How do I get rid of gnats flying around potting soil?

[WeedHopper]

Keep soil dry: Fungus gnats seek out moist soil, so allowing your houseplants to dry out a bit between waterings can slow down or stop an infestation. Let the top inch or two of soil dry out before watering again, and try to go as long as possible between waterings. Gnats may be deterred from laying their eggs if the soil is dry on the surface.

 

[Hippie420]

I use H2O2 in my hydro grows. Does seem to work.

 

[Witchking]

Found this.
Mix one part peroxide with four parts water, and pour it through the soil at the root zone until it begins to come out of the base of the pot. The peroxide kills fungus gnat larvae on contact.

Just regular medical grade Peroxide?

 

[Hippie420]

Yep, good ole 3%.

 

[bombtombadil]

I had problems with Fungus gnats and researched fixes for quite some time on youtube and visiting garden centers. My problem was very easy to fix and fungus gnat are very easy to get rid of. Buy some Mosquito Bits (BTI) soak them in water making a BTI tea. Water your plants with it and the fungus gnat larvae will die. Hang a few yellow stickies to capture the last remaining adults if there are any. If you have drains in the area (sink, etc...) use bleach or add mosquito bit to the drains. I got rid of the fungus gnats once but found that they made it to my drains too...

Fungus gnats are not a big problem, just don't get spider mites or aphids, that's another story. Last thought, BTI is not a harsh chemical and is very safe to use. Don't think of it as a insecticide.

Mosquito Bits: Kills Mosquitoes & Fungus Gnats | Planet Natural

 

[bombtombadil]

I think the thing to realize about fungus gnats is that they are everywhere and very common. If they are on your plants, chances are they are in your drains too. I hung yellow strips in all of my bathrooms and guess what, fungus gnats in every drain on all levels of my house. So basically, you have to get rid of them in other places, not just your plant or they will come back. I still see a few flying around from time to time (they love computer screens in the dark). But I've taken care of 95% of the population and they are not on my plants anymore.

Fungus gnat snake video

Fungus Gnat Larvae Travelling in Procession - YouTube

 

[Hippie420]

A little shot of bleach down the drain works wonders in the sink.

 

[bombtombadil]

Yep, good ole 3%.

Found this.
Mix one part peroxide with four parts water, and pour it through the soil at the root zone until it begins to come out of the base of the pot. The peroxide kills fungus gnat larvae on contact.

I tried peroxide before I tried BTI and it didn't work at all. Peroxide can also kill many good things in the soil. I'm not saying it doesn't work, but it didn't work for me and I know of a few others that have tried it.

The magic trick with BTI is to make a tea with it. In fact, the directions on the back of the mosquito bits container have been changed and they now instruct you to make a tea instead of just sprinkling bits on.

I also found that the difference between Fungus Gnats and Aphids is not much, they look very similar. For some reason they say if you have Fungus Gnats, there is a chance you have aphids too.... The adult flyers look very similar ! BTI will not take care of Aphids. So, make sure you know what kind of fly it is....(and cross your fingers that you don't have aphids.)

 

[bombtombadil]

A little shot of bleach down the drain works wonders in the sink.

Yep ! I had to hit Sams club for large bottles of bleach (tubs, sinks, etc,,,). I also tried boiling water in the drains.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

So I noticed the other day a bunch of gnats flying around my new spring plants just as I was researching some home remedies for them. I’m sure there were at least 47 in a small area. I read on one thread that gnats hate citrus and this grower wiped the rims of the pots with essential oil then added a drop to each corner of the grow space. Since there were so many and I need to order more sticky traps, I decided to try it. I wet down a cotton ball with the sweet orange oil on the rims and a couple of drops on each corner of the large pan they are sitting on. Well it has been working now for two days. I saw only one gnat when I rustled the plants around to try and stir them up. Don’t know how long it would last but it’s worth a try if you have some essential oil around.