Fruit Flies and Fungus Gnats: Get Rid of Them

October 2, 2022October 4, 2022 ~ Loreeebee ~ Leave a comment

Do tiny flies in your home drive you crazy? Ever notice that fruit flies seem to come home from the grocery store with you, especially when you buy bananas? Apparently, they love bananas and other ripening fruit. What about fungus gnats? If you have houseplants, you have probably seen these tiny pests. These tips will help you get rid of both of them and learn the difference between them if you care to.

Fruit Flies or Fungus Gnats?

Fruit flies are different than fungus gnats. If you care to differentiate, read this article from Get Busy Gardening. I just assume the tiny flies in my kitchen are fruit flies and the ones around my house plants are fungus gnats. I’ve never taken the time to look that closely or distinguish between the two.

Separate and Wash Your Bananas

As soon as you bring them home, separate your bananas so they are no longer in a bunch, and wash them in soapy water. Yes, I said wash them! This will remove the eggs of fruit flies from the bananas. I have never thought to wash my bananas, even during the pandemic, when everyone was washing everything that came into their home. Apparently, fruit flies like to shelter in the crevices between bananas that are attached to each other in a bunch, so separating them is crucial too.

Who knew?

Vinegar Down Your Drain

Another trick is to pour vinegar down your drain to get rid of both fruit flies and fungus gnats. Fruit flies not only like banana stalks but also the wet, sticky environment in our kitchen drains. So do fungus gnats, AKA drain gnats or drain flies. Rotting fruit in our garbage cans and compost buckets also attracts fruit flies, so spraying those containers with vinegar helps too.

Other Tips to Reduce Fruit Flies

Changing garbage and compost bags often helps keep fruit fly infestations down too. Another tip is to keep your fruit in the fridge instead of on the counter, although I’ve never put bananas in the fridge. Some people use liquid traps made with apple cider vinegar or wine and dish soap to attract and kill the fruit flies respectively.

Hydrogen Peroxide and Sticky Traps for Fungus Gnats

As I do love my houseplants but hate fungus gnats, I have a procedure I am diligent about. Especially as these little buggers can be a quickly escalating issue when purchasing or inheriting new plants:

Shake the plant well outside before bringing it into the house
some people cover new plants with a plastic bag and leave them in their garage for a few days to isolate any fungus gnats before bringing them into their homes. I’ve never tried this.
wipe the leaves of new plants with hydrogen peroxide when they arrive in your home and at least once a month afterward.
use sticky traps to catch adult fungus gnats
shake plant pots once in a while, spraying any adults or babies that you disturb
spray the wet soil in each pot with hydrogen peroxide each time you water your plants
Microwave or bake new bags of potting soil. This kills any fungus gnat adults or eggs that might be unwanted guests within the bags, Let the soil cool of course before using it.
let the top of the soil in your pots dry out between watering. Some plants tolerate drier soil than others, but most hate overwatering, in fact, the quickest way to kill your houseplants is to overwater them.

fruit flies and fungus gnats — sticky traps

Conclusion

Well, whether or not you care which tiny insect is flying around your home, you are now equipped to battle them and win. If they are in your kitchen and you have no houseplants, they are probably fruit flies. If zipping around your houseplants in other areas of your home, they are most likely fungus gnats.

Bottom Line: Fruit flies don’t like wet soil and fungus gnats don’t like rotting fruit. Also: Don’t use vinegar on your houseplants.

Houseplant Care: What I’ve Learned

January 27, 2022February 24, 2023 ~ Loreeebee ~ 1 Comment

I’ve learned lots since I decided to replenish my collection of houseplants almost two years ago. I had given up on them years ago when my boys were young, mainly because my middle son destroyed most of them by pouring stuff into the pots. I even caught him urinating in one once. Houseplant care is a learning experience.

Facebook Groups

I have to admit, most of my new found knowledge of houseplant care has been gleaned through a few Facebook groups I joined. Houseplant Help is just one of many, simply submit a request to join on their page.

From this Houseplant Help group, I discovered Will Creed, an expert on the subject. I have ordered his book, and cannot wait to read it. Most of the information I share in this blog post is advice I learned from him.

Pandemic restrictions have spawned many of these groups, a therapy of sorts for some of us not used to being stuck at home.

Insect Infestations and Houseplant Care

Houseplants do attract bugs, so if (tiny) bugs flying around gross you out, houseplants may not be for you. These tiny bugs include fungus gnats that love wet/damp soil, spider mites, thrips, you name it.

There are, however, numerous ways to combat the bugs, depending on how big of an infestation and how many houseplants you have.

Repellers

I have not yet tried the repellers but like the idea. They work using sound waves, so no chemicals, radiation, smell etc. They are more expensive than other methods as you need one per room; they simply plug into an electrical socket. They also deter other pests like mice, spiders, and other unwanted guests you might not want in your home. I might consider these to keep mice, chipmunks, and squirrels from the cozy warmth inside our cottage.

Houseplant Care: What I've Learned — pest repeller

Sticky Traps

A second, less expensive option, is sticky traps. As their name implies, the bugs get stuck on the sticky surfaces of these traps. Some people might find the sight of the bugs stuck to the traps offensive. The traps come in many shapes, I have this butterfly version in my home. My husband is one of those people that hate the sight of them covered in little black dots. The bonus to these is that they work for fruit flies too, something (I’m sure) everyone finds bothersome in the summer. I keep one stuck to the underside of my kitchen cabinet above the spot I store bananas. Works wonders, and you don’t see the proof that they work…

Insecticidal Soap

Another way to minimize insect infestations on your houseplants is to spray the soil and leaves with insecticidal soap. This is especially important when transferring plants from the outdoors to inside your home. Here in Canada we like to put our houseplants outside for the summer to let them flourish in the fresh air, rain and sunshine. When frost threatens we bring them back inside to overwinter. However, if you fail to treat the soil and leaves before bringing them inside, you will bring in much more than just the plants!

Watering Tips and Houseplant Care

Most experts will tell you overwatering houseplants is the fastest way to kill them. To determine how often to water them, stick your finger in the soil of each potted plant to determine how dry the soil is. Each pot will be different based on the type of plant, type of pot (clay pots dry out faster than plastic), where in your home it is located (sun exposure), and even what the weather is like outside (plants need less water in cooler months here in Canada).

Some plants need to dry out considerably before you add water. Others should only dry out to the top half inch of soil. Do your research to see which ones prefer which method.

Repotting Do’s and Dont’s

One of the biggest mistakes I made was repotting my houseplants into pots that were too large. Apparently, you must only move up one pot size at a time to avoid root rot. I lost several plants going too large too fast; my impatience got the best of me. I chose large planters to complement my decor, not to suit my plants.

I have since managed to salvage a few of these mistakes by removing the struggling plants from the large pots, then tucking them into smaller pots. I have several small pots sitting on top of the larger, decorative pots that I purchased. Eventually, they will fit into the large pots…

Unfortunately, the plant on the left did not survive in the too large pot.

Another repotting tip involves washing the roots of your plant before repotting it. Root washing is especially helpful if the plant was not thriving in its previous pot. This practice of washing the roots is also recommended when planting perennials and annuals in your outdoor gardens and containers. Although I have just started to do this in my outdoor gardens, I can see how root washing is beneficial to remove excess fertilizer and relieve root-bound plants, not to mention flushing out any diseases or pests inadvertently transported home from the nursery or a friend’s garden.

Did I forget anything? Do you have any tips for houseplant care that I did not mention?

Houseplant Obsession

February 16, 2021September 19, 2022 ~ Loreeebee ~ 10 Comments

This past month I have been obsessed with houseplants. I’m not sure if it is because we have been under lockdown for so long, due to my love of anything green or my love of nature and gardens. Probably a combination of all three, much to the chagrin of my husband who keeps reminding me “the gardens are outside.” Hmmmmm, I can fix that, I do love a challenge…

Houseplants deserve TLC too, this time of year is as good as any to give them the attention they need. As we are still in lockdown here in the Ottawa area, with strict “stay home” orders, my green thumb is coming out this week.

Repotting Houseplants

Over time, the soil in houseplants gets depleted of nutrients and compacted, similar to the soil in your gardens and containers outdoors. As I cannot get out into my gardens yet, my front hallway is currently lined with bags of soil, pots, and plants. All of my houseplants will be getting fresh soil and bigger pots to spread their roots and strut their stuff with a chaser of diluted fertilizer to encourage root growth. If you are really ambitious, or you discover any rotting or dead roots, you can rinse your plants off before repotting them. A set tub works well for this job, although I prefer to do it in the summer, outside.

Typically I take stock of my houseplants in winter, when my gardening business is snowed in, but this year I think I have taken this obsession to a whole new level. Recently, a large box of soil bags, plastic saucers that go under plants to protect floors, and pots has taken up space in my front hallway. The floor there is easier to clean up after spills, so this spot has become my potting station.

Research Your Options

The internet is a great resource for which houseplants to buy (or trade with like-minded friends for), what window to place them in and how and when to repot and take cuttings. I love this site in particular; it provides lots of “how to” videos for all sorts of plantings.

I have also joined a Facebook group of other individuals in Ottawa that are as houseplant obsessed as I am.

Propagation Techniques

My granddaughters and I have started seeds, with some progress. Currently, we have success with zinnias, strawberries, lemons, and lots of hibiscus. We will have to restart some in a warmer spot in the house; my basement kitchenette appears to be too chilly.

There are several other ways to propagate all plants, including houseplants. I am currently attempting a few methods to increase my own houseplant population.

Leaf Cuttings

Taking leaf cuttings and putting them in water (changing it often) until roots develop is just one way, but by far the simplest. This method works best on plants with hardy stems such as African violets.

Adding rooting hormone to leaf cuttings and inserting the stem into perlite (lightweight, volcanic glass pieces used to hold air in soil) or potting soil also works well. Sanseveria work well with this method; several sections can be cut from one leaf, just be sure to keep track as you cut them into sections so they are planted right side up. It does make a difference; if you plant the sections upside down (easy to do when removed from the plant), they will rot.

Air Layering

Air layering is another propagation method, but a bit more complicated. Make a slit on a stem (2/3 of the way through the stem) between two leaves, cover the wound with damp sphagnum moss and wrap the area in plastic wrap to create a humid environment. When new roots form, cut the new plant off and pot it up.

Simple layering

Simple layering involves pinning runners or long stems into soil while still attached to the parent plant to form new root systems. When the new roots and new shoots form, sever the connecting stem between the parent plant and the new roots/shoots and pot your new baby up. Pothos, ivy and spider plants propagate well with this method.

Division

Sometimes when repotting your plants the roots just naturally fall apart (divide) into separate clumps, creating another easy way to propagate and grow your collection or to share with others. Sanseveria (snake plants) and ferns lend well to this division method.

My perennial gardens outside are very familiar with the division method, with spring being the perfect time to do so.

Replenishing my Collection of Houseplants

For an introduction to a few new houseplants (one can never have too many) and some soil I shopped online at the House of Plants, a small business here in Ottawa. Currently offering curbside pickup or local delivery with nationwide delivery resuming in the spring, House of Plants has not missed a beat during the pandemic. They offer a wide selection of houseplants, suitable for many different light conditions.

A while back I wrote about the role houseplants play in removing toxins from the air in our homes. With windows and doors closed tightly against the cold air and our furnaces running constantly, this air cleansing is more important than ever during the winter months.

Last summer gardening was a newfound hobby for many, during the winter months houseplants are now on trend. Whether you want to add to your existing houseplant collection or start one, contact House of Plants for all your needs and support their new business.

I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of spring but until then I will remain houseplant obsessed.