Sciarid Flies? Fungus Gnats? Controlling Them Naturally With Nematodes.

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Sciarid flies? Fungus gnats? See how you can fight them naturally.

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Black flies around the potting soil? These are mostly fungus gnats, also known as sciarid flies. This troublesome pest is common in indoor and greenhouse plants and can cause a lot of damage. While the adults are just annoying, it's actually the larvae that live in the potting soil that can seriously damage your plants!

The adult flies lay their eggs into the potting soil, and the tiny larvae hatch out and voraciously feed on organic matter, including plant roots and tender stems. This can cause wilting and slow down your plant's growth. If you spot them, you should do something.

A natural and effective remedy is to use beneficial nematodes. They are harmless to humans, animals and plants. Nematodes in formulations are mostly dissolved in a little water, stirred and then added to the irrigation water for plants. After just a few weeks, the fungus gnats have disappeared. Since your indoor is a fungus-gnat-free zone, you can enjoy your indoor plants!