Houseplants: Irritating gnats around my plants?

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hanseycollie Cynthia (N. Kansas City), MO (Zone 5b) October 14, 2009 10:13 PM	I brought some spider plants, mandevillas and some ivys inside from the summer. I did spray them before I brought them in for bugs, but I'm finding little gnats (like fruit flies) around them. Does anyone have a good, safe product I can use on them - I have some elephant ear babies I'd like to spray too. Help please, those gnats are making me nuts, LOL! Thanks, Cynthia
tapla Bay City, MI (Zone 6a) October 14, 2009 11:18 PM	One of, if not THE most effective way to rid your plants of gnats is to use dehydrated water every other time you irrigate. Al
antoinette78 Plymouth, PA October 15, 2009 10:51 AM	My method worked great by spraying the leaves with insecticide spray to kill the adult gnats. Then I poured about an inch of yardsafe granules that I bought at Lowes. That killed the larva and gnats on the soil. My plants were all infested and now they are gnat free! Plus I never overwater and check the potting soil bag for gnats before I use it.
hanseycollie Cynthia (N. Kansas City), MO (Zone 5b) October 15, 2009 12:41 PM	Tapla, this is a dumb question but what is dehydrated water? Is it like distilled water? I've never heard of that before... duhhh. What does dehydrated water do when you use it? This is interesting... Antoinette, these are house plants. Just to clarify, you put the yardsafe granules on the the house plant soil? I think you are right, they must be in the soil as it seems they are multiplying. I'll wait to hear back from you both before I move forward as I really am attached to these plants. Thanks for your input! Cynthia
jasminesmom Blue Mountain, NY October 15, 2009 01:51 PM	A raw potato works, I've tried it. Just slice the potato and lay in on the soil,you will have to change out the potato about every 4-5th day. I think I read about the potato on this forum :>) Christine
hanseycollie Cynthia (N. Kansas City), MO (Zone 5b) October 15, 2009 06:01 PM	Serious, a raw potato? How cool is that!!! I'll search this forum and see but that's definitely a great deal. I wonder if watering my plants with the dehydrated water will help keep the lil guys away too. Whereabouts is Blue Mountain? It's a lovely name for a town. We love the Finger Lakes area - Watkins Glen is my fav! Cynthia
tapla Bay City, MI (Zone 6a) October 15, 2009 06:13 PM	The dehydrated water was a tongue-in-cheek suggestion to reduce your watering frequency. Dehydrated water is air, so if you water with air every other time, you cut your water applications in half. Plants are happier and gnats go 'bye'. I would never look to chemical means to rid my plants of an insect infestation until I was sure that a cultural change wasn't sufficient AND that the chemical I chose was the least noxious choice that would reduce the infestation to within acceptable limits. The odds are overwhelming that if you have gnats you're over-watering and using an inappropriately water-retentive soil and/or organic fertilizers. Minor changes in the grower's habits are normally all that is required to eliminate the gnats. Al
jasminesmom Blue Mountain, NY October 15, 2009 06:14 PM	Cynthia, , I live about 10 minutes from Woodstock. I havent been up to Watkins Glen yet, every year I say I'm going up to see a NASCAR race and havent made it yet LOL... The potato brings all the nasties to the surface to eat the potato and die, I'm guessing its the starch that kills them off. I've also heard that you need to cut back ALOT with the watering since the nasties love moist soil. Christine
antoinette78 Plymouth, PA October 15, 2009 07:58 PM	Although the granules are for the yard, it also works on houseplants.
daisylovn Wilmer, AL (Zone 8b) October 15, 2009 10:27 PM	I just repotted ALL my houseplants, with new medium. I baked the medium in the oven to 180 degrees, allowed it to completely cool before potting. I also made sure that I bought the soil from a store that keeps it inside and dry.. Yes, the gnat larvae love and are in the overly wet soil.. If you get a bag of wet soil, the larvae are already there and coming home with you. Blech!! It was alot of work and took me all weekend to do it but my plants are much happier and so am I. No gnats.. I hate those little creepers.
hanseycollie Cynthia (N. Kansas City), MO (Zone 5b) October 16, 2009 03:38 AM	Yes, I do tend to overlove my plants with water and I am sure they are in the soil. I really appreciate all the suggestions and will cut down on the watering, try the granules and stick a potato on there for an extra measure. If worse comes to worse, I'll repot them all though I'd hate to do that as I just repotted them less than a month ago when I brought them in. I assume the gnats were in the soil I used. Tapla, you got me with your tease ... I thought dehydrated water was some kind of special water (being new to gardening) that maybe had less or more chemicals, duhhhh. That's funny. I am letting all my plants dry out right now as they have been wayyyyy too wet. Thanks again for the suggestions... lots to do and try! Cynthia PS Here's Han, the collie View Larger
jasminesmom Blue Mountain, NY October 16, 2009 12:28 PM	Han is stunning. I had a collie when I was a kid, they are such great dogs Christine
hanseycollie Cynthia (N. Kansas City), MO (Zone 5b) October 16, 2009 12:52 PM	Thanks, we do nursing home therapy and he is always a hit. Collies are pretty rare these days.

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