you have answered most of my questions about those little flys in my potted plants i havented gotten rid of them yet. its hard to keep the green house dry enough.
but my question is when i plant the stuff out side will they actually hurt anything?
they dont seem to hurt anything in the green house,thier just really annoying when they keep flying up my nose when i am watering. :|
To my limited knowledge, they are just a harmless annoying bug, that really does no harm to anything. I have a batch in the house now that I have taken the domes off of the seedlings. Oh well, soon the plants will go outside and hopefully all the little buggies with them.
I think a lot of insects lay their eggs in soil as the soil is warm and hides things....
I too get the little pests indoors, and if I want my houseplants lush and green without browning tips, then the little flies start reproducing like mad too...
Outside though, I've never been bothered by them, except near my compost.
There's a very low tolerance for them in my office, where I have several plants that got them (from some unhealthy plants across the floor from me). The bugs are fungus knats and like the fungus growing on the plant roots. Gardens Alive sells a product called Gnat Knockout. Works great. Pricey. Like $18 for a bottle but you dilute a small amount in a gallon of water that you use to water the plants. It should last a long time. You only have to apply twice, the second time for eggs that may have hatched after the first application. It's some kind of bacterial agent. Just started using it and my cube neighbors really appreciate it. I can't be without plants in my office so it's a different situation than you have.
Trudy
Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be. Abe Lincoln
Posts: 26 | Location: Z 6 SC Pennsylvania | Registered: October 21, 2003
There are a few things you can do to get rid of fungus knats. Fill a small jar(a baby food jar would do) 2/3 with water. Add 2-3 tablespoons cider vingegar. The knats get curious, jump in and drown.
Also, soapy water with a little canola oil added in a spray bottle does them in. They have to be hit though when you spay.
