Checkout the video on Hydrogen Peroxide here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-7kG2s5wDOrQ.html and how to get rid of flies using vinegar fly trap here ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-djGWkZA7ghQ.html
IMHO best way to prevent gnats indoors is to plan a bit. I always pour boiling water over my soil mixture separately to kill any eggs before I use it to pot any plant. This includes starting seeds, transplants etc. Let it cool down then plant. It makes a dramatic difference.
@@dorothyleeuw8774 It's ok, I understand. Want to know what's worse than fungus gnats? I had fruit flies once but no fruit, garbage sealed, nothing for them was out, wth? Turns out fruit flies that find no fruit decide they are drain flies... lovely. Baking soda, vinegar and boiling hot water then blocking the drains/overflow so the adults can't go back and lay more eggs until they all die is the answer to that one, should anyone be battling that issue.
@@terramarini6880 We are always struggling with something. I start about 800 seeds a year for my own enjoyment and it does have its challenges thats for sure. I had opened my garage to drive out my car and spent 5 weeks trying to kill a rat that got it…..luckily we are on a large acreage and have only seen a handful in 30 years. I do not feed the birds, I am so careful. Oh man.
A combination of bottom watering, as well as soaking the top soil with the peroxide solution is what worked for me. They were gone for a good few months. I'm assuming I've gotten a few more coming in from outside or some new plants I've bought because I did see a few hanging around for a while, but I've stuck with mostly bottom watering and the new gnats seem to have also died off. So yeah, peroxide as a treatment, bottom water for prevention
This works! I tried it on a couple of figs I'd propagated outdoors, I added one inch of dried sand to the top and the gnats are gone! Thanks for this tip.
Something not mentioned. There are two strains of Bt bacteria. For fungus gnats you have to use Bt var. israelensis (Bti), also called H-14 strain, which is not the standard Bt you would use in your garden for other things. The correct variety is commonly used in mosquito larvae control for ponds - you can buy it as a liquid or as granules.
So sorry to see your short about the flooding. Gnats are something I deal with every winter in Zone 6b. I take all the precautions I can when bringing plants inside for the winter, but it always seems to be an issue. Have tried many of these suggestions, but you gave me a couple more. Thanks. 2nd year having bad luck overwintering peppers. Ready to transplant 2 beefsteaks I rooted. We'll see how that goes. Lost 2--- Such is gardening. God bless & good luck.
Interesting-looking frog fountain I appreciate your concern for keeping animals safe ❤️ I feel the same way, and because I grew up here I know we've lost many or most of our insects in Northern California
I cant believe it. My house plant basil has a huge vase because i want to grow it big to make pesto and other dishes. But because i use organic soil the vase had a lot of what they looked like fruit flies. I watered the plant with Monterey garden insects spray according to your suggestion and amount of it, and after about a week they are GONE!!! Great finding. Thank you very very much. Thumbs up.
thank you for the info I had this problem last year right before it got hot enough to set the plants outside. Now I know what I can do this year, Thinks for the reminder.
Im dealing with an infestation right now. I did the peroxide treatment, sprayed the outside of the pots and shelf with a garden safe spot insecticide. Sprinkled the soil with cinnamon. And put out the bottle traps. Im going to add the yellow sticky papers and see if that takes care of the issue.
Good info, thanks fir videos. We noticed alot of processed grains and nuts from the store have bugs in them sometimes. We were told to put these items in the freezer for two days to kill bugs, then store in air tight containers. ??? Thanks for your vids.
I’m so happy you posted this these little gnats are driving me insane but I thought they were fruit flies I’m going to definitely try your tips thank you
@@annmarie1689 Possibly they are coming in from potting soil, newly purchased plants or plants brought in from outside before winter. Twice last year I opened small bags of potting mix, only to have fungus gnats fly out. Both bags were brand name companies. I thought potting mix was sterilized before it was bagged but apparently not. I no longer open bags inside the house and sterilize soil in the oven before I use it. It's a pain but I've finally gotten rid of them after a almost a year.
@@alexandra1marlowe It's not big. Only 2 1/2 quarts. I needed it for the 5 plants on my kitchen windowsill, so I didn't have space for a large container. I'd just add water & keep using it until the dunk was gone. Then I'd put in a new one (if needed) and start all over again. Actually, the one dunk did the trick after a few waterings. 😄
I've had a gnat problem before and tried using sand and/or gravel as a topper but the sand got everywhere and both sand and gravel made it more difficult to check the soil moisture level. So I switched to a combination of using a homemade insecticide, bottom watering and watering less frequently/allowing the soil to dry out between waterings until the gnats died out. I see a lot of instagram people posting about mosquito bits so maybe that works too.
My worry about mosquito bits is that it's toxic to aquatic life and mildly toxic to animals. I just bought mosquito bits and now I need to return it after reading the hazard warnings.
I was recommended your video, and currently have a gnat problem, never had one before inside, until the last several months, I live on the central coast of California, I appreciate the helpful tips!
Awesome video! I’m also a vegetarian and was searching for remedies that did the least amount of killing. I draw the line at maggots infesting my plants. Although I’m a big nerd and saved the lives of some maggots the other day. 🤦♂️ We’re hard-wired to find them gross, but really they’re just like caterpillars who will go into their own cocoons to transform & grow wings. However, I have a responsibility to protect my plants, and if I have to choose between the two, I’ll choose my plants. It’s like choosing violence only for self-defense (or defense of someone you’re responsible for). Thank you again! I’m already watering from the bottom but gonna let it dry out more before watering again and use the sand/gravel method as well. I’ll think about using the hydro perox as well since flies have probably already laid a ton of eggs.
Thanks for this video. I've been invaded by those flies for like 6months and I only have 4 plants. Also your observation about "impossible not to kill at some point" is very interesting, never thought of it.
I ordered specific beneficial nematodes on Amazon. They live in the soil & eat fungus gnat eggs. The packet you get can be used a bit at a time w/ each watering & the unused portion kept in fridge for up to a month. Ok for both outdoor & indoor use. They look like a white powder you mix in water.
@@yorikvatral929 Yeah with shipping it's very pricey. I used it on indoor basil I was growing so I liked that it was super natural. This year if needed I'll try mosquito bits which I have at the ready. Much cheaper.
The adults hate the smell of neem. And if the larvae eat neem, it will mess up their metabolism and slowly kill them. Neem is amazing for preventing and killing gnats 💚
I really appreciated your comment at the end because I struggle to justify killing them too because I try not to kill anything. However I think they're eating the roots of my younger plants. Are the fungus gnats really so destructive that it's a good idea to kill them?
Hang bug zapper lites near your plants! You will smile hearing them zapped! When the zaps stop, about 2 months, I took them down. Over a year now, and no gnats! Good Luck! Rev. J 😊
I use bottom watering, and then put tiny spiders that are hanging around in amongst the leaves. They catch the fungus gnats and aphids that suddenly appeared, and eliminate anything else around. I've not had good luck with vinegar and fungus gnats. My aunt brings in tiny frogs to do the same.
There is six main species when it comes to gnats last year I had three of the different species and unfortunately what I normally use is either a vinegar or wine to get rid of them they could care less but I noticed I had some lettuce that really went bad I had set it on the counter when I came back it was filled with gnats I put it in a container to where the nets could go in but not come out and this is how I got rid of the majority of gnats I also had a few fruit gnats they were easily to get rid of. I also find if you are infested with gnats a bug light works great. At a certain time of the year I don't worry about the ones outside once it gets 60° and stays that temperature for a few nights or days they die
This is the only place I found out what kind of gnats we had. I didn't know why they were so big. They were even on us. There was a leak under a rental we use to live at. So we had these big bugs flying around. By the way I was a vegetarian for a few years now I am trying the fruitarian life style. You would be amazed at how many vegetables we eat that are actually fruit. I figure since I'm eating raw that should get any toxins out of my body from preservatives that use to be in my food.
Believe it or not, my daughter in zone 5A told me that a farmer realized fungus gnats in neighbor's purchased soil. Maybe bag had small rip or tear, but the soil was saturated with gnats. Look out at when purchasing sweaty bags in garden areas. 👀 I stay in zone 8A. My problem is leaf blowers & Mother Nature blowing everything everywhere on my patio. Most ppl hv plants. 2023 was various herbs 🌿 & tons of cucumber. The gnats had a buffet at my place 😆😆😭 Good luck gardening 🌱🌱
I've had luck with a combination of a neem oil/castile soap spray, yellow sticky fly traps, and a venus fly trap (that was more to feed the venus fly trap than to get rid of the infestation.) They are a pain! Now it looks like my rosemary that I'm overwintering inside brought some friends with it that I need to get rid of. I got a bag of mosquito bits that I was going to use on the earlier infestation but ended up not having to. I will be trying them out on the rosemary.
That's really great video. I also love indoor plant. I have a question, may be you can answer.My palm tree has unopen leaf, but they are not opening and also, its not even dying. What could be the reason? What should I do?
Best way by far is to water from below. Keep the top 1 inch of your soil dry . I always keep a saucer under my planter. The plant will suck up what it needs. Less water waste and leaching of your soil. Neem cake works great too!!
Great tips in the video and the comments. I grow wheat grass indoors for my cats and always have knat problems. Would microwaving the soil before planting kill the larvae and eggs?
I has gnats in allmost all my plants I took them all out of the soil and kept them in water for 8 months. I just potted them again in new soil and I have gnats again!. I used miracle grow potting soil. Could the gnats have been in the new soil?
I'm an ethical vegan, but managed to get rid of the BIGGEST gnat invasion at work ever. I worked in an indoor urban microgreens farm that did indoor composting. The invasion was so bad at one point that every day thousands of adult gnats had died and layed on the floor in the huge room. How did I stop the invasion without killing any gnats? I found out where they laid their eggs, the compost, and let it completely dry out. I then covered it with a thick layer of sand, and sprayed the sand with citrus and vanilla smell, something gnats hate. It took a while, but the gnats found it hard to reproduce, and became fewer and fewer, until the last generation died.
I have never had an issue with these guys in my houseplants until I moved to Florida. Now I have an infestation. I bought some of those apple shaped gnat traps from the store and not only do they not work, but they are expensive. I find that putting out small ramekins with a drop or two of dish soap and then filling with white vinegar catch much more. I'm about to buy some vertical sticky traps to put in each pot, hopefully that helps too.
Bakingsoda & water seems to be working for me. Teaspoon of the soda & fill up the spray bottle water. Spray soil every other day. But I first mixed a little dish soap with water & watered once then I used the baking soda & water. After 3 days I see a few gnats I'm spaying every other day. But I'll try the bottom watering after. THANKS
A small jar of red wine with a drop of dish soap trapped tons for me. I had to use mosquito bits for my plants and that worked! I had to be vigilant and inspect my plants frequently for a few weeks but I haven't seen a gnat in awhile. 👍
I've had fruit fly traps with apple cider vinegar out for almost 3 weeks and haven't caught a single one😂 I just realized they are fungus gnats 🤦 little bastards
I have a potted rose indoors because it’s growing from a cutting and is not mature yet. I’m afraid to take it outside just yet because we’ve been having such high heat here in the desert. Meanwhile, there are a little white bugs in the soil. I am not sure if they are white flies or gnats , but they are white in color and very very tiny. I can only see them when I move the soil around. How do I get rid of them without hurting my rose?
I have the worst fungus gnats. I have several plants that the top of the soil cannot dry out. I tried sand on the top of the soil of wet carnivorous plants - killed them. I put rocks on top of the soil of dry plants - killed them by keeping them too wet after I watered. I tried BT, spinosad, mosquito bits, and even nematodes - did nothing except for the bits, that grew fungus. Hydrogen peroxide benefitted the plant growth, but the fungus gnats just bathed in it. They are fungus gnats, not fruit flies, so vinegar sitting out is just that - vinegar sitting out. I have less after all this, but they still live rent-free here. I haven't figured it out.
The only thing that has worked for me was drenching the soil with a mix of water, a small amount of neem oil and a drop of dish detergent (to bind the oil to the water). It will not kill existing gnats unless you spray them with it, but it does kill the larvae. Let the plant dry out then repeat as needed. You cannot do this for carnivorous plants but I have never had an issue with fungus gnats attacking my carnivorous plants.
I found a good way, pour cinnamon on plant soil, if that does not work, top soil with aquarium gravel. The first part worked on most of my plants, the second part worked on the rest.
I think my gnats are breeding in the bottom of the pot, not sure how, but the Gnat barrier sand has stopped them on the surface on top. I catch a lot by putting a dob of detergent in a little bowl of water
Thanks Jack as always! Learning to co exist with animals is crucial except when they take over! May i recommend another option like changing the dirt and using rice water as well. Use it 1 x during each watering for three weeks and the little annoying gnats will be gon!!!
I prefer bottom watering and I use colorful safe rocks. I can’t stand fungus gnats. I saw a few on your okra pod . I haven’t had any fungus gnats for several years as I started soaking my pots before I put fresh soil and
I was wondering what these knat's where. I spray mist the topsoil and the leaves of my 12-year-old angel wing begonia. I've noticed these knats recently. I think I will just try to water the soil less and maybe just spray the leaves down. I don't know about mixing the sand and rocks in with the soil.
Do you know if you can use hydrogen peroxide for insectivorous plants, like pitcher plants and sundews? I have several inside my house that require "wet feet."
Gravel and hydrogen peroxide did nothing for me. Sand may keep gnats out, but gravel not so much. Peroxide can help to air out the soil and kill fungus the gnats eat, but in my observation it does not kill larvae. Letting the soil dry out, adding neem seed meal to pots, and watering with neem tea worked well.
I fid that fungus gnats lay their eggs UNDER the pot in the saucer... sly lil buggers... I pour boiling water on the eggs and wait at least a few hours before sluicing the debris and washing the saucerwith very hot soapy water and scrub them clean
I think bottom feeding also contributes to the problem...if H2O can make it to the roots then so can fungus gnats. I always see these bugs crawling out from underneath.. The day the world ends will be a tasty day for human carnivores, vegans are going to have the tastiest grass fed meats
I have a question. I was hoping maybe you’d be able to tell me what these are. There loads of really really small bugs that are white and they’re crawling up my plant and on the pot. I would like to know if they’re harmful or not
You can buy beneficial nematodes- the specific strain that eats fungus gnat eggs. Ok for indoor & outdoor use. I got on Amazon. Plus yellow sticky traps for adults
All my bokashi bins have failed cause of fungus gnat infestation. I only put uncontaminated food waste in it. Open and close the lid as quickly as I can. It’s completely sealed tight… no idea how they got in there 😅
So tell me what is someone supposed to do when they only water from the bottom they let the topsoil dry out they put sand on the top but they put cinnamon on the top they use peppermint oil tea tree oil, spray the plants with a solution combination of Castile tea tree casteel peppermint oil, isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen peroxide in a 1% solution, I mixed missed the plants with the solution, that was supposed to be guaranteed to work. Plus I have the sticky traps all over and the vinegar solution. And I cannot rid myself of these
you got some mutated nuclear infused gnats or what? lol I get gnats indoor here and there all the times, some come from bananas, I just keep the vinegar solution with soap indoors and they are all gone. Looks like you have a constant supply of gnats coming from somewhere, figure out the supply chain.
