Without trashing all my indoor plants, what is the easiest way to rid my home of gnats?

Question

Not wanting to pay for an exterminator to visit, so a D-I-Y solution would be best. Have tried leaving apple cider vinegar in a bowl (and a jar with a holed lid) on the counter, but not one little bugger has taken the bait. HELP!

Answer 1

It appears you have fungus gnats. They are common in plant nurseries and you can bring them home with you in a new plant and not realize it.

My wife has had this problem from time to time. She uses a product that she gets online at a place called GardensALive.com

The product is a bacteria that you put in the soil of you potted plants. It attacks the larvae of the gnats and stops the breeding cycle. It usually take two or three applications to get rid of all of the gnats but the stuff really works. It is safe around people, children and pets. It does no harm to the plants either.

If you buy new plants from time to time this is great stuff to have around.

Answer 2

You have one of two choices. 1 st buy some insecticide for your plants or take some beer and put it in a bowl. Place the bowl where you see the little buggers. The beer will knock them out in about two weeks.. You will need to repeat this treatment about every two months or so.

Answer 3

set off a bug bomb in your home or several, and leave for a weekend. i cant imagine a bug wanting cider vinegar. the one thing i can think of other than bug sprays, is to take all the plants outside, carefully take them out of the pots, wash the plant gently but well, wash the pots very well and pour boiling water over them unless they are plastic ones. then put new soil in , bagged houseplant soil. then take them all back inside, and put the old soil as far away from the house as you can in your yard or offer it to someone who has a large yard and it can get dried out to kill off the bug eggs.

Answer 4

I'm watching the answers to this one too , the last week its been an invasion of them!