Are gnats important to kill, in your opinion?

[ladrianmarie]

I've noticed a couple of them flying around and wonder how much of a big deal this is. Lots of products and advice out there about killing them once and for all, and long descriptions of wars of attrition between gardeners and these bugs, but they don't seem to be harming the plants themselves or multiplying too much. Is this cause for worry, or are they more just annoying?

 

[redback]

On warm summer evenings the birds seem to have gnats as their snack before bed here. I'm not sure what you call gnats but if you can't sit outside because they continuously attack you, they are different to mine that just spiral up out the ground of an evening and never cause much nuisance.

 

[ladrianmarie]

I believe they *may* be fungus gnats? They're just a few little tiny black flies similar to fruit flies, around a potted indoor plant. They're not really bothering me, but they're listed as a plant pest in a lot of places. Thought I'd ask more experienced folks if they really worry about them in a real way from a plant health perspective, or if some people just really don't like bugs.

 

[Meadowlark]

Are gnats important to kill, in your opinion?​

No, not in my opinion. They are attracted to moisture and to decaying organic matter such as compost and mulch. The larvae of gnats feed on this type of material and not on your living garden plants.

They are a bit of a nuisance but not worth using chemicals to kill or even worse not using compost in your garden so as to discourage gnats.

I just think of them as they go with the territory.

 

[ladrianmarie]

Are gnats important to kill, in your opinion?​

No, not in my opinion. They are attracted to moisture and to decaying organic matter such as compost and mulch. The larvae of gnats feed on this type of material and not on your living garden plants.

They are a bit of a nuisance but not worth using chemicals to kill or even worse not using compost in your garden so as to discourage gnats.

I just think of them as they go with the territory.

Thanks!

 

[Anniekay]

I believe they *may* be fungus gnats? They're just a few little tiny black flies similar to fruit flies, around a potted indoor plant. They're not really bothering me, but they're listed as a plant pest in a lot of places. Thought I'd ask more experienced folks if they really worry about them in a real way from a plant health perspective, or if some people just really don't like bugs.

If they are on your plants soil just sprinkle cinnamon onto the soil surface. They won't come around after that.

If you have them in your kitchen, like I do, put a small bowl of apple cider vinegar in the back corner of your counter and they will drown themselves in it. I also use a tennis racket style fly killer to get rid of them faster. You sneak up on the bowl with the vinegar... really, and set the battery powered racket on top of the bowl and they will fly into it and get disintegrated.

 

[ladrianmarie]

If they are on your plants soil just sprinkle cinnamon onto the soil surface. They won't come around after that.

If you have them in your kitchen, like I do, put a small bowl of apple cider vinegar in the back corner of your counter and they will drown themselves in it. I also use a tennis racket style fly killer to get rid of them faster. You sneak up on the bowl with the vinegar... really, and set the battery powered racket on top of the bowl and they will fly into it and get disintegrated.

Thanks, this is a great tip! Trying it out now. Luckily, my kitchen is free of them. It really just seems to be the damp soil. I was hoping a basil would keep most bugs away, but the basil has not come up yet.

 

[oneeye]

If you have gnats its because there's some wet potting mix in the house. Find it and let it dry out or remove it and the gnats will go.

 

[ladrianmarie]

If you have gnats its because there's some wet potting mix in the house. Find it and let it dry out or remove it and the gnats will go.

It's the plant itself. I'm growing things that need moist soil, so I think it's unavoidable. I am going to try to keep the water off the leaves going forward, though, and see if that and the cinnamon help.

 

[YumYum]

I don't care much for having gnats around my seedlings. The gnat itself isn't really the problem. It is the eggs they lay in the potting mix that turn into larvae that feed on organic matter including plant roots. I don't think they have actually killed any of my seedlings but they do seem to suffer some. Many times I believe that the eggs are already in the potting mix when you buy it from the store.

 

[ladrianmarie]

I don't care much for having gnats around my seedlings. The gnat itself isn't really the problem. It is the eggs they lay in the potting mix that turn into larvae that feed on organic matter including plant roots. I don't think they have actually killed any of my seedlings but they do seem to suffer some. Many times I believe that the eggs are already in the potting mix when you buy it from the store.

This is good to know. Will keep an eye on em.