You take the prison term to water your plant , fertilize them , and insure that they get as much born light as your space reserve . But all it choose is a few weeks of overwatering to cultivate hundreds of undesirable visitors . Do n’t strain ! There are countlessfungus gnats treatmentoptions that are cheap and effective .

What Are Fungus Gnats?

Fungusgnatsare about one - eighth of an column inch long and are dark gray or contraband with thin wings , long leg and farseeing feeler . Although they have a very scant lifetime span , they wreak mayhem by flow onalgae , kingdom Fungi and crumble industrial plant matter , as well as works antecedent and leaves .

They do n’t flee very far and tend to bunch around the plant that they are infesting . Fungus gnats thrive in the late fall and winter , oscillate around indoor plants . show here for some idea of how to get disembarrass of this nuisance .

Fungus Gnat Life Cycle

They do n’t live long , but that does n’t stop a whole family of them from infest your favorite potted plants and invading your personal space . From egg to adult , they only populate an average of 3 to 4 hebdomad , most of which is spent in or on the soil surface [ reservoir : Planet Natural Research Center ] . But , in their short life , adult gnat can lay as many as 300 ball , which is why fungus gnat infestation can become so problematic .

The eggs hatch in as fiddling as four days , though the larval stagecoach is much longsighted . The larvae feed on and live in moist soil for around 12 days before calibrate to the pupal point , which lasts another for to six mean solar day [ beginning : Hernandez ] . Adult fungus gnats grow to be as big as a quarter of an inch , and pass around eight days flying around the houseplant the birthed them laying ball .

Treating a Fungus Gnat Infestation

verify the flies you see are really fungus gnats by trying the raw potato psychometric test . Place a piece of natural potato on the grime near an overrun a industrial plant . If these are fungus gnats , you will see them migrate to the white potato vine within a few hr . If you lift the opus of potato , you should see the larva .

How to Prevent Fungus Gnats

Fungus gnat are n’t harmful to humans , but they can wreak mayhem on your houseplant . They are n’t the unspoiled roommate in the macrocosm either . Which is it ’s always best to prioritize fungus gnat prevention wherever potential .

Fortunately , it ’s not that hard to prevent fungus gnats from invading your dear house plants . Try the follow prevention methods to keep your household gnat free :

Enjoy Pest-Free Plants Today!

You ante up good money for your house plants , and put a heap of work into keep them healthy and green . Though they do n’t personate a health risk to human or pets , they have been shown to stunt plant ontogenesis and bring to tooth root putrefaction [ origin : University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources ] .

Do n’t get these easy - to - extinguish annoyances take out your indoor greenery . Fight back , apply a few of the tip above , and say goodbye to fungus gnats for good .

A gnat on a white background.