If you are having a fungus fly outbreak, this short blog is for you! We will briefly cover a few ways to combat these pesky little critters. Fungus fly’s are more commonly referred as fungus gnats, and sometimes they can appear out of nowhere… or at least thats how it seems!

Where do Fungus Gnats Come From?

Fungus gnats lay their eggs in organic material. If you have indoor plants, this is most likely the area you should target first. A lot of times, the soil you purchase from the store can have larvae in it. This is why I recommend purchasing a high quality potting soil like Fox Farm. After years of growing, I have found that cheap soils are simply not worth your time or money. Cheap soils sometimes come loaded with pests and usually don’t have enough nutrients to sustain vigorous plant growth. Trust me.. a couple extra dollars on a bag of premium potting soil is totally worth it!

After a couple weeks, the larvae turns into a fungus gnat and the infestation begins. These pests can get out of hand fast. In fact, it doesn’t take long for these pests to take over and seem like they are everywhere in your house.

Fungus Gnats Hydrogen Peroxide

The lifespan of a fungus gnat is not long, but they multiply very fast. To address this issue, I would first start with a hydrogen peroxide soil soak. Start by mixing 3 percent hydrogen peroxide with water. Use a ratio of 3 or 4 parts water for every 1 part hydrogen peroxide. I like to use a little hand held sprayer. The sprayer allows your hydrogen peroxide to soak more evenly rather than draining off quickly.

As a side note, I would recommend repeating the hydrogen peroxide soil soak once a week until your problem has been eliminated.

Fungus Gnats // Cinnamon

Another easy home remedy I like is applying cinnamon to my top soil. Cinnamon helps destroy the fungus your fungus fly larvae likes to feed on. Cinnamon is a natural fungicide and it works good! It is cheap too and it also eliminates other pests like soil mites!

Fungus Gnats Neem Oil

Neem oil is also an effective way to combat fungus gnats. Like the hydrogen peroxide soil soak I mentioned above, drench your soil with neem oil and a water solution. This works great at eliminating the larvae. The ratio of neem oil and water depends on the brand you purchase. Follow the instructions on the bottle and you will be good to go!

Sticky Houseplant Traps

Getting rid of fungus gnats takes time. I’ve discovered that it is not something that goes away after one application. Full removal of these pesky flies is definitely a battle. However, it is a battle where victory can be achieved with perseverance.

Another effective way at removing these pesky gnats from your household or indoor garden is by adding sticky houseplant traps. These new traps are cheap and work great! Their design is ingenious too as they mimic the structure of a plant. When observing fungus gnats, you will notice that they like to walk up branches and onto the leaves. These traps fool them and work great a reducing the adult population around your house!

Conclusion

Lastly, if you have any questions please post them in the comment section. I also urge you to share in the comment section if you have experience or expertise in this area. If you are interested in learning even more about growing, please check some of my other articles! Here are a few of my most recent posts: 

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