Houseplants bring joy and peace into our homes, but they can also create an environment for unwanted pests. Fungus gnats are annoying but aren’t terribly damaging, and treatment won’t cost you much.
To learn more about how to identify, prevent, and treat fungus gnats on your houseplants, keep reading!
Fungus gnats are tiny bugs that aren’t a direct threat to the lives of your houseplants, but they are pretty annoying, and their larvae can pack a damaging punch. The larvae feed off of the roots of the plants, while mature fungus gnats will devour fungus, algae, and dead leaves. The key is fungus gnat treatment is prevention and getting rid of them as soon as you notice them.
As the name suggests, fungus gnats are attracted to fungus. If your plant has any fungal issues, you can guarantee that fungus gnats are on their way or already present. The typical culprit of fungal issues is overwatering. Overwatering can happen any time of year, but many houseplant collectors get overenthusiastic during winter when most plants need the least amount of water.
A good rule of thumb is to let at least the first few inches of soil dry out between waterings.. It’s also important to choose pots with proper drainage to prevent bacteria from growing in soggy roots or at the bottom of the pot.
Fungus gnats can be a bit sneaky and hard to spot at first, but you’ll notice them when they begin crawling on the surface of your houseplant’s soil or flying around your house. Fungus gnats don’t fly very far, so if you see one flying near a particular plant, it’s probably the infected one.
Your plants are more susceptible to fungal gnats during fall and winter as our plants slow their metabolism and take up less water. With plants drinking less, the soil stays wet longer. An old pot may also be the issue; over time, pots degrade and lose their drainage abilities.
You can get rid of fungus gnats on your own with a two-tiered approach that will destroy both the larvae as well as the mature flies. There are quite a few treatment options for fungus gnats, so you may want to try more than one.
Try a few methods, and we’re sure that your houseplants will be thriving and free of fungus gnats in no time. If you’re looking for fungus gnat treatments near you, come visit one of our Greenstreet Gardens locations. We’re looking forward to helping you!
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