If your plant is infested with fungus gnats, you must act quickly. To act quickly? That sounds like reaching for the fungicide. Of course, the chemical agent kills the pests quickly. But there are also much better, because gentler methods to get rid of the fungus gnats. Read on this page how you can use simple home remedies to make it disappear.
Coffee grounds drive away fungus gnats
Recommended home remedies
- bird sand
- Essential Oils
- stockings
bird sand
The females of the fungus gnat lay their eggs on the substrate of your plants. The nutrient-rich soil offers optimal conditions for the hatching brood. To prevent this, sprinkle a layer of bird sand about one centimeter thick on the substrate surface. A little more doesn't hurt, it's even more helpful than being too economical. Because the pest quickly discovers and uses holes. Consequently, you have to place the plant on a saucer, because watering from above would wash away the sand. After watering, wait about 20 minutes for the plant to absorb the water. To avoid waterlogging, pour away the remaining water.
In addition to bird sand, the following are also suitable:
- cinammon
- quartz sand
- coffee grounds
- or baking powder
Essential Oils
Fungus gnats just can't stand some smells. Take advantage of this and place an aroma lamp with these essences next to the plant:
- lavender
- tea tree oil
Parsley also contains certain essential oils and is therefore ideally suited as a plant partner.
stockings
A sheer stocking discourages the pests from both laying eggs and further mating by preventing access and escape from the plant. To do this, stretch a close-meshed stocking over the flower and tie it under the pot. Unfortunately, this home remedy doesn't look particularly pretty, but it needs to last for up to six weeks to be effective.
special cases
Home remedies against the fungus gnat also include
- nutmeg
- matches
- and garlic
Actually, home remedies have the property of merely expelling pests. However, the three agents mentioned contain toxic substances that kill the fungus gnats. Although you don't use any chemicals here either, the above-mentioned remedies are preferable to these three variants. Remember that fungus gnats are also part of the ecosystem.