Gnats are an annoying pest that can often be found around Australian homes and gardens. While they are not inherently dangerous to humans, they can damage plants and be annoying. Therefore, it is important to learn how to get rid of indoor gnats and learn to control them outside as well. In this article, we will discuss how to kill fungus gnats which may include options such as fungus gnat spray, fungus gnat reaps, and other options.
Why Prevent Fungus Gnats?
Fungus gnats pose no real risk to humans. They rarely bite, if at all, and don’t carry diseases that can infect humans. However, to plants, they can be a significant problem. Their larvae eat the roots of plants, which can cause stunted growth, wilting, and death of the plants.
In addition, loads of flying gnats in a home or garden are not desirable. Therefore, control is also an aesthetic benefit.
Luckily, there are lots of options when it comes to protecting your home from fungus gnats as we are going to explore.
How to Get Rid of Indoor Gnats
There are numerous options available to those looking to know how to get rid of gnats indoors. Here are some of the best options.
Fungus Gnat Spray
Several sprays are available online that can effectively eradicate fungus gnats. Their main objective is to not kill the adults that are flying around the property but to kill the young that are buried in the soil.
By attacking the young, you are breaking the lifecycle and therefore, preventing future generations. While some people assume this is a long-term solution, the average fungus gnat will live for only 10 days, therefore, within three to four weeks, most populations can be reduced significantly.
Fungus Gnat Traps
For those looking into how to get rid of fungus gnats in soil and those on indoor plants, they might look at two options. The spray can work on those in the soil, whereas a fungus gnat sticky trap can be an effective cure for those flying around.
These traps will attract individuals which will then kill them fast. One of the key questions you need to ask is how to kill fungus gnats in your home. There are electric traps that zap the insect. But these can sometimes release a smell and also bits of the bugs can spray over a location.
In contrast, you can use a sticky trap that allows the bug to be caught and not escape. Sticky traps can also be hidden, so they don’t look unsightly in the home.
Homemade Spray for Fungus Gnats
There are homemade spray options for fungus gnats. For example, you can mix one part hydrogen peroxide into four parts of water to create a solution that will kill the fungus gnat larvae.
All you need to do is water your plants with the solution regularly (once a week).
If you want to learn how to get rid of gnats fast use neem oil. The advantage of neem oil is that it doesn’t just target the larvae, but also the fungus gnats. To create the homemade spray for fungus gnats, mix a teaspoon of detergent with a gallon of water and two tablespoons of neem oil. Spray regularly.
Natural Predators
Another option is to introduce a natural predator to the plant soil. Hypoaspis is a predator mite that seeks out and kills the fungus gnat larvae. When there are no more larvae in the soil, the mites will die off, making them an effective solution for those looking to kill the bugs naturally.
There are some other natural predators that you can use. A venus fly trap can reduce populations, but generally speaking, they are not the best predator plant, though they do make an attractive addition to any household.
Some amphibians can be used when you’re trying to kill gnats in the outside environment. Many frogs will eat the larvae and gnats, in large quantities.
Water your Plants Less
Some of the problems with fungus gnats are that the plants are in soil that is too wet. Fungus gnats are in the same family as mosquitoes, therefore they have very similar requirements, especially when it comes to breeding, with wet soil preferred. Therefore, having drier soil can be a good way to reduce the environmental conditions that fungus gnats prefer.
You might be overwatering your plant, so check with a local plant expert.
Another problem might be that there isn’t enough drainage in the ground or plant pot. If the water is being kept too much in the soil, it is going to cause some problems. Therefore, you can easily have gnats multiply.
Change the Soil
If there is a large infestation, you might want to try to change the soil that is being used. Replanting or repotting can be an effective solution. However, you’ve got to wash the plant before you move the plant to a new spot. Otherwise, you might be transferring the gnat larvae to the new pot as well.
You shouldn’t use the soil anymore, but throwing it away might just give you a large infestation later on. Therefore, you might want to heat the soil on a fire, which will kill the larvae.
Top Soil Elements
To prevent fungus gnats from using your plants as hosts for their young, cover the top of the soil with sand or stones. While this isn’t 100% effective, and other options will need to be used on the plants, it can reduce the effectiveness of laying eggs, meaning fewer fungus gnats are surviving into the next generation.
Most sand and small stones can make an effective barrier for your plant pots, and it can look very aesthetically pleasing too.
Final Word: Gnat Prevention and Control
Above we’ve learned how to prevent fungus gnats in the home and treat infestations fast. These methods can be used one at a time, but the most effective control options are often those that include several used in conjunction with each other. One important fact is that there are numerous non-toxic options available to you and your family. Therefore, you can reduce populations without introducing harmful chemicals or treatments to your home.
