by Carolyn
Fungus gnats are one annoying little critter that you probably will be unlucky enough to experience at one point or another on your plants at home. They are tiny, well gnats, that hover around your house plants and seedlings. It sometimes feels like an endless battle, where the only endgame is to sacrifice your plant to the Calgarian winter. But they actually are treatable and preventable, so before you throw the plant out the window, here are a few easy steps to prevent and treat fungus gnats in your home.
The best method to combat these guys is prevention. Do not over water your plants and seedlings (If you’re starting veggie and/or flower seeds indoors), fungus gnats love moist, wet soil conditions. Most houseplants do not like to be left in wet conditions, so letting your houseplants dry out between watering is always a good idea. The other thing that can be done as prevention is to buy a high-quality potting mix for your indoor plants and seedlings. Trust me, the extra cost to not have a hundred flying bugs in your house is worth it in the end! Also, covering the soil in your houseplants with decorative rocks, or clay beads known as Leca, will prevent the gnats from laying their eggs in the soil.
If it’s too late and infestation has already occurred, they are actually not the worst plant pest to combat (perhaps one of the most annoying). Mosquito dunks can be purchased and placed in your watering jug and water as normal, this should eliminate the larvae. Read the package directions and adjust how much of the mosquito dunk puck you need to use according to the volume of your jug. Placing those sticky pieces of yellow fly tape around your plants will help deal with the adult gnats that are flying around and obnoxiously landing in our drinks.
With these tips, you should be victorious in your war on fungus gnats!
