized algae. It’s harmless to people and pets, but for soft‑bodied insects like fungus gnat larvae, it’s like crawling over tiny glass shards. You just sprinkle a thin layer on top of the soil. When the surface dries out, it helps break the gnat life cycle. And I’m not gonna invalidate what anyone else said, but at my nursery when we get plants that need to be recovered from gnats, we use sand.

      4 Mi piace
    • MP

      Thank you 🙏🏻

      1 mi piace
    • Kameron 🌿

      Mhm !

      0 Mi piace
    • Bunny

      Yes, diatomaceous earth is the best Just put a thin layer it’s safe effective and not toxic. It will eat right through their system and turn them into little skeletons. Do it after you water if you are gonna water I sprinkle it in my garage along the walls to keep any critters out Get the food, grade diatomaceous earth

      1 mi piace
  3. GreenJess

    I used mosquito dunks soaked in my water for my plants. That worked the best. I paired it with sticky traps. 2 months in and I think I've nearly wiped them all out. I've also used Arber's fungicide when I pot new plants.

    2 Mi piace
  4. Bunny

    Next time you buy a new plant and you love it to death hold on a bit don’t introduce it to your Homies that already get along without bugs Put the new guy in isolation until he proves himself 😁

    3 Mi piace
  5. MP

    I just got some DE, it says to dust???? How do I apply this?

    0 Mi piace
  6. PsychicNicole1111

    Spray your plants with 70% rubbing alcohol and turn off your grow lights until they dry. It’s the only thing that worked for me.

    1 mi piace
  7. MP

    Will try. I’ve done everything else suggested here, and the flies drop off then are back in less than a week. My husband already place two plants out in the freezing cold because they were crawling with the flies ( even with not watering for 3 weeks, mosquito dunks, hydrogen peroxide initial watering, and now the Diatomaceous Earth, and sticky traps, and peppermint oil near by, and even Bay leaves. I think I may have saved the exiled plants ( cut them and am trying to grow new roots.

    1 mi piace