How do you get rid of the little black flies on my Christmas cactus I
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Debramaston
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those flies are actually living in the soil. some people try spraying a mix of water and dish detergent and others would probably try to transplant into clean soil and a clean pot.
https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/cacti-succulents/christmas-cactus/christmas-cactus-pests.htm
Here is a link from a gardening website I find helpful! Good Luck!
I had this problem in a bonsai tree. Like Elizabeth said, they're living in the soil. What I did was to remove the plant from the contaminated soil, rinse the roots and base of the plant, leave it to dry for a couple of hours on a paper towel, and then I re-potted in a clean pot with clean soil. That seems to have solved the issue.
First, I sprayed the dirt surrounding the plant with Home Defence Max. It will not kill your plant if some gets on the leaves. Then I covered the entire dirt surface with cinnamon powder. All around the stalk of the plant too. I used quite a bit, covering the dirt up entirely. Smells wonderful too! Then I watered using a couple of drops of hydrogen peroxide in the water. I also spray my cactus with the same peroxide/water recipe and they loved it growing tons of new leaves before blooming season. The peroxide mixes well with fertilizer, not to worry. No bugs either!
The ants are most likely there because you have aphids, which you will probably not see, but ooze a sticky sweet substance the ants love. Use a spray that kills aphids AND do what Beth says above. Beths know best, haha!
-Another Beth