Do annoying little flies invade the boundaries of your little green haven? Well, bury your worries in the soil and read on to learn more about these flies and some hacks that are sure to help you.
If you have noticed little flying flies or bugs on the soil in houseplants or office desk plants, they’re probably fungus gnats or fruit flies. More attracted to the moist soil than the plant itself, fungus gnats/ fruit-flies are little buggers who complete their entire life cycle in your houseplant. Get rid of them by trying the following things:
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- Alter the Conditions
To make sure that your indoor plants are less vulnerable, change the settings. Try achieving this by watering the plant less frequently, so the top few inches are allowed to dry and not be the ideal host to the gnats/ fruit-flies.
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- A Sandy Solution
If it’s too late for prevention and you’re looking for a cure, try spreading a layer of coarse sand or fine gravel over the infested surface. It will eradicate the ideal egg-hatching conditions from the gnats/ fruit-flies. If the eggs are laid, a layer of scratchy sand will bar the hatched larvae coming out to the surface, thus interrupting their lifecycle.
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- Trap them Out with House-Hacks
Even when the gnats/ fruit-flies are buzzing around your precious little plant, it isn’t late for some house-hacks. These hacks aren’t just affordable and convenient, but highly effective as well.
First, colour an A5 or A4 card yellow with a highlighter or a sketch and spread a thick layer of petroleum jelly over it. Attach it on a thin stick and poke that in the soil and let the card attract the flies into the sticky trap.
Alternatively, create a fermentation solution by mixing some ACV or fruit beer/juice with few drops of soap in a plastic cup. Cover the cup loosely with a thin plastic wrap with tiny holes on it. Gnats/ fruit-flies love fermentation and would be attracted to their doom.
So be it air-purifying plants, herbs or any other houseplants, these hacks and measures will help you eliminate the annoyance of little flies and maintain the peace and order in your little green world.
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