When you choose the perfect houseplant for your home, you don’t even think twice about it. They have a way of bringing the outdoors inside and adding an organic beauty that can’t be matched. When your houseplants are infested with small black flies, it can really change the way you feel about those beautiful plants though. A Five Star Termite & Pest Control is here to talk about how you can avoid fungus gnats on your houseplants and how to get rid of an infestation for those that are battling this nuisance pest.
How Do I Prevent Fungus Gnats in My House
Fungus gnats are small black flies that are about 1/8 inch long. They are often mistaken for fruit flies, but they live in the moist soil of your houseplant rather than around your fruit. If an infestation is severe, you may start to notice them around other moist areas of your house like drains. The biggest thing to remember when trying to avoid fungus gnats is that they need moisture to thrive. Your houseplants receive their moisture from the bottom of the pot. There is no need for you to keep the soil at the top of the pot moist. In fact, you shouldn’t water your plant until the top 1 ½ – 2 inches of soil is dry. Some people like to put about 2 inches of sand at the top of the pot to avoid fungus gnats from being attracted to your plant.
How to Get Rid of a Fungus Gnat Infestation
If you already have a fungus gnat infestation, don’t panic. There are several ways that you can get rid of these pests. Here are some tips to help you get rid of an active infestation of fungus gnats.
• Get Rid of Moisture- If your pot is full of saturated soil, allow the soil to dry out before watering again. If the soil isn’t moist, the gnats will not be able to survive.
• Yellow Sticky Traps- To catch adult fungus gnats, you can stake yellow sticky tape in the soil around the plant and capture the adults before they have the chance to lay anymore eggs.
• Organic Pesticides- To avoid damaging your houseplant, you can use pesticides that are rich with Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis to kill the bugs. This will work to kill larvae as well which are the cause for plant damage.
• Beneficial Nematodes- Dressing the top of your pot with microscopic round worms will help you prevent any further infestation. They feed on the eggs as well as larvae that may be present in your houseplant’s soil. This is a long lasting solution to the problem.
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IF you are constantly battling flies in your home, the experts at A Five Star Termite & Pest Control can help you get rid of them. With our extensive training and experience, there is no fly that stands a chance against our pest control options. Call us today for more information.
