Hello Planty Friends!
Summer is here! This is my favorite season of gardening because summertime is when plants come alive and do their most. It can also be a challenging time of year because while plants are thriving, so are pests like fungus gnats…
Pests are an inevitable part of plant care. It’s not IF, but WHEN. Learning how to prevent, contain, and treat a pest outbreak is a vital skill for every house plant enthusiast.
One of the most common pests is fungus gnats. There is some debate in the houseplant community as to the level of effect these have on the health of plants, but everyone agrees that they are annoying. The most efficient way to get a fungus gnat infestation under control is by attacking the adult fungus gnats as well as the immature larvae.
Q: How to kill fungus gnats
A: Yellow Sticky Traps (adult) and Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew (larvae)
The easiest way to kill the adults is by placing yellow sticky traps near the base of your plant. You can buy these on Amazon, and one pack will last you FOREVER. Here they are on Amazon here: Fungus Gnat Trap
You will also need to attack the immature fungus gnat larvae. I recommend using this concentrate, Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew, and adding a splash to your watering can. Make sure to drench the soil to purify it. Find it on Amazon here: Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew
It is possible get rid of an infestation with sticky traps alone, but it will take a while… Too long if you’re impatient like me. You really need to tackle the infestation from both ends. The reason being, the sticky traps will only kill adults, but in the time between a larva becoming a mature fungus gnat and getting caught it may already have produced its own larvae. Important: This is why you need to kill the larvae before they mature. I recommend using a combination of sticky traps and soil treatments.
My favorite general pest treatment by far is Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew. The active ingredient in this is Spinosad. I recommend buying the liquid concentrate and adding diluting based on the specifications on the bottle. Also, I’ve never had problems with it drying out the soil like I’ve do with neem. This will kill the larvae as well as other soil pests like thrips and soil mites. I will treat my plants with this mixture periodically just to treat any pests before they become noticeable.
Follow these two steps and your fungus gnats will be under control soon.
Q: How to prevent fungus gnats?
A: Mosquito Bits and/or Sand
Mosquito Bits are my favorite product for preventing fungus gnats.
Sand is also a recommended method for preventing this pest.
The best way to stop pests is by preventing them from making a home in your beloved plants. My preferred method is to use Mosquito Bits. You can mix these small pellets with your potting mix or sprinkle on the top layer. I prefer this method because it takes no extra effort on my part, and you can simply add it to the soil mixture and it treats itself.
You can also place an inch or so of sand on top of your potting soil. Sand is not an inhabitable environment for fungus gnat larvae, so it will be impossible for an infestation to even begin. You can use any sand, and you can even use different colors to give your plant a unique look.
So to summarize…
- Kill adults with Yellow Sticky Traps
- Kill larvae with Captain Jack’s Dead Bug Brew (concentrate)
- Preventative care: Mosquito Bits and Sand
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