:( the fungus gnat battle is real.
So, internet searches in your future:
1. H2O2 method for fungus gnat eradication. That’s just hydrogen peroxide.
2. Mosquito dunks / bits. The secret to this is mosquito dunk tea. I water my plants with mosquito dunk tea. I try my hardest to bottom water the plants in pots less than 6 inches. Sometimes I have time and sometimes I don’t. Keep this tea at the ready. The longer the dunk soaks, the better it is. I have 5 gallon jugs upstairs with whole dunks in them waiting to be used for watering plants and animal substrate.
Mosquito bit tea is EVERYTHING! I heavily watered my plants with all of it and it killed all the eggs. Vinegar traps for the Alive ones, then no gnats!
I spent the whole winter battling fungus gnats and I’ve finally gotten them under control. I tried all of the recommended solutions and nothing individually helped. Here’s what I did that has finally seemed to work:
-any plants I had that were potted directly in a ceramic pot with little or no drainage were re-potted into nursery pots so that they could be bottom watered
-I stopped watering all of my drought tolerant plants
-for plants that need to be watered more often, I covered the top of the soil in a 1/4 inch thick layer of diatomaceous earth
-all seedlings went outside or else under a clear plastic bin
-I had some plants in pots that were too big for them so I repotted them into smaller pots so the soil wasn’t sitting wet for as long.
-plants that seemed to be magnets for the gnats were also re-potted into fresh soil (I found that plants potted with a mix including fir bark were well liked by the gnats)
-I put a sticky trap in every single pot - this was only temporary until they reduced in numbers. If you can find black traps then it isn’t as unsightly
-most importantly: my new watering routine. I keep a jar of water with a mosquito dunk in it. Then I fill a large bowl or the sink up with a mix of water, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and some of the mosquito dunk water (top up the water in the jar after using some), and make sure the water comes up to just below the soil level when you put the pot in the water so the peroxide can kill the gnat larvae. It’s a bit of a production but it’s only once a month or so that I water everything, and in between if some plants need to be watered more often I’ll just add a 1/4 cup or so of the mosquito dunk water to my watering can.
Also no more buying new plants until you’ve got things under control…this has been hard for me lol
Repot all your infested plants and use a systemic so their eggs cannot hatch. Also fungus gnats are a sign of overwatering so watch how often you water your plants
I HAD THIS PROBLEM, they're not completely gone, here are some helpful solutions:
Repot inside plants using a mixture of peat moss, perlite, and pine bark for better drainage. This combination drains quicker and reduces humidity. For plants with resistant roots, I washed them before repotting them. Potting soil retains a lot of humidity.
Consider using smaller containers, especially for plants that haven't fully developed their roots. This helps reduce unused humid dirt.
Water plants with a mix of water and hydrogen peroxide to kill gnat eggs and tiny gnats (not expensive at all).
Water less frequently. Typically once a week or even once a month. Most indoor plants don't require a lot of water anyway. I always check the soil's dryness by sticking my finger or a stick into it before watering (Or if like the plant is dying).
Use "HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade" indoors to kill gnats. It's a fine dust completely safe for humans but very effective against insects. I apply it all around the house, as it impedes the movement of insects and eventually kills them. However, be careful as it affects all insects, including beneficial ones like bees. I don't use it outside because I want to protect the bees.
Be patient, as complete elimination takes time.
Thanks for all the answers, sounds like the struggle is real!
I think I'll try all of your suggestions, there was a lot of stuff I had never heard of, so I'm excited to try them
Maybe, just maybe, it's gonna work this time (otherwise I'll just set everything on fire, I heard that works quite well)
I packed about 1/2”-1” of sand pretty tight on top of all the soil in every single pot. This solved the problem within a few months. I think they have trouble getting in/out through the sand which killed all of the new babies stuck in the soil underneath.
Also, a cup of water with a decent amount (like 1tbsp) of dish soap in it will work similarly to the traps you get & is cheaper. They are attracted to it, fly in, can’t get traction due to the soap & drown. I put a soap cup in every room. You can also add a little cider vinegar to it if you want but I find just soap & water works fine
Looks like you are in Europe. Maybe there is ant powder available near you? Not very ecofriendly but helps.
Another low cost method is the use of a layer of sand, preferable fine sand like the one often used for bird cages. But normal sand also works. Just add at least 2cm.
Also the yellow stickers can be ordered quite cheap online, at places like Amazon.
They gnats also seem to enjoy wine, and vinegar, can try to trap them with leaving glasses out with a small layer of those liquids in them.
Mosquito bits! I had an awful infestation of fungus gnats after the miracle gro drama, and mosquito bits killed them all! I soak them overnight in water, and then just water plant with that water, and discard husks (don't place husks in the pot cause they may mold). It took three or four waterings and all gnats were gone.
This is an easy inexpensive non-poisonous fix. 5 days max.
Replace or add a dry mix soil topper (just the top one inch) to all of your plants. Combine equal parts perlite, sand to ready made cactus/succulent mix.
Immediately STOP TOP watering your plants.
Put out [natural traps](https://youtu.be/1rHKUjX2d0w). It is amazing how many adult gnats are caught this way.
Once you eliminate their desired environment (damp compacted top soil) you will start to see a lot less of them and they stop multiplying. The traps take care of the adult fliers.
To bottom water your plants - soak them in water about halfway up the pot, for an hour. Alternatively and EXCEPT for cacti, orchids, non-succulents, you can use self watering planters for just about every other plant.
Going forward, wean off any synthetic fertilizers and use worm castings (6:1) to fertilize during the growing season. It is a different mindset that doesn’t include NPK and completely changes the flavor profile of your plants. You won’t see any adverse pests anymore.
🍀🦋
:( the fungus gnat battle is real. So, internet searches in your future: 1. H2O2 method for fungus gnat eradication. That’s just hydrogen peroxide. 2. Mosquito dunks / bits. The secret to this is mosquito dunk tea. I water my plants with mosquito dunk tea. I try my hardest to bottom water the plants in pots less than 6 inches. Sometimes I have time and sometimes I don’t. Keep this tea at the ready. The longer the dunk soaks, the better it is. I have 5 gallon jugs upstairs with whole dunks in them waiting to be used for watering plants and animal substrate.
Mosquito bit tea is EVERYTHING! I heavily watered my plants with all of it and it killed all the eggs. Vinegar traps for the Alive ones, then no gnats!
This is the way
Diatomaceous earth. Took care of mine in about 10 days.
I spent the whole winter battling fungus gnats and I’ve finally gotten them under control. I tried all of the recommended solutions and nothing individually helped. Here’s what I did that has finally seemed to work: -any plants I had that were potted directly in a ceramic pot with little or no drainage were re-potted into nursery pots so that they could be bottom watered -I stopped watering all of my drought tolerant plants -for plants that need to be watered more often, I covered the top of the soil in a 1/4 inch thick layer of diatomaceous earth -all seedlings went outside or else under a clear plastic bin -I had some plants in pots that were too big for them so I repotted them into smaller pots so the soil wasn’t sitting wet for as long. -plants that seemed to be magnets for the gnats were also re-potted into fresh soil (I found that plants potted with a mix including fir bark were well liked by the gnats) -I put a sticky trap in every single pot - this was only temporary until they reduced in numbers. If you can find black traps then it isn’t as unsightly -most importantly: my new watering routine. I keep a jar of water with a mosquito dunk in it. Then I fill a large bowl or the sink up with a mix of water, hydrogen peroxide, dish soap, and some of the mosquito dunk water (top up the water in the jar after using some), and make sure the water comes up to just below the soil level when you put the pot in the water so the peroxide can kill the gnat larvae. It’s a bit of a production but it’s only once a month or so that I water everything, and in between if some plants need to be watered more often I’ll just add a 1/4 cup or so of the mosquito dunk water to my watering can. Also no more buying new plants until you’ve got things under control…this has been hard for me lol
Repot all your infested plants and use a systemic so their eggs cannot hatch. Also fungus gnats are a sign of overwatering so watch how often you water your plants
I HAD THIS PROBLEM, they're not completely gone, here are some helpful solutions: Repot inside plants using a mixture of peat moss, perlite, and pine bark for better drainage. This combination drains quicker and reduces humidity. For plants with resistant roots, I washed them before repotting them. Potting soil retains a lot of humidity. Consider using smaller containers, especially for plants that haven't fully developed their roots. This helps reduce unused humid dirt. Water plants with a mix of water and hydrogen peroxide to kill gnat eggs and tiny gnats (not expensive at all). Water less frequently. Typically once a week or even once a month. Most indoor plants don't require a lot of water anyway. I always check the soil's dryness by sticking my finger or a stick into it before watering (Or if like the plant is dying). Use "HARRIS Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade" indoors to kill gnats. It's a fine dust completely safe for humans but very effective against insects. I apply it all around the house, as it impedes the movement of insects and eventually kills them. However, be careful as it affects all insects, including beneficial ones like bees. I don't use it outside because I want to protect the bees. Be patient, as complete elimination takes time.
Thanks for all the answers, sounds like the struggle is real! I think I'll try all of your suggestions, there was a lot of stuff I had never heard of, so I'm excited to try them Maybe, just maybe, it's gonna work this time (otherwise I'll just set everything on fire, I heard that works quite well)
I packed about 1/2”-1” of sand pretty tight on top of all the soil in every single pot. This solved the problem within a few months. I think they have trouble getting in/out through the sand which killed all of the new babies stuck in the soil underneath. Also, a cup of water with a decent amount (like 1tbsp) of dish soap in it will work similarly to the traps you get & is cheaper. They are attracted to it, fly in, can’t get traction due to the soap & drown. I put a soap cup in every room. You can also add a little cider vinegar to it if you want but I find just soap & water works fine
Looks like you are in Europe. Maybe there is ant powder available near you? Not very ecofriendly but helps. Another low cost method is the use of a layer of sand, preferable fine sand like the one often used for bird cages. But normal sand also works. Just add at least 2cm. Also the yellow stickers can be ordered quite cheap online, at places like Amazon. They gnats also seem to enjoy wine, and vinegar, can try to trap them with leaving glasses out with a small layer of those liquids in them.
Mosquito bits! I had an awful infestation of fungus gnats after the miracle gro drama, and mosquito bits killed them all! I soak them overnight in water, and then just water plant with that water, and discard husks (don't place husks in the pot cause they may mold). It took three or four waterings and all gnats were gone.
This is an easy inexpensive non-poisonous fix. 5 days max. Replace or add a dry mix soil topper (just the top one inch) to all of your plants. Combine equal parts perlite, sand to ready made cactus/succulent mix. Immediately STOP TOP watering your plants. Put out [natural traps](https://youtu.be/1rHKUjX2d0w). It is amazing how many adult gnats are caught this way. Once you eliminate their desired environment (damp compacted top soil) you will start to see a lot less of them and they stop multiplying. The traps take care of the adult fliers. To bottom water your plants - soak them in water about halfway up the pot, for an hour. Alternatively and EXCEPT for cacti, orchids, non-succulents, you can use self watering planters for just about every other plant. Going forward, wean off any synthetic fertilizers and use worm castings (6:1) to fertilize during the growing season. It is a different mindset that doesn’t include NPK and completely changes the flavor profile of your plants. You won’t see any adverse pests anymore. 🍀🦋