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How to get rid of succulent gnats

Rid of succulent gnats



Nobody likes insects! Houseplants can shrink in many types of pests, diseases, and fungal infections, making gnats one of the hardest to detect. They eat the roots of your succulent plants and live in the soil, so it is unlikely they will be found on succulent leaves such as moths or spiders. If you find these little pests around your house, check your soil first: it will save your succulent life.


Types of gnats you may encounter


There are many types of gnats, but only a few affect indoor plants and succulent plants. To see if there are mosquitoes in your soil and to see if they are moving in the soil, look closely at it with a fluorescent lamp (if possible with a magnifying glass). Mosquitoes can also occasionally rest on your fleshy leaves. If you find mosquitoes around your house, especially in rooms where you have succulents, the first thing to check is the soil. With a toothpick, cotton cloth, or popsicle stick, gently stir around your succulent soil. If you see small insects or larvae when you stir the soil, you have got mosquitoes.


Treat your succulents to gnats


Since gallstones and buffalo gnats are mainly outdoor insects, the best way to keep them out of your home is to control your indoor environment by air conditioning, heating, and covering your windows. During the winter months, the humidifier can help prevent your succulents from drying out, while in the summer the humidifier can prevent the products from getting too moist.


For fungal gnats, there are several ways you can handle the infection:


1. Using traps



Fungal gnats can eat almost anything, and one of the best ways to kill adults is to place traps around your home. Flypaper and chemical mosquito nets are a way to pull adult mosquitoes out of your plants, but they may not be the most beautiful part of your living room. LED rechargeable insect traps to use a combination of colored lights and fans to pull flying insects inside and keep them there, and would be a long-term solution if you do not have air conditioning.


Another way to catch fungal gnats is to create your own mosquito net using materials around the house. To make a mosquito net at home, pour apple cider vinegar or vinegar and a pinch of sugar into a small bowl, then mix with three or four drops of dish soap. Change the bowl once every two or three days and you're ready! Dish soap will create a film that mosquitoes can fall on but not fly out, so they get stuck in the vinegar mixture.


2. Anti-larval killer


You can kill gnats and their larvae with chemicals, however, it is best to dilute your succulents or anything you want to spray on their soil. Many gardeners recommend using Diatomaceous earth - an abrasive that kills insects by dehydration-- but to do so your soil must be completely dry. Instead, add a few drops of oil/peroxide to a tablespoon of water and spray with neem oil or hydrogen peroxide to kill the larvae.


Prevent future infections


Changing your succulent environment is the best way to prevent gnats' infestations in the future. To do this, follow three key steps:


1.  Repot Your Succulent


First,  Repot Your Succulent. If you have gnats in the soil, it can be difficult to kill them without changing the soil first, so clean your succulent house and replant it with a fresh soil mixture. As a reminder, replanting is best during the growing season, but it is best to replant anytime during an emergency.


2. Move your Succulent



If you have succulent areas that have high humidity or fungal growth (say, near the bathroom or kitchen trash), relocate them. Fungal gnats tend to enjoy places close to the fungus they eat, so keeping your plants away from potential food sources eliminates the potential home for future infection.


3. Let your soil dry


Because fungal gnats live from fungi that thrive in hot, humid environments, succulents affected by root rot or over-irrigation make the perfect target. Fortunately, it is relatively easy to avoid this problem with some changes in your irrigation routine. For example, your carnivore Watering under vegetation will prevent the top layers of soil from getting wet. However, another way to gain complete control over your soil moisture is to monitor daily moisture levels. To do so, place your finger an inch or two to feel the soil being moist or use a hygrometer to calculate the amount of moisture 24/7.

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