The Ultimate Home Guide to Fighting Fungus Gnats
You don’t have to be into houseplants long before you have a run in with that buzzing little nuisance...
You’re hanging out with your jungle fam after a long day when you hear that pesky buzz, a little too close to your ear...
Next thing you know, you have one invading your personal eye space...
One might even make a break for your nostril...
They’re downright annoying, that we cannot deny.
It would be bad enough if that was all we had to worry about.
But I’m afraid it’s the least of our woes.
Fungus gnats thrive in your moist plant soil with a motive...
It’s the perfect environment for them to have their babies!
These eggs hatch quickly in your soil and the feast begins...
They tear up defenseless plant roots, interfering with nutrient and water uptake.
Your plant may begin a cry for help, by way of wilted leaves and a discolored complexion.
If left unchecked... These colonizers will establish their new motherland within your urban jungle - claiming your green haven in the name of plant slaughter and unchecked reproduction.
Of course... we will be having NONE of that.
So here are my tried and true tactics for saying “hasta la vista” to your little friends.
Managing the populations before they get out of control allows you to stick to simple, affordable methods of extermination...
A full out infestation may call for some big guns in order to save your plant babies from an untimely doom.
For this reason, this post will go in order from least to most extreme measures.
Let’s get started!
1.Hydrogen Peroxide
Wouldn’t you agree that it’s more effective to stop a problem at its source?
That’s exactly what my homegirl hydrogen peroxide is here to do for a budding infestation.
It kills any gnat eggs hiding in the soil, effectively thwarting their plans of mass reproduction.
You simply water as usual, only with a hydrogen peroxide and water solution.
You’re looking for a ratio of around one part H.P. to four parts water.
Continue your watering routine per usual, only with this solution until the problem goes away.
We do it for them…
2.Vinegar Traps
While waging war on their children goes a long way, sometimes you have to cover all your bases.
If you really want them gone, you’ll add this to your peroxide routine:
Mix hot water, vinegar, a little sugar, and a couple drops of dish soap.
Place solution in a container, leaving them around high gnat activity areas.
If you want to go the extra mile, design a holy lid or paper cone to ensure they get trapped inside.
They simply can’t resist that sugary vinegar smell, but the dish soap makes them go in for the long dip.
This effectively drowns all the adults, so they can’t continue laying eggs in your plants.
3.Sticky Fly Paper
When you have some large adult populations to take down, I can’t recommend sticky fly paper enough.
While vinegar traps do work, this method is more fast and effective - making it a good measure for huge infestations or time sensitive situations.
Just be careful! I may or may not have ripped a big chunk of fronds off of my fern with a knocked over sticky paper.
Long story short: They will stick to EVERYTHING they can.
(Even your cat’s tail! Ask me how I know...)
4.Beneficial Nematodes
I jump at any opportunity to get a group effort going in the garden.
In the vegetable garden, you can get beneficial predators, like ladybugs, to do some of the dirty work for you.
Don’t worry, the indoor jungle has a few happy helpers as well!
After all, a big enough fungus gnat attack may call a whole army to jump to your defense!
While it’s a bit of an investment, I have used this tactic to obliterate a huge infestation of some 100+ plants.
You simply release the nematodes into a big container of water, and thoroughly water every single plant with it.
The nematodes begin their gnat egg binge! This induces a feeling in the adult gnats, one that says “this is not a good neighborhood to settle down and raise our family!”
A few things to keep in mind:
Always buy local when you can. Besides the good feel that comes with supporting locally owned plant vendors, this is the best way to ensure they don’t die in the mail!
You’ll need to keep the soil a little more moist than usual for the following months, so they can establish.
Follow the instructions on the package, and you’ll do just fine!
5.Dirt Cleanse
When all else fails, our last resort is to ditch the soil entirely.
Think about it, this is where the problem lives!
A measure necessary for those plants we will do everything in our power to save.
That being said, follow these steps to ensure a swift procedure:
Very gently massage all the soil out of the roots, which may be very fragile from gnat damage.
Dispose of the infested soil. Never reuse soil that’s had gnat problems!
Allow the roots to air out for a bit. In bad cases, I’ll even mist or dunk the root ball with the hydrogen peroxide water solution above.
Pot plant up in fresh soil. You can use the same pot, but be sure it’s clean and egg free!
Gettin’ a new lease on life over here…
There you have it! My five methods for establishing a killer defense of your urban jungle.
While all this has been informative and all, I’m sure most of us would prefer to skip this step and avoid the issue all together.
Infestations can be avoided with better watering habits.
I prefer to water my plants very thoroughly, but then give them time to dry out between.
Consistently moist soil is exactly what those little buggers are looking for.
While some plants have greater water needs, I find that even a lot of my sensitive plants have adapted to this “watering lifestyle”.
For an in-depth look at how you can better serve your green babies, and how they can best serve you, feel free to chat with me about my plant parent training sessions!