Trying to keep pesky flies out of your home during the warmer months can feel like a never-ending task. As irritating as they are, they’re often harmless, but there’s one type of fly that can be a real nuisance if it finds a place to call home in your houseplants.
The little black flies known as fungus gnats can quickly multiply, and often lay eggs in the soil, making it even more difficult to get rid of them. Some experts recommend repotting plants or letting soil dry out as fungus gnats thrive in damp conditions, but this can be a lengthy process, and could even leave the health of your plant at risk. For a more low-maintenance approach, you might want to try adding one other thing to your soil.
Darragh Ennis is a scientist who studies insects, also known as an entomologist, and in a video posted on TikTok, he shared one way to get rid of fungus gnats for good using a natural remedy that doesn’t require any chemicals.
“I’m an entomologist so I love insects but I still don’t want those tiny little black flies all over the house,” he said, adding that they can be “really hard to get rid of, especially when they live in your houseplants”.
But one natural way to get rid of them is by using something called nematodes. You’ve probably never heard of these, and that’s because they’re hard to spot with the naked eye.
Darragh said: “They’re probably the most common animal on the planet but we don’t see them”. The microscopic worms live in soil and are often used to help control garden pests.
The insect expert explained that while there are “billions upon billions” of nematodes, there’s one type specifically that crawls inside insects and kills them. While it sounds slightly gruesome, Darragh pointed out that it’s also a natural way of getting rid of them.
Fungus gnats can be particularly tricky to get rid off as they burrow their larvae into soil, which is why you often end up having to repot plants if you find yourself struck by an infestation.
However, nematodes can simply be added to a watering can and poured over house plants, where they can easily infiltrate the soil. Darragh said: “The best bit about this is, it crawls through the soil and hunts through larvae and everything, so they’re gone.”
You’re also not left with having to remove dead gnats like you do when using a chemical spray, as nematodes disintegrate pests from the inside out, leaving no trace of them in your soil or on plants.
Nematodes for fungus gnats can simply be bought on Amazon for £12, and once added to soil, they should start to work in three to seven days.
