How do fungus gnats enter the home? If one finds gnats and cannot find the source, what should a homeowner do? Put yourself in the place of your favorite detective and look for clues. First of all, fungus gnats’ natural habitat is not inside the home. Fungus gnats like moist areas in which there is organic material. Where would you look? Exactly! How about your house plants?
House plants are the most logical place to look. Fungus gnats are not harmful to man, but they certainly are a nuisance pest. As far as plants are concerned, the gnats are harmless but the larvae that develop in the potting soil can damage plant roots and potentially kill your houseplants.
Let us discuss how to handle fungus gnats in the home.
- The first line of defense is to not overwater your plants. The more water is introduced into organic material the more fungus is produced which is a great source of food for the gnats. The top 3 inches of the soil is where most of the larval activity is exhibited, so make sure that the proper amount of water is used to keep plants healthy without creating an environment that will harm them.
- Besides limiting the possibility of overwatering, persistent insecticides may be introduced into the soil to kill the larval form of the gnat. These insecticides include pyrethroid-based insecticides.
- Other options may include diatomaceous earth mixed into the potting soil which can scratch larva causing dehydration which is the greatest enemy of insects.
- Another option for eliminating fungus gnat adults is to pick up yellow sticky traps which attract adults before the females can lay eggs and start the life process all over again.
Caring for houseplants by not overwatering is the best first line of defense without the use of pesticides.