How to Keep Your Plants Healthy and Pest-Free

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I think all plant lovers have been there, sitting on our sofas watching TV, and out of nowhere a gnat flies in front of our face, or we are eating dinner and one of those lovely little gnats flies right into our meal. Ugh…so frustrating!  How in the world did they get here and what can you do to get rid of them?  Well, let’s try and figure this out.

Fungus gnats are tiny flies that survive off the fungus in your plant soil. They're dark gray and only about 1/8" long. They don't bite and are harmless to humans.  Aside from being unbearably annoying, adult fungus gnats won't directly harm your plants. I say "directly" because their offspring most definitely can.

Fungus gnat larvae survive by eating fungi, organic matter in the soil, and the roots of plants, which can cause damage. 

How Can We Get Rid of Fungus Gnats

I tried several methods before I finally found a solution. But first, here are some frequently-mentioned remedies that didn't work for me or were just too inconvenient to try:

Apple Cider Vinegar

Every time I researched a method to get rid of fungus gnats or fruit flies, the mixture of apple cider vinegar, dish soap, and water is always at the top of the list - and it has NEVER worked for me. This time was no exception. The smell was as obnoxious to the bugs as it was to me, and no one wanted to go near the stuff.  Plus, your entire home will smell like apple cider vinegar.

Neem Oil & Other Sprays

Neem oil is a naturally occurring pesticide and came up frequently as an option to get rid of fungus gnats, so I gave it a try. But I also had some issues with this as all.

First, the suggested application was to drench my plants in neem oil - including the tops AND bottoms of all leaves as well as the stems. This proved to be just a huge mess, especially when dealing with the oily substance. On top of that, although the smell isn’t super strong, I wasn’t a fan. Needless to say, this method didn’t work either.

There were spray other options, but so far I am not impressed with any of the commercial ones.

Waiting Longer Between Waterings

Because fungus gnats thrive off the decaying material in soil, which is exacerbated by dampness, the idea behind this method makes sense. This seemed to work in the short term, but I ended up needing to water my plants before they died and the gnat problem picked right back up.  I felt like once the first drop of water hit the soil, the gnats appeared right then and there.

Repotting

I have A LOT of plants, so it would have been wildly inconvenient to repot them all, but if you only have a couple this would be a viable option. Just make sure you throw out the old soil and maybe give your plant a good rinse before repotting.

Sticky Traps

I started using sticky traps while I was trying other methods of eradication. They work well to capture adult fungus gnats as they’re flying past, but they don’t get to the root (pun intended) of the problem - the larvae. The traps can’t possibly catch ALL of the adults, so the gnats continue to reproduce, and the problem persists.

Mosquito Dunks

In the depths of the interwebs, after reading about oh-so-many solutions that didn’t work, I came across a post that recommended using mosquito dunks.

Mosquito dunks are small beige discs that are typically used for standing water (i.e. birdbaths). As they dissolve, they release a bacteria that is poisonous to mosquitos - and apparently to fungus gnats!

For the next couple of months,(I do want to be clear here, this is not a quick-fix issue) every time I watered my plants, I would break off a quarter of a disc, crumble it into my watering can, and let it sit in water overnight to give it time to release the bacteria. I would then water my plants the next day.

While the sticky traps stopped the adult gnats in their tracks, the mosquito dunks killed them early in their lifecycle. I started noticing a difference after the first watering, but it took a while to completely get rid of the gnats.  You have to be consistent here to completely get rid of these annoying gnats in your plants.  They are persistent and you must be too.

During that time, I kept a close eye on the sticky traps and switched them out as needed. This helped me gauge how many gnats were still reaching adulthood and whether I needed to continue the mosquito dunk treatment.

And FINALLY, I am gnat free! I’d prefer not to deal with this little problem ever again, so below are some tips to avoid a gnat relapse. 

How to Prevent a Fungus Gnat Infestation

Thoroughly Check, Clean, and Isolate New Plants

Before you even hit the check-out line, look closely for any small bugs flying around the leaves of your new buddy. Also, check the soil for larvae - which will be clear or whitish in color with a black head.

Once you bring your new plant home, give it a good shower to wash away any potential hitchhikers. Although it may be the most effective in entirely ridding your plants of gnats, wiping down the leaves with neem oil will help prevent bugs from sticking around.

Lastly, isolate your new plant for the first month before you introduce it to the rest of the gang. This will give you time to identify any critters you may have missed and treat the individual plant before the problem can spread.

Provide Drainage & Don’t Overwater

As I mentioned before, fungus gnats LOOOVE damp soil. To make your plants less appealing, make sure to only water when the top couple of inches of soil is dry and make sure any extra water has somewhere to go. Overwatering can also lead to root rot in plants, so consider this an extra important tip!

I hope some of this information will help you conquer your gnat problem. I have been there and I know it does take a toll on your sanity. Stay vigilant and I promise there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Please remember I am always here to help you with your questions, you can email, or call me. I want you to love plants as much as I do. I believe EVERYONE has a green thumb!

Lisa