fern-fiona asked · 7 Jun 2026
tiny black flies keep coming out of my plant shelf every time i water. i think they are…
tiny black flies keep coming out of my plant shelf every time i water. i think they are fungus gnats? they are all over my fern and my pothos now. how do i get rid of them without spraying chemicals all over my bedroom?
2 replies
leafdad · 8 Jun 2026
sticky traps for the adults plus letting the top of the soil dry out properly between waterings broke the cycle for me in about three weeks. the larvae live in the wet top layer, so that dry-out is the actual fix.
thom-thumb · 9 Jun 2026
two things actually break the cycle, no spraying needed: let the top few cm of mix dry out properly between waters (the larvae live in that damp top layer), and stick yellow sticky traps in the pots for the adults. bottom-watering helps keep that surface dry too. slower than a spray but it actually ends it.
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