The problem is that they can lay, on the surface of the soil (or up to 3 inches deep), hundreds of eggs at once, making an infestation very hard to eradicate. You may need to cut your fabric softener sheet so that it fits around your houseplant. Fungus gnats thrive in the presence of wet soil. wikiHow, Inc. is the copyright holder of this image under U.S. and international copyright laws.

If there is no damage, spray this mixture onto your pots, soil, onto the leaf of the affected houseplants, and all surrounding plants (fungus gnats might be developing there). Moreover, if dry, the soil will suck water from the bottom, making the situation worse (as you are essentially watering twice the plant). Moreover, the low temperature also reduces the water that naturally evaporates from the growing medium. Cultural Control. I may receive a small commission when you buy through links on my website. It comes in the form of small bits (check it here on Amazon if you do not know what they are) coated with the bacteria Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israelensis. If possible separate from the others the affected plants to avoid spreading. After the eggs open and the small larvae will start feeding on leaves on the soil and plant roots.

However, as the majority of organic products, it might take multiple applications for success.

Fortunately, there are ways to get rid of gnats, and keep house plants indoors. After mixing the soil, I like to pack the earth down a bit, just to make sure the heat remains in the earth longer so it can kill all the fungus gnat eggs. Drying out houseplants can also help get rid of the problem once it occurs.

Once the females lay their eggs, take the pot outside and dump its contents. For example, if you grow tomatoes or other fruits or flowering plants indoors, pollinators may be required. Indeed, cinnamon helps with issues such as damping off, and mushrooms growing around potted plants. As discussed at the very beginning two are the causes that trigger a fungus gnats infestation: Leave the soil open for a few days (just open the bag and leave it in the garage). How, Why? What are Fungus Gnats?

Remember, insecticides are indiscriminate and will kill insects you do want and those you don’t. Indeed, cinnamon is shown to have come out that cinnamon has fungicidal properties. Remember to spray through the soil. Heavy infestations may require repotting the herbs. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/insects/fungus-gnats.htm. This will kill gnats, not only preventing them from accessing the soil. Another way is to use those oils in a diffuser placed close to the herbs to discourage fungus gnats and a range of other insects and create an amazing and relaxing atmosphere. The steam and the microwaves will kill all fungus gnats. So we need to prevent these parasites from spawning or hatching in our potting soil mix. They will go away with time. This solution is not harmful to pets, humans, just to the larvae. Fortunately, there are ways to get rid of gnats, and keep house plants indoors. Purchase an insecticide spray that's safe to use on indoor plants to be sure it's not toxic to breathe in. Be careful in using any pesticides in the presence of children. Did you manage to get rid of those pesky fungus gnats? How do fungus gnats spread on your plants? References.

And when they feed on root hairs of newly planted crops, cuttings or seedlings it is hard to tell that the reduction in growth is caused by these little larvae. This image is not<\/b> licensed under the Creative Commons license applied to text content and some other images posted to the wikiHow website. This article was co-authored by Kevin Carrillo. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 9,954 times. I suggest making a few holes in the bag to release pressure when needed. Females can lay up to 300 minuscule eggs in small batches at various spots in the potting soil. Hence, if you cover that moist surface area, fungus gnats can no longer place their eggs on the soil. yourindoorherbs is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com. These are: The first of this is likely to be the easiest for you to get your hands on. Diatomaceous earth is a natural type of ground-up rock that is great for pest control. After 2-3 weeks, they developed into full adults (able to fly) and will be around for another week in the adult form to then die.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'yourindoorherbs_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_15',108,'0','0'])); Even though larvae (not adults) feed on the plant’s roots, hardly ever (if not in massive numbers) significantly affects plant growth. How to sterilise the potting mix? Adult gnats will not lay eggs on dry soil. Shake the solution vigorously to let the neem oil mix into the water.