Tiny flies = Fungus gnats

NatureWalker New York & Terrell, TX(Zone 8b) Apr 19, 2005

Houseplants: Frequently Asked Questions: http://www.cce.cornell.edu/allegany-cattaraugus/hort/Houseplants.htm

Tiny flies
Q. 2/28 I'm finding tiny flies around the windows of my living room. I have many house plants. Could they be coming from them?

Fungus gnats can become a serious nuisance around potted plants. The larvae(maggots) feed in soil high in organic matter and can injure the roots of the plant(s) they inhabit. Prevention: always use sterile potting mix to prevent introduction of fungus gnats. Over-watering and poor drainage can result in a buildup of fungus gnats. Allowing the soil to dry as much as possible, without injury to the plant, is effective in killing many of the larvae. Remove all dead plant debris that may collect on the surface of the soil. Yellow sticky card (traps) can be used for adult fungus gnat detection and monitoring. Place traps just above the plants. Replace when covered with insects. Slices of potato placed on top of the soil can be used to monitor and trap out larva.

Small flies in the house may also be fruit flies or drain flies. Fruit flies feed on ripe fruit or sugary liquids found in empty soda or juice cans and drain flies feed on scum in kitchen sink pipes. For drain flies, use a drain cleaner followed the next day with boiling water.
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Fungus Gnats: http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2114.html

Searched pages from cornell.edu: http://www.google.com/u/cuweb?domains=cornell%2Eedu&sitesearch=cornell%2Eedu&q=Annuals

HTH

~* Robin

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jessamine Fort Wayne, IN(Zone 5a) Apr 20, 2005

While I was familiar with all the rest of the info on the fungus gnats I had never heard of the potato slice on the soil to collect the larva. I will try it. Thanks for the idea. Jessamine

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