How To Kill Gnats In Houseplants: The Easy And Fast Way

Gnats are small insects that live all over the world and feed on organic matter from plants and fruits. Gnats live in houseplants as well as outside plants and they lay eggs on the soil of the plant where their larvae grow by feeding on organic matter from the soil.

In order to kill gnats, you have to kill them all from the egg stage, larva stage, and adult stage so that there will be no more new gnats. You can kill them in two ways - physically or chemically.

The physical killing of the larvae is made by removing the infested soil from the pot, putting it onto a bucket filled with soapy water, and shaking gently to release larvae into the water where they will drown, then put the soil back after taking away all adults with sticky traps, then spray the soil with insecticidal oil (which will suffocate larva upon contact).

Chemical killing is done by using special chemicals like malathion which you can buy in a garden supply or any hardware store. You can also use apple cider vinegar if you don’t want to use chemicals as the smell of the vinegar will repel the gnats.

To apply the chemical, you have to mix it with water and then spray it on the soil of the plant. Be very careful not to get the chemical on the leaves of the plant as it can be harmful.

Both physical and chemical methods will work to kill the larvae, but for adults, you need a sticky trap.

A sticky trap is a simple device that uses a sticky surface to trap flying insects. The surface of the trap is covered with an adhesive, which will stick to the wings or body of the insect when it lands on it.

You can buy sticky traps in most garden stores or hardware stores. Just place the traps near the plants where you think the gnats are coming from and wait for the traps to fill up with dead gnats.

Insecticidal oil can also be used to kill adult gnats and it can be bought in most garden stores or hardware stores. The oil needs to be sprayed on the leaves of the plants where the gnats are found and will suffocate the gnats when landed on them.

These are all the ways you can use to kill adult and larva stages of houseplant gnats. Be careful not to damage your plants with the chemical sprays, if in any case, this happens you can wash plant leaves with warm water and soap mixed together.

Now that you have learned how to kill houseplant gnats, you need to also know that they can easily be prevented as good hygiene reduces their numbers.

If you keep your plants clean and do not provide excess water or food for them then it will not attract the eggs of the adult flies. Even if there are no adults around, damp soil which is an ideal breeding ground for the larvae will eventually attract them.

You can plant herbs such as rosemary and mint around your houseplants as they repel houseplant gnats and other creatures and the leaves and roots of these herbs have a strong smell that will keep away all sorts of insects.

So this is how to kill gnats in your houseplants so that you don’t have to worry about these pests anymore. Just remember to keep your plants clean, dry, and well-hydrated for best results. Happy gardening!

You can also use a homemade trap to catch the gnats. Take a small jar and fill it with apple cider vinegar. The gnats will be attracted to the vinegar and get trapped inside the jar.

If you’re looking for an easy way to kill gnats in your houseplants, there is a simple solution. All you need is a spray bottle filled with water and dish soap.

  1. To use this method, first, shake the bottle well to mix the soap and water. Then, spritz the plants with the mixture, making sure to get the undersides of the leaves as well.
  2. The dish soap will kill the gnats on contact, and the water will help to rinse them away. You can also use this method to help prevent future infestations.
  3. If you have a lot of plants, you may want to consider using a garden hose instead of a spray bottle.