Fungus Gnats are one of the most common and annoying pests that come with owning indoor plants. They’re buzzing around the moment you water, they multiply in a matter of days, and overall, they take the whole buzzkill thing to a new level. We’ve had our fair share of battles with these guys, and we’ve got some helpful advice to pass on to you in order to remove them.
One thing is for sure: they are usually a symptom of how we take care of our plants.
1. Water should flow, not stay.
If your pot does not have drainage, then regardless of whether you overwater or not, the soil will retain its moisture, and soggy soil is the cozy home gnats are looking for.
The best way to avoid this is to ensure all your pots have drainage holes. This can be annoying for people in apartments, but getting a tray for underneath the pots to catch the excess water or placing your plants in the sink/shower to drain after watering will prevent the mess that usually comes with drainage.
2. Flooding our plants
As always, overwatering comes with many, many consequences and one of them is that gnats thrive on it. We feel like we’re loving our plants and giving them what they need, but the consistent damp soil is what gnats need; it creates a breeding ground for them. Moist soil allows them to lay eggs, and you’ll be hit with that infestation in no time.
To prevent this, let the soil dry out between waterings. Most plants can handle their topsoil drying out before you water again, and some will even indicate when it is time to water. If you’re not comfortable with using your finger to check the soil, you can also use a wooden chopstick, like how some people check if a cake is cooked by seeing if anything clumps or sticks to the probe.
3. Infestation
Once they’re in, they stay in. If you’ve already got a few gnats around, you should not ignore them. They reproduce quickly, and the larvae have been proven to damage roots by consuming them.
A really good way to tackle an ongoing infestation can be using our Fungus Gnat Fixer bundle, this bundle will provide you with exactly what you need to remove them, our anti-gnat concentrate, compostable gnat traps and our protect spray.
We hope this quick guide helps you identify and prevent those nasty gnats!
