QUESTION:
I cannot seem to get rid of fungus gnats. I have repotted my plants with new soil, added a layer of tiny pebbles on the top of the soil but to no avail. Can you help me with my fungus gnat problem?
Thanks for your help and advice,
ANSWER:
Fungus Gnat Description
A fungus gnat problem can be very annoying! Many times they just walk around on the moist soil; but when they start to fly around, getting into our eyes, noses, and ears, it can drive us crazy. Fungus gnats are in the Sciaridae family. Their larvae develop in moist plant soil, feeding on the root hairs of over watered houseplants, and emerging as adults every 30 days or so. The adults are black and quite small, only about 0.08″– 0.3″ (2–8 millimetres) long.
How to Treat a Fungus Gnat Problem
The best way to get rid of fungus gnats is to allow the soil to thoroughly dry out. This eliminates the eggs and gnats in the pot. Use yellow sticky cards to trap the gnats that are flying around. Place little pieces of the sticky cards inside the pot of the infested plant and near doors, vents, and windows. Stir the soil to encourage the pests to fly around and land on the cards. Change the sticky cards as their surface becomes covered with dead insects & other debris.