T.M. asks from Lafayette, CO on November 16, 2008
Bugs in My House Plants....
Hi Ladies. I replanted 3 indoor house plants about 2 months ago. About a week after replanting they all had small gnat like bugs....lots of them. I have cut back on the water I give them but can't seem to get them to go away. I don't want to throw the plants out. Any one have any ideas of what to do?
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R.S. answers from Great Falls on November 17, 2008
I really like the apple cider vinegar and ashes ideas. The gnats you have live off the excess water that pools in the base of pots or on top of the soil. You were right to cut back on the water just to eliminate the standing water. There are sprays to use then to get rid of them but for me green is always better for all of us so I'd give the vinegar and ashes a try!
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A.W. answers from Colorado Springs on November 17, 2008
You may want to try dish soap. If you put like 2 TBS of regular dish soap in a spray bottle w/ maybe 1 1/2 cups of warm water then spray the plants heavly w/ the soapy water. It has gotten rid of my pesty gnat things before. Make sure to also spray the dirt. They may be laying eggs in the dirt too. Good luck.
1 mom found this helpful
D.K. answers from Denver on November 17, 2008
We use those electric plug in pest remover things. It helps tons with spiders and a lot of the flying insects. A fly will get in our house and goes crazy and it easy to catch! :)
You can find them at Home Depot, they are about $13 a piece, plug them in to any outlet and they cover like 600 sq ft per plug in. You can find out of they help with gnats. Also a mixture of liquid dish soap and water and spray it on them will help.
K.S. answers from Great Falls on November 17, 2008
This will sound odd but it works..... Get some tabacco and sprinkle it in the soil and water the plant. Sometimes a second application is necessary for a major infestation but make sure you give it a week. I have used this treatment many times over the years and it always works.
M.M. answers from Great Falls on November 17, 2008
sprinkle all over the leaves and around it ASHES from campfire/fireplace/stove!
all will die, except for the plant.
ASHES - safe, green, works perfect.
D.H. answers from Salt Lake City on November 18, 2008
I got them too, can't wait to see what other folks say to you
T.B. answers from Denver on November 17, 2008
I would get those bugs in my plant too. What I did was covered the dirt with rocks (you can buy small river rock at Lowe's or Home Depot). Make sure the dirt is completely covered. It will take about a week for the bugs to go away completely. Not only does this get the bugs to go away, the rocks will hold in the moisture so you don't have to water as often and makes the plants look pretty as you don't see the dirt.
Good luck.
R.S. answers from Great Falls on November 17, 2008
I really like the apple cider vinegar and ashes ideas. The gnats you have live off the excess water that pools in the base of pots or on top of the soil. You were right to cut back on the water just to eliminate the standing water. There are sprays to use then to get rid of them but for me green is always better for all of us so I'd give the vinegar and ashes a try!
K.C. answers from Salt Lake City on November 17, 2008
I'm not sure how effective this is, but we are having lots of fun. I have a 3 year old and lots of plants. We bought some Venus Fly Traps and have been watching them catch the gnats. Might be a fun activity to try while you are following the other mom's advice who actually know how to solve the problem.
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