Get Rid of Fungus Gnats in Your Houseplants: Tips and Tricks

If you have houseplants, you may have encountered tiny flying pests known as fungus gnats. These insects are attracted to damp soil and can lay up to 200 eggs in a week. If left unchecked, these pests can multiply quickly, ruining the aesthetic appeal of your plants. In this blog post, I'll be covering how you can get rid of these pesky creatures and keep your houseplants looking healthy.

The first step in getting rid of fungus gnats is to let the top two inches of soil dry out before watering your houseplants. This will discourage the adult fungus gnats from laying their eggs in the soil. Instead of watering more often, you can water less often but provide more water to the plants, so the water can percolate all the way down to the roots.

Another tip is to add two inches of sand or gravel on top of your potted plants. This will prevent the fungus gnats from reaching deep into the soil. If you're worried about watering, you can use the bottom watering technique, where you water the plants in a pan under the containers.

You can also use hydrogen peroxide on your potted plants. The recommended ratio is one part hydrogen peroxide to one part water. You can use this solution two times a week to kill the microbial activity in the soil. However, be careful about using hydrogen peroxide in your garden.

Finally, you can use BT solution or Spinosad solution, which are biological agents that kill the larvae of insects. Simply add a small amount of the solution to your watering can and water your houseplants.

Conclusion

In conclusion, getting rid of fungus gnats in your houseplants is possible with a few simple tricks and techniques. By breaking the life cycle of these pests, you can keep your plants healthy and attractive.

As you embark on encorporating organic ways to control pests here are some helpful items we use at Daisy Creek Farms to maintain an organic environment. Follow the links to take you directly to the items on Amazon!