Unwanted visitors

Question

This might seem like an odd question,but here goes...
I have a lot of indoor plants. All replanted in fresh dirt with proper drainage. I seem to have brought in tiny nats on or in one my plants in the last month or so.Almost like a fruit fly only not quite as big. I have tried spraying all plants and dirt with organic bug spray,but it is one that has to make contact with said bug to kill. I guess I am not making contact with all. Yesterday I bought vinegar and spray bottle...my plan is to mix vinegar and water and mist all dirt and plants hoping to kill my little pests. I'm pretty sure it will not hurt the plants. NOW for the question..Can anyone tell me the ratio to mix to get the strength I need to kill nats,but not my plants? Thank you so much ahead of time for anyone willing to help :)

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

Do not use vinegar. Its an acid even diluted it can harm vegetation. I would suggest that you check out this web site for some great homemade recipes that are safe for your plants. http://tipnut.com/natural-pesticides/

Douglas Hunt · Answer

Some people use vinegar as an herbicide. I suspect that diluting it to a strength that will not harm the plant will also render it ineffective as an insecticide.

Leona Zentner · Answer

I think what you may have are drain flys, they come from a drain and if theres any food or coffee grinds or egg shells they get on them. I save my coffee grinds and egg shells for my garden compost and I came down stairs one morning to find them all over my kitchen and then they went thru the drains into my bathrooms. I googled gnats , but later found out that they are drain flys. I ordered online from Walgren's a product called Bac-Out made by Biokleen. I keep a bottle in my kitchen and all four of my bathrooms. I used it as directed for three days and haven't seen one since.this stuff is awesome ! I'm not sure that's what you have but it sure sounds like it. They may just be coming from the drain and getting on your plants rather then them being in the plant, but not sure. I hope this helps.

Bev Kent · Answer

set your plants outside and spray with malathaon, wait until you can no longer smell it then bring them back in

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

Bleach in the drain will not stop drain flies. If that is what you have and you look real close at them, their wings are round. If it turns out to be them, which I doubt, the cleaning method is to take the trap apart and clean to remove any scum in the pipes, If you have overflow drain holes in the sink. These are normally on bathroom sinks, you will need to clean that pipe out as well. A long metal snake with a small rag on the end is pushed into the opening to the rag comes out by the drain opening. Remove the rag and put drain back together again.

Lorraine V · Answer

here in upstate NY everyone has them!!!! Little knats that end up dying on window sills, such an annoyance! Everyone is talking about it, you have done nothing wrong. Spring will take them away.

Tamir DuCharme · Answer

Thanks to everyone who has responded, I have already taken all plants outside and sprayed with pesticide(did not use my vinegar ) still have them in house. I have ordered the bac-out.  I have lived in TX since I was 18(many,many years) and have never had this problem. 
But again... Thank you very much to ALL,  I think Leona was right.. But, we will see. Thanks again so very much for all suggestions, that you took the time to respond is greatly appreciated😊

Lorraine V · Answer

Are they just on the plants? up here they are in the houses but not on plants. They are even tinier than fruit flies. They try to get out and die on window sills. Could it be the same bug?

Ashley Riddle · Answer

you can try apple cider vinegar in a little cup or bowl near the plant. put plastic wrap over the top and use a tooth pic to poke really small holes in the top. i had to do this once because of fruit flies. seemed to work well for me.

The pest guru · Answer

Ok if there knots coming from the moisture in the plants then go get a general insecticide with a residual and treat the area also get a hanging fly paper too catch the flying ones and that should stop them. If they are coming from the drain then you must treat the drains with either drain gel or which to treat the eggs which lie in the elbow of the drain.  Look for a solution pest and pool for pest control products or order online also use the same hanging fly paper . Hope this helps

Tamir DuCharme · Answer

I have already tried this Ashley Riddle,but thank you for suggestion.

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

The flies lay their eggs in the slime that you cannot see in the drain pipes. Boiling hot water may help, but have found in the past that removal of the trap assembly and cleaning any overflow drains works best. If you do not get the scum out of the drain pipe, where you cannot see, they will keep coming back. They breed like bunny rabbits.

Tamir DuCharme · Answer

Where do they come from? How do you get them in the first place? It's not like we are a 'dirty' household.

Unwanted visitors

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