---
title: "Gnat help!!! I found out recently that my plants have every type of…"
description: "Gnat help!!! I found out recently that my plants have every type of gnats. I got fruit flies. I got fungal gnats. I have phorid flies. I have a mystery stripey…"
url: "https://getplanta.com/community/lKxUkhzRR_aIJD7o1QvtwQ/zWik1p40PVM8DRPDojZaAo"
community: "Pests, diseases and problems"
author: "Dracula Spectacula"
published: "2026-10-20T22:23:35.941055Z"
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)

# Gnat help!!! I found out recently that my plants have every type of…

_Posted by Dracula Spectacula on 2026-10-20_

Gnat help!!! I found out recently that my plants have every type of gnats. I got fruit flies. I got fungal gnats. I have phorid flies. I have a mystery stripey one, and I'm sure more than that. Some are fat, some are thin, and all of them are in every stage of life. I know gnats do not typically eat plants but one of them absolutely does. I watch them land on my plants and literally feed off their leaves. I see the damage they leave where they were feeding. Idk which one it is bc if I get too close they fly at my eyes and it freaks me out. Also idk if it is the same species but I recently burned my hand and now they won't leave me alone. They want to eat me and my plants 😭 The neem oil made a good dent in them but they are too persistent. And again, ik gnats do not typically like plant leaves. I assure you it is the flying pest I am talking about that is damaging my plants. I assure you it is not spidermites, thrips, or mealy bugs. I can literally show you photos of damage, tell you what I observed when it happened, and then show you the exact same patterns these guys leave on other plants. The damage matches their behavior. How do I kill them? They have been neemed for a fat min now and the sticky traps are full of children. Yet there is always more. My soil is very bioactive and full of yummy yummy fungi. My plants LOVE it but so do the bugs 😭

## 4 comments

### nick commented on 2026-10-20

Two best options are going to be either mosquito bits soaked in water until they dissolve (if you throw them in the soil they will mold) or beneficial nematodes. They eat the larvae.

#### Dracula Spectacula replied on 2026-10-20

I have been thinking of getting a packet or two of those bug egg thingies you can hang up. But I am paranoid that I will end up with just,,, more bugs in general 😭 What are mosquito bits? How do they work?

#### nick replied on 2026-10-20

They are pellets that you put in water and it kills larvae. U can also find them at home depot and ace hardware.

![Attachment 1 of 1](https://images.getplanta.com/v1/resize/oZiGFJbYdGYuzcEaID_qRh9BnPcuydMxZJH3Wy-qeBk/B76oZaL4QLqSPjB9vHB7kw.webp?size=large)

#### plantgeek replied on 2026-10-20

mosquito bits or dunks are little blocks of grain cultured with a bacteria that is toxic specifically to the larvae of black flies, fungus gnats, and mosquitos. they're very popular in the backyard pond community and some people even report animals eating the dunks lol, they're totally safe for humans and furry friends

---

_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_