In pots in which houseplants grow, soil flies (or sciarides) often appear. Such midges in a flower pot quickly multiply, their larvae - light little worms - begin to develop in the upper layers of the earth. These midges themselves do not harm the flowers, but their larvae, if there are too many of them, may well damage the delicate and delicate flower roots. In this regard, soil midges should be disposed of.
If you suddenly have annoying midges in flowers, you need to find out how big the problem is. Lightly dig the earth in a pot. If right below the topsoil you don’t see the larvae of sciaridae, then everything is not so bad. The larvae are not as complicated as their larvae.
Where do gnats come from in a flower pot?
As a rule, midges appear in our house after a flower transplant. By acquiring soil infected with larvae, we cause the appearance of annoying midges in our home. Therefore, be sure to carry out the cultivation of the land before planting flowers in it.
These midges live not only indoors, but also in moist warm cellars, and on the street, and they can fly into the room through a window or through ventilation, so there is nothing to do with purchased soil. And having settled at home with a lover of flowers, they strive to stay there forever, finding a suitable pot with moist soil.
Nasty midges in a flower pot breed quickly, so when you see these insects, immediately take care of their destruction. Immediately it is necessary to remove wilted flowers or leaves so that midges do not feed on the decaying parts of plants. It is better to spill purchased soil before planting the plants with boiling water (you can freeze it in the refrigerator) - this way you will get rid of the larvae. Do not fill the plants. Pups in a flower pot often appear as a result of waterlogging of the substrate, and larvae develop better in moist soil.
Excessive watering will do the plants a disservice - roots weakened by larvae will not be able to resist decay. If the top layer of the earth has not dried up, do not rush to water the flower again. Excess moisture must always be poured out of the pan. If you keep the surface of the earth a little dry, then you will not allow the midges to develop, and the clutches will die. And if quick-drying drainage is poured on top of the ground, midges on indoor plants will not be able to lay their eggs at all.
Check the soil in the pot: if there are a lot of larvae, it is best to completely change the ground. Rotten plant roots should be removed.
If there are not very many larvae, you can use insecticides (Actellik, Aktara, Fitoverm, Agravertin). These funds are diluted according to the instructions and the solution spills the soil in pots. Repeat the treatment after a week. Pour with clean water should not be earlier than 3 days after this treatment.
Chemical preparations also include Thunder-2. This tool is more powerful, it is made in granules. They sprinkle soil in a pot and mix with soil. The action lasts about 2 weeks, the larvae die, and the midges in the flower pot do not develop.
To combat flying midges, you can spray the surface of the earth with the same insecticides, trying not to get on young shoots. So that midges in a flower pot never start, watering plants should be very moderate.
You should not water the flowers with kefir, whey or tea, as they say folk recipes. Thus, you create midges comfortable conditions. Keep the earth in pots clean; remove fallen flowers and leaves. Ventilation nets can protect your flowers from midges that fly from the basement. You can sprinkle the earth in a pot with marble chips, then the insects have nowhere to lay eggs.
Subject to these simple rules for caring for indoor flowers, midges in a flower pot will never start.