10 Ways Prevent & Kill Fungus Gnats in Seedlings and Houseplants

[@jddd665]

Here is what worked for me, in combination: - Garlic granules and cinnamon powder. Several spoons per pot, evenly mixed with top soil, then gently sprayed with water to soak for 1-2 hours. Then pouring water evenly to the pot, until it starts coming out through the pot hole. - Sticky tape. - I stopped putting pots in decorative pots. Gnats love that area between the 2 walls. Instead, I drilled holes in all decorative pots, planted the plants directly in them, and started using saucers. - Stopped using excessive amounts of compost. Almost every compost comes with gnat eggs. - Stopped using compost which didn't compost completely. - Started using 50% perlite in every soil. - Stopped overwatering. Garlic and cinnamon do not affect grownup gnats (that's why you have sticky tapes), but larvae can't stand that. Gone in 2 days.

[@DustyNonya]

All I generally have to do, generally, is smash up a couple cloves of garlic in a small amount of water, use, steep more, repeat. Allium greens and papers are seem similarly useful too in a concentrated form.

[@blueback21]

Do you think it would be effective just to put send Amon powder and garlic granules on the topsoil and leave it, this is for tiny little starts

[@carrierasmussen5734]

Big FYI on using mosquito bits. I love them BUT the granules themselves can mold when used on soil in seed trays or on houseplants. Better to soak 3 tablespoons in a gallon of water for about 4 hours, then use the “tea” to water your plants. Got rid of a major infestation within 3 applications over a couple weeks!

[@ThePassionperfect]

Yeah, I did get mold from that

[@FunnyHandleName1]

Got rid of a major problem with one application. I’ve been messing around all winter with overwintering pepper plants and this did it.

[@lamira32]

What to do with leftover "tea" can it be stored or should I discard it?

[@robertheston1339]

The directions on the package said add 4 tablespoons to each gallon and let it soak for 30 minutes. I did 6 gallon jugs like that today. It was really after more than 45 minutes before the water was foggy... I assume with that bacteria. I might let it soak longer next time.

[@liberta2570]

Good to know, thanks

[@gaylecarver1165]

I wish I could "like" this video more than once. I've been having this problem with houseplants and now beginning with my seedlings.

[@ariw9405]

I’ve also found once you’ve treated with one of these methods put some alcohol on a cotton ball and rub it along the rim of the pot once a week. I’ve found that this keeps them away.

[@naturekins604]

Hands down I love starting my seeds in sand on a self watering tray system. This has been a game changer for me and I will never buy seed starting mix again. I rinse the sand with boiling water before I plant the next group of seeds and just use the sand over and over again.

[@melissakurkosky963]

I've never heard of that, interesting!

[@paulinechapman5669]

I use vermiculite..no need for boiling water..transplant seedlings with the vermiculite left in seedling trays with new soil..boffo good..🇨🇦

[@brandyburgess8267]

What kind of sand?

[@naturekins604]

@@brandyburgess8267 washed play ground sand, you can also use sand from a creek if you have it. The important thing is that it is clean with no salt.

[@jeandelamalfesse6348]

I’ll try this

[@debrajones5305]

I’ve battled fungus gnats all winter from a plant I brought in last fall. I didn’t want to start my seeds until I got them under control. Thanks for the information!

[@trishdavi7049]

Thank you for this. Your facial expression mimics how I feel about these bugs. If anyone gifts you a plant quarantine it & treat it first to be sure it won't infect and even kill all your houseplants.

[@jackiegoodrich1351]

AMEN! Rev. J

[@4TheWayTruthLife]

Great tip!! Thanks!

[@cclothier2172]

I'm dealing with this right now. Great timing! Thank you.

[@vickicade8380]

I swear, the man can read minds. Lol

[@NextLevelGardening]

😄

[@B.Christine_W222]

Me too

[@alamo2211]

Same here

[@justme8274]

At the risk of sounding crazy I’ll say I’m firmly convinced that our phones listen to us even if we’re not talking on it. It only needs to b in the room and it can here u talking. I know this sounds absolutely crazy but I’ve tested this many times then realized this was what that guy that used to work for the ClA talking about. Sorry I forgot his name but he’s on the most wanted list as a whistle blower. Kinda crazy stuff

[@Sense2024]

Flame thrower worked for me!

[@jocarter6243]

Yep that will do it 😂

[@colinerikstanhouse6385]

Every time !...lol

[@ashleetiamiyu1653]

Can you explain this more? ​@@colinerikstanhouse6385

[@ashleetiamiyu1653]

What do you do with it?

[@paulinechapman5669]

My hero..🇨🇦

[@PaullaWells]

I learn something with every video! As many problems as I have had with mosquitos I have never ever heard of Mosquito Bits. Wow! I am totally spreading this all over my yard and garden this year. I can hardly go outside without getting bit many times. Those dang things love me!

[@NextLevelGardening]

They love Emilie too

[@livingsimplyblessed1334]

Your timing couldn’t have been more perfect! I did the soil drench yesterday with peroxide and water, but will use other methods tomorrow. Thanks!

[@MorroccoM13]

20 years of container gardening and never experienced what I am now. One bag of potting mix had the eggs. You need to keep at it even when you think you have them under control. I've been watching many videos and yours yesterday. The yellow sticky pads work; mosquito bits as far as I know works but they will come back. Some tomatoes and peppers looking pretty bad with yellowing leaves at the bottom. I finally reverted to using Insecticidal Soap on the adults just so I could kill them off. Every hour I go at them with either the insecticidal soap or my hand. Tried the apple cider vinegar and nothing yet; been 24hrs. I will be getting some Neem Oil tomorrow. Seen other people say cinnamon works and others say "No"; and yet others say it has to be real cinnamon - Ceylon Cinnamon - which is hard to find. Thanks for the clear, no nonsense video.

[@nancyk8153]

I feel your pain. I tried EVERYTHING!!!!! And I think the only thing that works for house plants is to bottom water and I put my new soil in boiling water then let it cool down (about 3 hours) then use it to pot my plants. Problem solved.

[@f.d.english5677]

I have used boiling water, sticky traps and mosquito bits to good effect.

[@carlandersonlll6861]

I container garden too. I have a Grand Bell Sweet Pepper plant in a container that i started 2 years ago and take inside in the fall and put it on my livingroom radiator and put outside in late spring. I live in Maine. I have a few gnats and i think its from overwatering. I don't do anything about it since it doesn't bother me or my wife. I am doing an experiment to see how many years the Sweet Pepper plant will live for. So far so good with some peppers even in the winter.

[@jackiegoodrich1351]

I raise only snake plants. Opened a box in my plant room of a plant ordered on line, and out they flew! Hung a large bug zapper in my plant room, and the cracking started right away! I had to empty the "dead bug tray" a lot, but after a few weeks, it was silent. Still left it for a week, but never heard another sound! Only water my guys once a month(all size pots) no more gnats.Hope this helps you, sounds too easy, but it was! Bless you and all your plant babies! Rev. Jackie 😊❤

[@mattchat2875]

Another one just starting to find out how they come in the soil or something. Looking at your traps, found out another one that seems to work pretty good. They are little drunks. Every time I bring a mug of beer out, with full intention to drink, end up with ten or more in there, but only if I intended to drink the beer. Put an old peanut jar lid over the top of the mug kind of thing which brought up the next idea. Barrier. More asking if anyone has tried this yet, but ordered some of the double sided sticky stuff in sheets. Should be beg enough to cover the top of the planter so planned to cut a slit and then a small circle to go around the stem (already transplanted into cloth pots - that probably being the soil they came in). Barrier in place, no easy way in, nor out and bottom water for now on. Thank you for taking the time to put this video up. I for one sincerely do not like sharing my beer with these since they seem very antisocial. None of them ever offered to buy the next round, but sincerely, now I know how the got in and what I did wrong. Two pronged counter attack approaches/combination is next.

[@wrongwayconway]

I learned a lot today! I bought sticky traps but I found that some of my delicate leaves got stuck on the trap. Ouch. I love the paint chip + Vaseline DIY trap. I already sterilize my potting soil (bake in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees). I'll do the boiling water method, so much easier. THANK YOU! 💚

[@chriscahill2121]

Great tips. I usually cook my soil in a low temp in my oven. I like the cinnamon and hot water tip

[@rosebayer114]

Can I ask how long you bake it for and at what temperature?

[@annking1576]

@rosebayer114. I used 250* for an hour. Seems to have worked. PLEASE NOTE - Your house may stink after this so try to do it on a warm enough day to open windows & use exhaust fan & fans in windows to get good cross breeze.

[@SarahS1214]

Love the sticky traps! Got them from Amazon. Did not realize how many gnats I had til they stuck to those! Getting other things you mentioned next! 😊

[@louiseeyahpaise795]

Tried a few of those methods and this year I did actually put boiling water on my old soil from last year that I'm reusing this year. Should have done that on my seedling mix though so I'm going to have to try the peroxide method. I am not a fan of fungus gnats, I fought them last year and became very frustrated. Vaseline on yellow paper ...works great.👩🏽‍🌾🌱💚

[@mudpiemudpie785]

I catch way more gnats in an open try of red wine vinegar, dish soap, and water. The wider the surface are the more gnats you will catch. Home made sticky traps with petroleum jelly didn't work at all. I had a real problem this year because of some bad store bought potting mix--and I didn't know to use the boiling water first. A thick layer of sand placed on top of established plants helped a lot, too.

[@dasroberts6811]

Very good tips. I use the sticky traps and I recycle the bright yellow styrofoam container that hold the meat from the grocery store and put a couple of drops of dish soap and fill with warm water. I set it under the lights near my seedlings. You would be surprised how many you can catch in a few days. Hope this helps!

[@sheilalaidig4835]

I needed this. I’ve been so frustrated with these darned nats. It’s time to take action!

[@tamararoberts9307]

I also have a fan going on them on low for a week or so then on medium. Can also use perlite on top if you don't have vermiculite. And don't overwater too often

[@lauragarmon6969]

I've also used 70% isopropyl alcohol (rubbing alcohol) as a spray. It seems to work well if you use it once a week for about three weeks.

[@RavenVargas27]

Ooo that's my favorite 70% in a spray bottle

[@Gkrissy]

Great video. I used hydrogen peroxide last year and sand when I had the issue from some home dept houseplants. Now when I buy houseplants i quarantine then and put peroxide on the soil with water. I never heard of mosquito bits, thanks for sharing

[@sarahmunoz14]

The boiling water to pre-moisten is my go-to for seed starts. Very effective. Unfortunately, I think I had eggs in paper-white bulbs (grow indoors) and gnats showed up! My gnats are drinkers and prefer red wine to vinegar!😜

[@leewillis2908]

😂

[@laurawright6964]

😂😂

[@katherinealbuschat241]

I use BT with a syringe and a needle that you can get at an animal feed store. Mine happened to be a 5 cc syringe with an 28g needle. Draw up the liquid BT and inject it under the surface of the soil. I don't have a specific measurement but I usually use 1-3. syringes full depending on the size of the seedling. This takes care of the eggs of the gnats only which is what I have the most problem with. Thanks for the info of taking care of the gnats on the surface!

[@JoyfullyOrangeDeborah]

The "bane of my existence" in these gnats showed up this year but not last year, yet they killed everything starting in my little greenhouse 3y ago & I had no clue what they were. Thank you for all of this info! I will work on multiple things to get them dead & gone, just like the slugs which I haven't seen for 2 weeks. Thanks & Blessings for all you do!!

[@jenniferdanklefsen6490]

I have used the Neem Oil and used the soak method with great results!

[@SarahS1214]

Great video! I wrote it all down to use. I’ve had gnats indoors for several years. Now I know how to get rid of them. Thank you!

[@joanies6778]

I pour boiling water on my seed starter mix to get it wet. Then I run it through the microwave for (2) one minute cycles in a slow cooker or oven bag. Then I let it cool before planting seeds. I have not seen any to date! In the past, I have had to use cinnamon for fungus.

[@NPC2_4_U]

Tanglefoot on yellow stock works well too. White flies love em also.

[@jstudmclovin713]

My first year overwintering peppers. Cleaned the roots thoroughly, soaked with neem, and never overwatered but these jerks still took over our house all season. Just finally tried vermiculite and diatomaceous earth and immediately resolved my issue :)

[@mdperez13nyc]

I’m new to your page and I love all the different suggestions for these darn gnats. Thank you

[@alyssadandria8626]

They are in my greenhouse and driving me nuts!!

[@terristraub9720]

Can't thank you enough for this great info!! This is my first year with growing seeds and I have the entire set up with grow lights, heat pads and shelves. I'm hoping I won't have these nasty critters but I will go a head with some of the preventative. Thanks Brian!!

[@09echols]

I poored boiling hot water on my old potting soil. Once it cooled down I poured a bottle of 3% peroxide on it. Watching the soil boil from that was interesting. I waited a week then planted my starts. I still see the gnats but not nearly as many so I topped the soil with cinnamon. Might be overkill but kill is my goal🤷🏾‍♀️

[@RavenVargas27]

Yup cinnamon kills the fungus the creeps love to eat I also used ginger with it

[@elainelucier6243]

I badly needed this. I didn't have any until I opened a new bag of soil. Its has been an ongoing battle

[@leewillis2908]

Ugh. That’s what just happened to me. Years of starting seeds, I’ve never had them, but have taken precautions in the past, like the boiling water pre soak. This has been a hard year and I was in a rush to start my peppers. I skipped the soak. Ugh. Now I have the pesky gnats. So far, have used sticky traps, cinnamon and DE to no avail. Going for the hydrogen peroxide next- and ordering the bits. Considering dumping the whole tray and starting over. Ugh.

[@elainelucier6243]

@@leewillis2908 I now have sundews they have really nocked down the number of fungus nats.

[@banjerma]

Those sundews are interesting. I've never given them much thought for pest control.

[@4TheWayTruthLife]

Those companies want us to FAIL! My grandma used to gather natural hummus from a dead tree in the woods, then she would bake it in the oven for a while on low, not sure what temperature, but that worked to kill any unwanted pests. That would be great if you had an outdoor oven. It's kind of odoriferous! 🌳

[@cindyskillman544]

Nice. Thanks! BTW, The neem oil I bought had no instructions, but indicated 100% neem oil. I researched it online and the consensus of those who had been using it on their gardens was 1 tsp pure oil per 1 qt water, & most added a few drops of liquid detergent as (I expect) a surfactant to improve mixing of the oil and water. I haven't tried this yet, but the people using it were happy, so...

[@whoknowswho7494]

Great info, thank you. But about DE. I use it often with my hens, both in their house and in their food for de-worming. It does, as I understand it, lose its killing power when it gets wet. Probably best to sprinkle on top whenever the soil is dry. Repeat after watering.

[@lynnbrown3548]

Excellent timing Brian! Yellow sticky tape was not enough, now I’ll try some of your other suggestions. Thank you!!!

[@blueback21]

So many great tips here. Thank you, I did try the Vaseline on the yellow card stock and it wasn’t very good. I sat there and watched the bugs walk right across the Vaseline and fly off.

[@5rgyyuyrgg]

I used the jar method without the plastic wrap, and it worked great! edited: I also add granulated sugar.

[@LizMitchellMO]

I make a similar bowl trap for fruit flies when they appear in summer. A bit of wine and/or beer with some warm water and a couple of drops of dish soap. The dish soap removes the surface tension so flies attracted to the aroma of beer or wine will sink when they come to sip.

[@bigglittleghockeychannel1349]

Thank you sooooo much for this!!! I have had them for about a week now and its time to deal with this this weekend! Great videos very helpful!

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you 😊

[@Kati-did]

Just to add to mosquito bits recommendation, you can also soak them over night and water with the water as well. Works great! Thanks for care guide, nice to have all the info in one place!

[@averagesavage8367]

Couple of tips: only tear off one side of the sticky traps at a time, you get double the life, as you will find out, both sides at once isn't that much more effective. And another: put a small half French fry size slice of raw potato on top of the soil, the larva will flock to it, and a couple of days later check, if there is holes in the potato, it did its job, and flush the larva in the potato down the toilet.

[@cindyjohnson5242]

Great idea!

[@FBPstudios]

You seem to like potatoes

[@johnkelly9451]

thank you!!!

[@robynmorris2408]

Thank you Brian lots of great information!!!!! Mosquito bits is new to me.

[@skylineq5669]

Tried all the best way ,,,Top the plant pot with 2-3 inch fine play sand work 100%

[@skylineq5669]

@@lesliehenderson7866 I would not use Silica sand it can be a health hazard if it is inhaled or ingested. Use fine play sand

[@thisoneforu]

This has not worked for me, I have no idea how they can still come through 3 inch's of sand, I do have those yellow sticky things to catch them as they fly around. I will repot this one when it gets a bit warmer as its a plumeria One of my other plants seemed to have the same problem so I replanted it washed the roots, new soil.. I was SHOCKED at how many gnats came out of the soil deep down :( I love plants so much but I may have to go back to faux ones if I cannot get control. The funny thing is.. they don't live in all of the planted pots only certain types of plants

[@hummingbirdbumblebee4618]

would perlite work?

[@jessebrown7637]

I've never used Mosquito Bits and I don't have a bird bath but knowing I can use them in there, knowing now that hey contain BT and it works on mosquitoes, is pretty awesome. If I can save my tomatoes AND murder mosquitos, I call that a win.

[@micht6888]

I grow vegetables all winter in my basement and had a really bad infestation. I have tried all of them. The only thing that really works is using Mosquito Bits and nem oil and yellow sticky straps. from the very start. If you get an infestation still use Mosquito Bits and nem. I will take a week or so but they will be gone. Happy gardening :-)

[@phillipellison4758]

they come in through the bottom of container too. Good vid ! Fungus gnats have caused damage more than once ...

[@pamelafeather6405]

I learned a LOT!! Thank you for being so direct with information. I like instructions without a lot of "fluff". I will use your channel again!!

[@Jenolistic]

Perfect timing... battling these in my basement right now with my seedlings!

[@Whatworksthisworks]

Me too!!! 😖

[@sajijayanth6732]

I’m dealing with this now. I use a bug zapper, it helps a lot but I think I’ll start using other methods also to completely get rid of the problem. Thanks for sharing the ideas. Good timing 😀

[@1LindaJMacKay]

I detest fungus gnats!! With 95 houseplants, 11 house tomatoes, 9 dormant peppers, seedlings etc, Ive had my share of fungus gnats,esp when bringing in a new plant 😬😄 Ive used most of these preventative and killing measures except I pour boiling water over a pan of soil, then bake it in the oven for 30 minutes Total deal changer!! 😊👍 If even one zips past me, Im on the hunt 😄 The apple cider trap has never worked for fungus gnats for me, but works very well for fruit flies! 🤢 Yellow sticky traps saved my sanity over winter 🤣 I only bottom water so no current issues, but Im sure they'll be back 🤨😆😀 TGIF! and have an awesome weekend! 🌻🌼🏵

[@NextLevelGardening]

Thank you. You have a good weekend too!

[@jujube2407]

I love my amazon yellow sticky traps... the knats came home on my 4.00 hawiaian Christmas 🎄... I spray them with a few drops of essential oils water and the peroxide!

[@carolnies8668]

Which essential oil?

[@jujube2407]

@@carolnies8668 rosemary and lemon... I may have added more? Lol I went thru the "bug spray " Google searches and added a drop of each... not sure if it helped or not...but if it smells they won't settle there is my "thought process"

[@carolnies8668]

@@jujube2407 Thank you. If it is the smell, I'm gonna try a couple different oils. I'll keep you posted. I've put down the mosquito dunk granules, which are so expensive. I see you like the sticky traps. The jar of vinegar mixture didn't work well for me.

[@dawndillon7043]

I had some in my houseplant. I used dawn dish soap diluted in water and sprinkled red pepper flakes on the soil.

[@sarahturps1384]

Any chance of you making an insect identifying video. Turning and tilling my soil, I'm finding bugs and I have no clue if some are friend or fiend. Like a a 'top ten' or something?

[@KevinModz65]

The dish soap/apple cider vinegar trap does not work for fungus gnats, it works for fruit flies. Unfortunately, the internet is ablaze with this myth but no real fact checks

[@AlphaGeekgirl]

Yup, I got sucked into that, and I can attest that it does not work

[@5rgyyuyrgg]

You must have some smart fungus gnats. It worked great for me! Try what I did. Fill the jar halfway with vinegar. Use a little more dish soap than he recommends (I use Pink Dawn Dishwashing Liquid). Don't cover the jar. It will take some days before you realize that it's working. I noticed on the fourth day. Also, put the jar in an area where you see most of them. edited: stir the vinegar and Dawn together.

[@5rgyyuyrgg]

Add granulated sugar to the vinegar and dish soap mixture then stir.

[@davisappletv9931]

I, too, wondered if it would work for fungus gnats, since I knew it was really meant for fruit flies, but I did a mix of about 4 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, and maybe half a teaspoon of liquid dish soap, and caught dozens of fungus gnats. So it definitely does work.

[@SeviNoHeart]

I use fly strips as my sticky traps, hanging them from my grow lights, works great but never realized that being yellow was an attraction. Thanks for that info👍 As to preventative, it depends on what I have available from year to year, definitely cinnamon this year, ended up with a huge jar of it.

[@susiefloosie8885]

After finding small flies/gnats or something eating my seedlings outside in some raised beds (3 ft. high on legs). I put sticky things in the beds after spraying the soil, using whatever I could and even covering with row covers. My seedlings would come up, then overnight they were gone. I also put out snail bait. After putting the sticky traps out, one evening I found a lizzard stuck to it. I felt so bad. This lizzard had been around for some time (I know it was him because his tail was missing). I was able to get him off the sticky trap, but thought he would die. He jumped down and ran away. Two days later, I saw him again sunning himself as usual. I got rid of all my sticky traps. Not good outside!!!!

[@f.d.english5677]

Very informative video! Thanks! Using coconut coir instead of a peat based potting mix helps. Mix it with some vermiculite and pearlite along with a little fertilizer like Trifecta and that will be a good start. Treating the pots--bottom on the outside and also spraying the inside of the cellpacks with neem--is helpful. Then spray the potting mix. Mix in some mosquito bits or make a "tea" out of them and water with it. A lot of these suggestions came from MI Gardener on KZbin.

[@MNichole08]

Great information! I started purchasing succulents in Spring 2019 and dealt with a gnat problem for months! The ACV mix helped, but didn't resolve the issue. DE helped until the next watering but didn't resolve the issue. It wasn't until I realized my primary problem was with the soil brand I was purchasing that my issue was resolved. Speaking specifically succulents - I decreased the amount of soil used along with changing brands, began using Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect control and mosquito bits. I haven't seen an gnat since October 2019. I hope this helps someone dealing with houseplant issues!

[@jillellis62]

for those, u can put small pebble rocks on top of the soil n it helps too :)) thats 1 reason why they come that way when buying them

[@PennyFarmer-w8g]

I use ACV and dish soap for fruit flies. Will totally do this for my tomato plant babies!!!! Thank you so very much. I also use Diatomaceous earth on lots of stuff. I am going to mix in before I add any more potting soil, I find it shreds hard body insects, not so much on soft body. But its good to know because I need to be careful for the earthworms in my garden.

[@patriciajacques7653]

This has always been a struggle! Thanks!

[@brendagracie7522]

As usual, you know just what to say and when to say it! Great and useful info. Thanks!

[@leonie8999]

Could you possibly do an episode on organic prevention of fruit flies? Thanks

[@lizp1010]

I like to sprinkler to tops of soil with ground up mosquito bits (I grind them in a blender on high seed). Then I top it off with vermiculite mixed with cinnamon powder. Controls fungus knats and helps prevent damping off. The yellow sticky paper works well for adults but I don't find that they are interested in vinegar - they aren't fruit flies.

[@araceliadams34]

Thank you. These gnats are driving me crazy. I had to move all of my starts and the rack I had them in our doors.

[@orethapearce7103]

Thanks for the info unfortunately, I don't have a garden or in door plant but, have serious problems with these gnats or whatever you call them in my apartment it's running me up the wall. So what is the best remedy for getting rid of them in the home?

[@waterisgold]

I really love using a mixture of neem oil and water🌿🌿🌿

[@azimshamsi]

Thanks Brian for confirming using of DE in soil

[@Jennifer33333]

I get the yellow fly trap sticky paper. I lay it on the top of the soil of large plants and hang a piece from the top canopy of my plants in my grow room to catch any stragglers. Seems to work.

[@NextLevelGardening]

Great!

[@annhutchings6591]

I am trying carnivorous plants this year in particular the sundew

[@meena7449]

This is so helpful! We’ve been suffering from an infestation and I was beginning to wonder if anyone else had a problem because I haven’t seen much on this topic. Thanks so much!

[@K.Falls1]

Try NEEM Cake it’s 100% effective, killing them, and keeping them gone

[@jammin4284]

I bake my home made starter soil (get to 165° and hold for 20 min in foil baking trays... Reuse trays) and use the sticky traps. Havent seen a gnat yet.

[@montibrown1408]

I have been wanting to try baking the soil. Thanks for the fyi. Zone 6B

[@jammin4284]

@@montibrown1408 It seems absurd... But dammit I can't complain about the results.

[@LizMitchellMO]

165°F or 165°C?

[@thisismyname720]

Thanks for this video. Good advice. In my research I learned this... very important to get the right Bt product. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Kurstaki (Btk) and Israelensis (Bti) strains Re: fungus gnats Btk: Does NOT work on fungus gnat larvae (I can personally vouch for this. I tried it in the past, it does NOT work.) Bti: Does work. (larvae must eat it)( I can personally vouch for this. I am using this at present time and am seeing some success.) In my opinion, treatment must be somewhat aggressive. Gnats and larvae are relentless - we must be too. I am using neem oil, bti via mosquito dunk soaking 24hrs in gallon sprayer and peroxide treatments as well. I do not spray and go away. I hit them every possible day with some alternating treatment. I have done this only this week so far and had a couple rainy days so was only able to treat 2 to 3 times. Tip: Pick up stepping stones! They lay their eggs under there because the soil stays wet. Good luck. Happy gardening!

[@clairelockey6207]

Thanks for that i have been battliing with fundusu knats for about a year

[@pamelaviscuso4281]

Perfect timing! I was just looking for help... My laundry room/indoor greenhouse that’s housing all my seedlings is being attacked by these flying insects... I tried the cinnamon but prolly not enough. Will try adding more and some diluted hydrogen peroxide. Thank you for all your “to the point” info.

[@j.b.6855]

I splurged and bought two bags of Burpee seed starting mix instead of using left over potting soil like last year. I opened the bags and they flew out. I used a bug microwave safe bowl with a lid from the dollar tree and microwaved the soil for 3 minutes. No more gnat problem.

[@stephenw1799]

Sprinkling cinnamon powder on the surface of the soil has worked really well for me. You can make a tea and water. There was a noticeable decrease in gnat activity.

[@virethawilliams2874]

I agree. I just started using the cinnamon, covering the top soil of each of my six plants, along with the yellow sticky plant tapes. It is working so far. Will know for sure once I change out the sticky plant tapes for fresh ones.

[@bonjovirocks24]

Best way to get rid of gnats in house plants: 1. Repot with new soil (even in existing pot). Throw the soil in a garbage bag and seal tightly, to dispose of eggs, larva and junior gnats in the soil. 2. Spray roots with Garden Safe Insecticidal Soap. Make sure to spray in the remaining soil on the roots. 3. Refill pot with new soil, making about 1.5 inches for room on the top of soil for sand. 4. Add a thick layer of 1.5” - 2” of sand. Pat down to keep it tightly packed. 5. Water the plant. If sand moves to expose soil, add more sand at the top. I tried everything and couldn’t get rid of gnats in my plants, until I tried this method with sand. This worked, no more gnats going on 2 months. Gnats can’t dig into tightly packed sand, nor can larvae or gnats crawl up through the sand if packed tightly.

[@carolgrace6573]

I have a opened bag of children’s sand over a year now outdoors, To make sure nothing is living in the sand ( for indoor plants ) could it be microwaved for a few seconds maybe?

[@jillellis62]

@@carolgrace6573 soil and sand can be microwabed, yes. i also looked this up as a way to get rid of mine too. i am going to try it this week :)

[@bonjovirocks24]

Silca sand should work.

[@andreagarofolo9431]

Will it work in a raised bed veg garden

[@d.r.7943]

I buy BT in spray form. Also comes in a liquid that you can mix with water if one needs a larger amount. This is the one I usually buy at Walmart, Lowe's, Home Depot, etc Captain Jack's 16 oz Bt Thuricide Ready-to-Use Spray for Worm & Caterpillar Control

[@lorim4321]

Unfortunately I have a lot of gnats flying around on my raised garden beds. I would also find them on the stalks of my recently planted tomatoes 🥺 I’ve been using a of BT. Do you think it could be my mulch? I did see a swarm fly off the surface of my bed once. I’ve been using coconut coir and have been top watering until I get my drip irrigation in. Would laying down a better mulch help?

[@DancerSakura]

I almost lost the battle last year 😣 really nasty, I have done at least half of this tricks but this isn't over 👍🏼 thanks!

[@ranchking7628]

hands down one of the best, well explained videos on this subject I have seen....keep up the great work and I will look forward to more of your stuff!

[@tandrerafferty]

The vinegar trap has NEVER worked for me. Those gnats drove my husband & I absolutely bananas. Sticky traps kinda worked. Those Mosquito Bits worked wonders!

[@ViolentRainbow]

**Tries to fly into your nose over and over while you type**

[@ReapingTheHarvest]

The apple cidar vinegar works for fruit flies, but not so much for fungus gnats.

[@EternaLivesMatter]

Oh my gosh!!!! I am such an idiot I'm not a seasoned Gardener or an indoor plant keeper so my logic was get rid of the old soil and repot all the plants which I did and it seems that I have more nats now than I did before must be that that bag had some larvae in it how long should I wait after I pour boiling water on the new soil to report?

[@angel6185029]

Vinegar traps I only get like 10 to fall for it. I have an infestation in my 2 greenstalks. Mosquito bits are for the larvae, I have the sticky traps but what else can I do to kill the adults?

[@cindyhewatt3406]

Oh oh oh, such a perfect timing! Love your work, thank you, Brian!

[@pennygarcia3039]

Great video! I am going to put cinnamon on my seed soil. I have already added boiling water to my soil mix.

[@adventuresandreams]

Fantastic video. Thank you. What methods would you use for herbs to make sure that they are still edible after the treatments? I invited a whole army of these gnats when I planted this spring.

[@victorialg1270]

Very helpful info. Fungus gnats have nearly killed my citrus inside the house. I have really knocked down most of them with nemotoades. Going to implement the other suggestions for a multiple prong approach.

[@RobVonDee]

I had great success just covering the top of the soil with a sand/gravel mix but looked into the nematode method and wondered about that too 🤔

[@lauradiesman9683]

This morning I've been looking into the beneficial nematode thing. Do you know if any of these soak methods would kill them?

[@Jacqueline-nk1pt]

I'm going for it. I'm going to try dusting the soil with DE, and I'm going to use the mosquito bits. Fingers crossed!

[@jenjoy4353]

I used boiling water on the seed raising mix to hydrate and put vermiculite over the surface and bottom water. The sticky traps have been somewhat successful. Still have just a few gnats but not many.

[@jenjoy4353]

BTW. Starting the pepper seeds in warm soil may have helped with germination. The came up pretty quickly.

[@amyparker1762]

Thx for the added info. I’m using the sticky traps, cinnamon and boiling water to sterilize the seed starting soil but still have a gnat issue. I’m going to up my game and wipe out these pesky critters using your arsenal of advice. Lock and load! Game on!! 🔫😁

[@sarahturps1384]

How did it go?

[@amyparker1762]

@@sarahturps1384 excellent! Nearly eradicated all but a few gnats. Give it a go! 😊

[@sarahturps1384]

@@amyparker1762 Great!

[@liberta2570]

Great ideas bc gnats have hatched in my house in zone 5 driving me bonkers!!! Going to try all suggestions!! I have the sticky yellow flowers , they do work, but it's not enough. Can you or do you have a video on destroying glasshouse mealy bug infestation?!!!! I truly hate them!!! I've been battling them in my plants for a year. They've killed many of my indoor plants. I use isopropyl spray everyday and everyday I find new tiny white spots.

[@stephaniesmith9710]

I have used cinnamonand it seems to have worked

[@jeanniehernandez9246]

Great video. I've started noticing them around my seedlings the last few days. Will try the vinegar trick right now.

[@marcs8975]

I live in Canada i usually put my starter mix out on my deck when it is well below zero for a couple of days it seems to work.

[@youtmeme]

I got a peace lilly from moms funeral. it was smallish. but grew. I had to repot months later.. got miracle grow potting soil. didn't get anything..then they came. I used hydrogen peroxide extensively. partially worked. but they still came. I got a sticky tape stuff and had to put it all around the pot. got em all. to finish off, I put mosquito dunks in the soil and around the water dish. plant is now fine and huge! I need to replant! but I just bought some more potting soil and am freaking out! I dont want to go through it all again. got the espoma organic potting soil. so I'm looking into treating the soil b4 I replant.😩

[@richm5889]

Awesome, as usual. I found that any of the methods that includes spraying the foliage on the surface of the issue of softening the leaves and making them very tender which probably isn't great since they lay their eggs on the leaves. I also found that before spraying I could brush a lot of the eggs off of the leaves but do this before you shower because the little buggers are going to attach themselves to you and follow you around for the rest of the day. I'm not kidding! Especially like the advice at the end to try multiple methods because I'm dealing with this right now and find that most methods provide some relief but don't end the problem so I could totally see how multiple methods are going to be necessary.

[@carolro6673]

From all I’ve read, fungus knats lay eggs in soil. Damp loose soil that protects the eggs and larvae.