Houseplants 101: How to get rid of gnats

Gnats are pesky little gnats that like to live in and lay their eggs in houseplant soil. Let's face it, no one wants gnats in their home.

Jump to:

• What causes gnats in houseplants?
• Houseplants with gnats...what to do?
• Is there a plant that will eat gnats?

What causes gnats in houseplants?

Plants that have been over-watered will develop a fungus that attracts gnats. You can help by only watering your houseplants what they need and nothing more.

They come in from outside, but they can also be found in bags of potting soil! As a rule of thumb, any houseplants I recently purchased from a nursery or garden center, I spray some of this insect spray on. This way I don't unknowingly bring in a plant with gnat eggs.

Houseplants with gnats...what to do?

1. Neem oil spray- Add some neem oil spray to help kill any gnats that are in your soil. I like this particular houseplant spray because it gets rid of lots of pests, not just gnats.

2. Sticky Traps- You can also place some of these sticky traps directly into your planters to trap them to the adhesive. Then, just toss them and put in a new trap.

3. Don't overwater- I'm guilty of this too, but when you overwater your houseplant, it lets fungus start to grow, which then attracts those annoying gnats.

4. Good Drainage- Are your planters properly draining? Check the bottom side of the planter for a drainage hole. This again helps keep the soil from growing fungus.

Is there a plant that will eat gnats?

Very much like a venus fly trap, a carnivorous cape sundew plant will kill gnats. It is a tropical plant and also pricey, which is why it would be my last resort.

Hope this helps you finally get rid of those pesky gnats on your houseplants. Happy gardening!!

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