Just about every proud plant parent has a wanderer plant ( Chlorophytum comosum)on their ledge .
And every wanderer plant parent can relate with the vexation of get to batfungus gnatadults away from their face and the accent of grizzle over how to free their plant life babe of the root - jaw maggots .
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Wet potting medium is paradise for fungus gnats.
occupy no more . Controlling fungus gnats on your wanderer works is just a issue of combining a few of the comfortable strategies we ’ve compiled for you , to make your job as a plant parent a short easier .
How to Control Fungus Gnats on Spider Plants
1. Avoid Overwatering
This is the most important , and one of the first measure you may take in ensure fungus gnat number on your spider plant .
Fungus gnats love saturated growing mediums , particularly in a warm indoor surround .
Wet medium is not only attractive to fungus gnat females look for a stead to lay their eggs , it ’s the perfect environment for their maggot to fly high and grow up to become the next generation of annoying fly .
Fungus gnat larvae typically hang out in the top two to three inch of medium , so allow the top few inches of thepotting soilyour plants are produce in to dry out between tearing .
verify your mass has drainage holes to tolerate extra pee to flux out as well , preventing soppy soil .
Not only is moist – notwaterlogged – metier healthier for your spider plant life , which are more resilient to maggot hurt when given right guardianship , juiceless periods in between watering make the sensitive less attractive to the gadfly and less conducive to maggot development .
2. Keep Your Spider Plant Healthy
Speaking of springy spider plants , respectable plants are much less likely to be affected by a few fungus gnat maggot nibbles .
In general , spider plant revel medium to shiny collateral sunshine , and temperatures of 65 to 75 ° F .
Get more contingent about properlycaring for spider plants in your plate in our guide .
3. Repot Regularly and Cover Up
certain , these tiny , quiet flies likepeat moss - base mediums , but they roll in the hay it even more when the potting mix is old and devolve . A lack of social organization have in mind more water retention , after all .
you’re able to test whether you need to repot by feel the medium with your digit . Try crumbling a small smattering back into the mickle . If the medium is no longer fluffy , soft , and full of chunks of various size of it , it mightbe time to repot .
Once your plant is happily settled in new grime , try out covering the surface with half an inch of uncouth gumption or fine gravel as well .
Moisture will flux through this level and get out a teetotal , unappealing surface on top . This will deter the females from laying their eggs there , as it is a less than idealistic home for their babies .
Mosser Lee Desert Sand Soil Cover
Desert Baroness Dudevant soil cover from the Mosser Lee Company isavailable in five - pound software from Amazon .
4. Avoid Overfertilizing with Organic Material
Just like deteriorated peat moss is attractive to fungus gnat , other eccentric of constitutive material are appetizing too as they begin to disgrace in your houseplant ’s container .
Fungus gnat larvae usually fee on alga , fungi , and crumble constitutional topic , and only turn to plant roots when universe are big .
So , rich sources of food like lots of manure , rake repast , or other plant food products gamey in constitutional matter are all too good for them to pass up .
Similarly , remove any fallen debris , such as leaves , from the medium Earth’s surface .
determine wind on fertilizing wanderer plants here .
5. Monitor the Problem
Fungus gnats can go from a few to many very quick . When that occur , rivalry between the larva for food leave them no pick but to turn to your spider plant roots .
So keep an oculus on the problem so you ’ll bed when it ’s meter to test a young or firm tactic .
you could expend mucilaginous lying in wait in your home base to monitor the grownup . Sudden population explosions are very noticeable on the bright yellow cards !
Note that although sticky sand trap will help to fascinate adults , sometimes in important numbers , they are not typically enough to eradicate the cuss and eliminate the trouble on their own .
To successfully control fungus gnats , you ’ll need to point them in their larval stage , which is the full stop before they can match and lie down more eggs .
Houseplant Sticky stake
These Houseplant Sticky Stakes , available from Home Depot , make good traps .
6. Employ Nematodes
good roundworm , such asSteinernemafeltiae , which specialize in fungus gnat , are microscopic worm that sniff out the maggots by detecting carbon dioxide and larval movement .
They enter the maggots ’ body and dismission bacterium , which kill the larva within three to four days .
NemAttack Beneficial Nematodes
These nematodes areavailable for leverage at Arbico Organics .
Be certain to apply the nematodesafterrepotting , if you are adjudicate that scheme as well .
These nematodes will reproduce in the dead maggots and persist in the culture medium , controlling next fungus gnat generations , so you do n’t want to hold them out with the old soil !
7. Try a Treatment
If spay the environment does n’t quite do the fast one , or you need to tap down population before employing nematode worm , try AzaGuard , available at Arbico Organics .
AzaGuard
A pesticide product that check azadirachtin , it acts as both a repellant and as an insect growing governor .
I’m a Spider Plant, Not a Gnat Plant
Your wanderer flora merit to spring up and light up your home in public security .
Fungus gnat are one of those annoying types of insects that can become a job if populations get out of control , so keep back the tip we talked about above in mind will give you a salutary head showtime .
You ’re now well on your fashion to avert future problems !
And if an infestation is already in advancement , these pourboire provide excellent methods to help you ascertain the little flies too .
While you ’re call back about protecting yourspider plants , it ’s a with child time to brush up on your sympathy of these plants in other area too , start up with these template :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more item . Product photos via Arbico Organics and Home Depot . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
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Sylvia Dekker
