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Woo, my goodness. I just finished the whole process. It's a little time-consuming with 70+ plants, I have to say! But still better than rotating hydrogen peroxide and diatomaceous earth for days. Thanks for watching, Kathy! I'm glad you enjoyed this. 💚If you try it, let me know how it goes!
You are amazing, I have searched for videos on this topic and they suck. I got more info in this video than all the ones I watched combined. Gracias Loca.
I watch many plant Videos because I like seeing peoples plants, you my dear are the most informative of all the plant people I have ever watched, and I appreciate your information on fungus gnats, I will definitely use you method as I have all products on hand 👍
Thank you very much Monica, that is truly kind of you to say. I really enjoy helping people and making my videos and fun as possible. It's a joy! And it feels great to get such kind feedback. 💚
Wish me luck I am adding nemotoades to my indoor house plants tonight and after 8 months of constant battle I pray now that I may finally win! Your videos are fun and informative thankyou for taking the time to do them x
Pretty swell. I'm afraid some of my plants may have dried out too much for our little friends to thrive as I was away for the holiday. I'm hoping not. On my travels I bought a staghorn Fern because you convinced me on your last video! Annnddd another Hoya 😔
Hi Betsy. So good that I found your channel. I'm in Australia and luckily I also found a website that sell those beneficial nematodes here. We do have some other solution to kill the fungus gnats but it did not work for my plants for some reasons. I will definitely try your idea now. Thank you so much and I loveeee your entertainment. Thank you again Betsy now i'm a subscriber .
@@betsybegonia Don't know if you're the only one with dreams like that but you're the first I know of. If I can rid my houseplants of these evil fungus gnats I'll certainly sleep better but, hopefully, my dreams will be filled with rainbows, unicorns and cotton candy. You have a delightful sense of humor and I find that refreshing. Loved the video!
Absolutely, it was a pleasure! Except for the parts where I had a gnat infestation. 😂 Anyway, about 3 days later the gnats were gone. No more gnats to this day!
Thanks again for the video! (I've probably watched just about all of them at this point 😂) I'm going to head to the store in the morning to grab some Hydrogen Peroxide. Was there ever a follow up video on how yours are doing?
@@racheldreyer1273 Diatomaceous Earth and it killed all the mites and fungus gnats that were around the coop too. I buy the food grade DE and be sure to wear a mask when you use it as it's particales can hurt us if we breath it in.I made a spray of water with DE and sprayed all over the coop while the gals were out free ranging. I used it in my house when we got a plant that came with fungus gnats.
Thanks for this tip I’m starting seedlings indoors tomorrow for spring veggies. It’s the one big struggle with indoor plantings from seed starting soil
Another great video! There is another good way to rid yourself of fungus gnats if you want to remain chemical free - Bacillus thuringiensis var israelensis. Otherwise known as Bt, it is the same product used to rid water of mosquito larvae. It is a soil-born bacteria that attacks the larvae. I've used various products containing Bt over the years, and most of them work pretty well.
Thank you for the video! I also just wanted to mention I like your personality ❤ you seem like someone who could be my bestie lol hope that’s not weird 😂😂😂
Betsy, first I LOVED your humor in your video. I have been dealing with these little bastards for 3 years now. YES, THREE years. I have a bug light burning 24/7 where they are the most prominent. I'm currently on my second application of beneficial nematodes (14 days after the first). I have sticky traps on ALL my plants. I have used (and still using) two different spray made to kill these things (or so they say). I have tried the diatomaceous earth by itself, and I have tried one other product (forgot the name) that needs to be diluted, which I did according to the instruction. Even after dilution it killed one fern and hurt another. I have tried EVERYthing to no avail, that is, until I saw this video. Damn things are driving me nuts. SO......I will be trying your "cocktails" as soon as possible. Short of throwing out all my plants, I'm ready to do anything to get rid of these pest! Actively looking for a witch doctor as well. Again, loving your humor. Your video was funny, educational and informational.
I take my vaccuum and walk around knocking and blowing on the pots&soil, when the gnats fly up from the soil I vaccum them up AND THEY DIEEEEE!!! 😈 I'd like to use nematodes but can't seem to find them anywhere in my horticulturally handicapped country. 😒 Plus, companies don't ship nematodes when it's cold outside so that leaves us with like two weeks out of the year (ok, three months but whatever)....
@@netocarraro2822 OMG I love this… I accidentally figured out I can do this while vacuuming , I picked up my vacuum while it was on because some thing got stuck in it and started noticing little gnats were also getting sucked into the vortex of death.😂 I truly hate them. I’m hoping this beneficial Nematodes work
Hi Elisabeta! Thank you so much for watching and for leaving such a nice comment. I've met some Romanians in the US and France and I'm always impressed that Romanians often seem to speak 3 or more languages!
Thank you for the video. Do you know how long they can live in the watering can I used to apply them to my plants? I watered them plenty and still have a few litres left. Was thinking I can use to reapply tomorrow or in 3 days if i keep the watering can cool?
thank you!! I think I'll stick to my DE and I will try the peroxide solution, but no nematodes for me, I have a worm phobia and that would give me nightmares. In fact, my phobia was what has been keeping me from having plants for years, I still struggle a bit, but now I own 150+ beauties, yet I am definitely not ready for the nematodes. :)
That's understandable, I am also not a fan of worms. Luckily these are completely microscopic so there's nothing to see or feel. I dumped powder into water and mixed it up and watered my plants. But DE and hydrogen peroxide work great in my opinion. I just dislike the white goo crust that DE leaves behind on all my pots.
Love your informative content! I do have a question that's nagging me though: So the diatomaceous earth cuts up all the gnats and their larva, great. But how does it affect beneficial nematodes then? Wouldn't the DE hurt nematodes as well?? TIA and keep up the great, great work!!
Thanks for the video, any update on this? And, do you know if these nematodes die off or do they keep living in your plants after getting rid of fungus gnats larvae? I just got my nematodes today, hope it works! :)
They eventually die off with no food source and they can't survive in dry soil either. This worked well, I haven't had any since doing this treatment and watering my plants less.
Have you ever tried mosquito bits? I've read that if you soak the little bits in the water you use to water your plants that it will wipe out the gnat larva and disrupt the life cycle. Thanks for the info!
@@NataliePowellAGreytLife Haha, they're called "bits" because they're tiny pellets, I think. The active ingredient is usually thuringiensis israelensis which kills mosquito larvae.
That's just the name of the product here in the states. No clue if it's even available in France/Europe. There are also mosquito dunks which would work the same way. The main ingredient is BTI which is safe for the plants, humans and pets, but not mosquito or other fly larvae. www.cdc.gov/zika/pdfs/BTI_Fact_Sheet.pdf There is some info on BTI. Could also just google "mosquito bits" if you'd like more info.
I tried the Diatomaceous Earth yesterday and the gnats just dance on it, was wondering if I do get the nematodes, well, I did order them so..when I get the nematodes, will the Diatomaceous Earth kill them?
I'm a new plant mom and I had no idea about fungus gnats before I got 8 new plants for my bedroom. I noticed one flying after I went to water one of my plants but thought nothing of it. And then when I was bottom watering one of my plants I saw the larvae in it when I lifted up the pot. I ordered the nematodes online and I'm going to use it on all my plants. Hopefully they arrive before I get an infestation. :(
I’m dealing with a gnat problem right now and your video came up first. You are very funny. You definitely spoke to how I’m feeling. My question is can I use nematodes along with diatomaceous earth?
Can't wait to have sweet dreams of dead fungus gnat larvae. lol I've been battling fungus gnats for quit awhile now and so far they've been winning. Errr...Will definitely try the hydrogen peroxide and diatomaceous earth. Looking forward to seeing how well the beneficial nematodes worked. Thank You! :)
That method works well, I really recommend it. Be careful not to get the solution on any foliage because that's how I burned a few of my leaves and now they're permanently fried. The only thing that bothers me about this method is that when you eventually do water the plants again, the diatomaceous earth turns into kind of a white goo atop the soil and it's not real aesthetically pleasing, but it could be scraped off or covered with more soil if you're more motivated than me. 😂
@@betsybegonia Hmm sounds like diatomaceous earth is a lot of work. May try the peroxide method 1st. Will try to avoid the leaves thanks for letting me know. I've used the yellow sticky traps, neem oil, and safer natural bug drench to no avail. There will definitely be a celebration when I can go throughout a day without seeing a fungus gnat. :)
DE has worked great for me so far, it's also cheap and rather natural, even though a bit fussy. but I only had to use it three times during the spring and summer, so it's not such a big deal I think. some say you could also cover the soil with pebbles, which kind of helps, but I haven't tried it.
I am way too lazy and I have way too many plants to rake the soil, I just spread it on top. Obviously if you have the time and will, mixing it would probably make it work even faster :)
I ordered mine from a French company, so I don't think it would be the same for you. I picked them at random and it worked. You could always check reviews!
@@betsybegonia that makes sense as I'm not in France but I appreciate you taking the time to reply. I have been doing research on him for a couple weeks debating on it. I wanted to verify as you mentioned in this video not be able to infect me or my dogs LOL. Have a great night 😁
Very entertaining and helpful! One question though. I’m not sure what amount of nematodes/ water I need for all my houseplants. The directions say to mix with 4 gallons of water and that it treats 50 sq. Feet! I don’t think I need that much but don’t know the ratio for say, 25 house plants. Thanks for any suggestions!
It works within 2 or 3 days yeah. I've used this method twice since this video. Sometimes I buy a bag of potting mix and don't know it's infected. Treat all the plants with beneficial nematodes, all done.
Haha, I feel like you're a bit nutty like me! You're freaking me out about the diatomaceous earth though - I recently bought some from a health food supply, and it was called 'Love Your Gut' powder. You drink it and it apparently sweeps out your innards like a scrubbing brush, collecting all sorts of impurities and bugs. But now I'm scared about what I drank!! I'm still alive though, so maybe it's really ok!! I like the idea about the nematodes - I've heard that somewhere else as well. I wonder if my local hardware/garden store would stock them or do you buy them online? I'm in Australia.
There is such a thing as food grade diatomaceous earth and it's perfectly safe to ingest. You're not meant to breathe it into your lungs. Sorry for the scare! As for nematodes, I think you just have to poke around a bit. I could only find them online. Thanks for watching. 😊
@@NataliePowellAGreytLife I don't work in a scientific or botany/horticulture-related field at all, I am just genuinely curious and love doing research on this sort of thing in my free time!
Hi Betsy! Love your videos :) they´ve been really useful for a newfound houseplant enthusiast like myself! I´ve recently noticed fungus gnats around a couple of my plants and have read about using hydrogen peroxide, but it seems to be harder to purchase in Spain, where I´m based (3% food grade, anyway). I´ve seen the brand you show in this video at a local pharmacy, but was wary of the stabilising ingredients - would you say it´s safe to use, or is there another brand you´d recommend that´s available in France/Spain? Thanks so much!
The problem i encounter on this fungus gnat is there laying an egg on some of our food and eventually if you eat .later on you fill fart as long as the food havent digested yet mst worst is diarrhea😪 any advice how to get rid of it?
I have never seen them in stores in France so I have never tried them personally, but they can be purchased online so maybe one day I will give it a shot.
@@betsybegonia Yeah do! I tried on three of my plants, and the gnats are almost fading away. Now for the rest before they go plant hopping! fingers crossed!
Hi Betsy- I have heard (have not tried) that putting a 1/2 to 1 inch of regular play sand on the surface of the soil also works. I guess the females can't get through it to lay eggs, and the new flies cannot crawl through it to get out of the pot. I have a friend that has tropical plants in a greenhouse and she tried it on a huge banana plant and now she swears by it. I am not strong in chemistry (I have a biology degree, so had to take some, but they were my least favorite classes!!) But do you know-- Doesn't hydrogen peroxide, when exposed to air, turn to water? I didnt know it killed fungus gnats, but whenever I get new orchids, I bring them home, unpot them, clean up their roots, and then spray the hell out of their roots with hydrogen peroxide and let them sit because a retail greenhouse owner suggested this to me to prevent some rot and also kill any cooties that may have come in with the plant. (Ive since learned a lot of orchid ppl do this and have even seen it done by youtubers)-- I've been doing that for years and haven't had any ill effects I'm aware of. (And no cooties or rot, knock on wood!) I've never done this with tropicals though since I try not to disturb their roots as much when I repot them. But it got me to thinking-- why couldn't you pour it in the pot? Maybe their roots are more sensitive to it? (I'm trying to think which plant I can try it on--haha! Probably a spider plant. IT annoys me how prolific they are, but I can't totally get rid of them because both my kids had the same kindergarten teacher and this was her standard plant she gave them to give to mothers on mother's day. SWeet, right? But years later I have them all over the house taking up valuable space where I could put plants I enjoy more! Haha.I found out they were safe for tortoises to eat, so I even planted some in his enclosure but he won't even eat them. So now I have a strict no-babies rule and cut off flower spikes the second they appear. I just don't enjoy plants that are so prolific! I think I may see what happens if I put a little full strength hydrogen peroxide in a pot.... In the interest of science!)
Hi Lara, I have accidentally spilled diluted hyroden peroxide on the leaves of some of my plants, and it burned them. It can burn sensitive plant tissues. My Croton, for example, has a leaf that now has two spots on it with completely dead cells so ti looks white. Unfortunately it's permanent. If it does this kind of damage to the leaves, I'm afraid of adding it directly to the soil without diluting it a tad further, just as a precautionary measure. Even after diluting it, it foams up a lot when it hits the soil. Let me know if the spider plants do fine with OTC hydrogen peroxide.
@@betsybegonia will do! I kind of want to wait until summer when I do often get fungus gnats to see if whatever amount I need to kill fungus gnats will also kill my plants. Wisconsin is so weird to grow plants in. Im in north central WI. In the summer its warm and humid- especially July and into August-- Fall is often nice, but this year it was so overcast and drippy all fall-- then you hit winter, the cold sets in and you have dry from heating the house. I have to water so much more this time of year, when my plants arent growing as much, than I do in summer because everything dries out so quickly. Its very backward. I have humidifiers all over the place-- but nope! A fungus gnat cannot survive here in winter! Summer comes and I fight both fungus gnats and fruit flies from the end of June into October. So annoying!
I have a miniature rose. When I bought it about 1.5 years or so ago it was lovely and grew brilliant in its 1st 4 to 5 months plus roses galore in that time. Unfortunately it became victim to fungus gnats and what I hoped for a fine plant is really a shame. The gnats larvae must have had been through its roots. I thought I'd solved the issue with the use of sand on the top layer of soil, as for a short time I noticed no fungus gnats anywhere near the plant. Great I thought. Now its July and summer here UK. The plant is in a balcony and I've one of its windows open all the time to allow in air. Have been watering the rose from the underside in the glass bowl the pot is placed in. Im disappointed to see fungus gnats flying around the plant again. Maybe I've been putting too much water inside the glass bowl ( I do it until I see the water level rise about half way in this bowl ) which may mean the soil in the pot is moist right under the sand layer hence the reason the latest fungus gnats are hovering around the plant just on the hope of getting through.?. Right now I'm considering getting hydrogen peroxide to drench out the soil, after I've removed the sand , then replace this with diatomaceous earth. I had really hoped no more action would be needed after the sand effort but ..... not so it seems
The nematode population will eventually disappear due to lack of food sources and soil dryness. They require moist soil to survive (they are microscopic and live in the water film around soil particles). In fact, you're supposed to keep the soil moist for at least one week after application.
I don't recall a followup for the nematode treatment in your later videos. Did that work for you? I just started your hydrogen peroxide solution in the meantime. Thanks for all your helpful information.
This is the first question I answered in my Q&A video. I didn't really do a follow-up video since it would have been about 30 seconds. It'd be me just saying: "yep it worked." 😂 The beneficial nematodes worked really well, the fungus gnats were gone within a few days. Since then I have been very careful not to overwater and although I see a gnat now and then, they definitely haven't grown in population at all.
I never had gnats but about 3 months ago I purchased some soil from a super market and here in my area in North Europe, it rains every day or every 2nd day so the soil was a bit wet but this soil was infested. How I noticed? Well.. About a week ago I noticed the problem because when I reopened the sac, there were some gnats. I will throw the soil and buy a new one. I will change the soil ot the other plants also even if I know it will be harmful. I will also apply cinnamon mixed with beach sand. Cinnamon kept away gnats from some of aloe vera seedlings and it works up 90%.
I have been battling gnats for years and am desperate. I don't have indoor plants but gnats do seem to be entering through my window AC unit which is installed just above some outdoor plants. I'm thinking about buying a box of beneficial nematodes, saw your video about nematodes and was wondering, did this work to solve your infestation? Should I do this for my infestation?
If you need a quick fix. I use a tea strainer and fill it with cinnamon. Then lightly tap the strainer to sprinkle the cinnamon all over the top of the soil. I also pour cinnamon all over my flower beds and in my compost bucket that I keep in my house. It has done WONDERS for my gmat issue. It’s also great to use when starts seedlings. So that mold and gnats don’t get to your seedlings. 😊 Also placing small dishes or caps of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap around your plants. They will get stuck in it and die!
I also us the carnivorous plant pinguicula gigantea with insect problems. They eat lots of gnats and have pretty purple flowers. I have one on each shelf with my other plants . Sundews may work as well. I don t really like the look of fly paper with my plants.
I like this idea! But sadly they don't survive Paris winter and I can't put grow lights in my apartment. We get very few sunshine hours in winter and they often require at least 4 hours of direct sunlight per day. Most days are grey and rainy from November til April, it's a real bummer!
I preemptively treated my moisture loving plants like calatheas with beneficial nematodes and neem oil in the late summer/early fall and so far no gnats whatsoever. I was so afraid of getting an infestation
I don't see any harm in this (I've considered it myself), but the beneficial nematodes will only work as long as the soil is moist and there is a food source. They will die out without these two things.
Hi! How are you? Thanks for this video. I do use hydrogen peroxide and diatomaceous earth. I have never used BN'S. Have you tried Mosquito Bits? I put a capful in a coffee filter and twist tie it closed. I put it in a small watering can and fill with warm water. I let it sit out for 24 hours and then water the affected plants. Hope you have a good one, Gerry 😎
Hey there Gerry! Thanks for watching. Mosquito bits are really popular in the USA but I have never seen them here in Paris at all (maybe you can find them in supermarkets in the countryside where mosquitos are a bigger problem, though). The bits/dunks are accessible here but I think you have to order them online if you live in Paris, so I haven't done it yet. If I get a fungus gnat infestation in the future, I will give it a go. Thanks for the suggestion.
Sorry, I didn't know you lived in France. I live in East Stroudsburg, PA, USA. If is part of the Pocono's. Keep making the educational and enjoyable videos. Gerry 😎
Have you heard of Gnat Nix? It is made by Growstone. It is a top dressing made of recycled glass. It feels like perlite. When the Fungus Gnats crawl on or through it, it cuts their exoskeleton and they die. It cost about $25 for a medium bag. I repotted my plants last week and put it on top of each pot. 😎
Hi there Elisabeta! Without photos it's difficult to say, but usually when Hoya leaves begin to turn yellow it is a sign of overwatering. As for the arrowhead, they often require very high levels of humidity. Perhaps the air aound it is too dry? These are my best guesses but I could be wrong.
I need to try this. When the weather where I live starts getting warm I feel like I see these bugs more and more. I’m about to lose my mind like at the end of your video where are you are smacking at that bug. Where to get the first stuff that you’re talking about the ground it up glass? I cannot think of what you said the name of it was.
Ok. I tried everything but ill share what worked the best. I filled 5-6 bowls with water with a drop of soap and 1 or 2drops of apple cider vinegar and placed them near the window, near the walls and near the plants. I was able to capture not 10s or 100s but 1000s in 2 or 3days lol! I stressed out so much about gnat problem. So sharing this so it can help someone. And dont forget to plan on changing the top layers of soil or do something to kill the eggs.
Hi Betsy! This has been published for almost a year now. Is it still working? Thanks for your specificity about the nematodes you are using. They are a huge group of wormy things that aren't all beneficial, so the precise name has been VERY helpful for me. I actually intend on using these for a bioactive enclosure I have for my geckos and needed to find something that wouldn't endanger my precious little lizard babies. I pray for only the death of the fungus gnats!!!!!
If I recall correctly, I mention that I use Steinernema feltiae. After this video I had no issues until I brought home a bag of infested potting mix. I applied nematodes again and it wiped them out completely a second time. No problems since.
@@betsybegonia Amazing cant wait, hope they will be here asap! I think/hope they give all my leaves holes with brown yellowish edges! If not i have to see all your other pests videos. Keep up the videos, love your energie!
@@carlojacobs4434 Fungus gnats don't do damage to leaves. The larvae eat decomposing organic matter in the soil and, if they get out of hand, can eat root hairs, which cause damage to the plant. If your leaves are developing holes and brown spots, it is quite possible another pest or unrelated issue like over or under-watering. I'd first consider over-watering since that is what encourages fungus gnat populations in the first place. But it depends on the plant and the details of the symptoms. Sorry if I misunderstood, maybe I misread what you wrote.
@@betsybegonia i found a photo online that looks exactly like the problem i am facing with my calathea, spathy. sensation and Eprepremnums. Scared like foilage with open space and brown edges. www.houseplant411.com/askjudy/houseplant-leaf-damage-pests-or-disease
Yes, it worked! Sorry I actually mention it in my Q&A video but didn't really do a "follow up" because it would have been me saying "yep it worked! The end." 😂 It worked great, and then I was careful not to overwater and they didn't come back.
Cinnamon has not done anything for me in the way of fungus gnats, unfortunately, but it is great for combatting mold growth when my soil has stayed too damp for too long.
Oooh girl what you did there at the end of your video, that is just like me!!!!!!!!!!! I got these buggers all over the place!! because I got a big ass collection of house plants.And its a gnat graveyard in front of my windows, there is just no point of cleaning it, I am just hoping it dies all off one day :(
I wish I could but I don't get enough sunlight for carnivorous plants. They generally require a lot of light. Beneficial nematodes did the trick within a week.
