Flying bugs

[ChrisnLisa]

So as of lately quite a few little flying bugs have been showing up in our indoor enclosures. They are about the size of fruit flies. Anyone else get these? How do we get rid of them???

 

[SoCaliSon]

You need to take your plants out of the pots and rinse out the roots with soapy water... Wait a couple a days and repeat... That should take care of it... Make sure you repot with organic soil... That should take care of the annoying lil buggers!

 

[ChrisnLisa]

That's what stinks!! All of our plants we have now are about month new. All have been washed and repotted organic. What a pain!!

 

[SoCaliSon]

You probably started to notice the bugs about a week after repotting?

If there are bugs in there you need to rinse with soapy water several times as the bugs that have not hatched yet deep in the roots wont be rid of by the first wash most likely... So when you rinse you get all the lil flies living in there... Then when you do it a couple days later you will be going for any eggs that may have been present before and have hatched since, Hopefully getting them before they lay more eggs. 2 or 3 good rinses over a week or 2 I think should take care of the problem. I have also heard of other benficial orgnanisms some people use to get rid of pest like this I believe but I don't know to much about it.

 

[summoner12]

Fly tape.... lol I have one right above my two cages... gets pretty nasty after a couple of weeks. just replace it when its full.

Or repot the plants all the time....

 

[SoCaliSon]

Fly tape.... lol I have one right above my two cages... gets pretty nasty after a couple of weeks. just replace it when its full.

Or repot the plants all the time....

Thats a good idea... never thought of that...

 

[Sara270]

Repotting should get rid of the fungus gnats. I also put a bowl of sugar water outside of the enclosure to drown the ones currently flying around. Some say to have a fan blowing at the dirt or put river rocks on the top of plant soil. The problem is they like to lay there eggs in the first layer of your potted plant, so removing that option from them will solve your problem.

 

[tru510]

I use fly tape on both cages. I put the tape at the bottom near the pot and it works ok. These lil bugs are a pain but the can not get out of the screen cages I have. I repot every month or so. Im thinking about putting a plastic bag over the pot to see if that will slow them down.

 

[ChrisnLisa]

Very good idea guys thanks. I looked at my receipts and the plants I've had for about 2 months. Flies started appearing about two weeks ago. So you think they are fungus gnats?? Where do they come from...the plant or the soil? I gave the plants a good wash and repotted them with a fresh bag of soil they day they were bought. I will try the river rocks and sugar water idea. I hate these little flying buggers!!

 

[MsBrit]

I tend to use the sugar water also. It seems to so the trick. I also put a bit of lemon juice in water and spray the top of the soil every few days. (Usually means once a week.. hehe) and that seems to keep them put off the plant.