We have a lot of potted plants in our home. Last week we started getting these little flying bugs (they kind of look like fruit flies but are actually coming out of the soil). I'm not sure how to treat for these flys. Can you help? It does seem to get worse when we water and I notice there are little worm like larva in the dirt too. I can't say these are in every plant but after checking 12-14, at least half if not more was infested. What is this bug in my plants?
Most likely a FUNGUS FLY. These are little gnat like creatures but they don't bite or sting. That being said, they are annoying. You'll probably notice them at the dinner table and they love ketchup, salsa and basically any kind of fruit or vegetable. The more natural and unprocessed the food you serve, the more they'll be attracted to it.
The good news is that fungus flies are easy to control. For now, start with the plants. Get some organic MULTIPURPOSE INSECT KILLER. Mix it up with the water you'll use for watering. Basically what you'll be doing is drenching the soil of your plants when you water. The treatment will kill them all on contact and though it won't kill the eggs, these will naturally hatch every day and in time, all will die.
Remember to use this method of watering till the problem is resolved. In most cases it will be gone within a week and you can go back to your normal watering schedule. But the Insect Killer works on most anything including thrips, aphids, white flys and mealy bugs so it may come in handy down the road. Happy growing!
Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:
Organic Insect Killer: https://bugspray.com/exempt/liquid/pest-away
Fungus Flies: https://bugspray.com/fungus_fly_control
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