{"title":"Get rid of fungus gnats","description":"\u003cp\u003eSmall dark flies that rise up when you water a houseplant: those are fungus gnats. The gnats themselves are annoying but harmless. The real problem sits in the soil, where the larvae feed on the fine roots.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eSo you need two tracks. Yellow sticky traps remove the adults so no new eggs follow, and they show you straight away how big the population is. The glue is water resistant, so it does not wash off when you water or when the air is humid. One trap lasts up to three months. Alongside that you need to deal with the larvae in the soil and let the top layer dry properly between waterings.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eFungus gnats or fruit flies?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe confusion is understandable, because at first glance both are small and dark. Look at the place and the behaviour. Fungus gnats rise out of the potting soil, move in jerky darts and stay near the plant or head for the window and the lamp. Fruit flies are yellow brown with red eyes, circle around fruit and the bin and fly far more steadily. If they come from the fruit, go to \u003ca href=\"\/en-gb\/collections\/get-rid-of-fruit-flies\"\u003eget rid of fruit flies\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eAre fungus gnats harmful?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot to people. They do not sting, do not bite and carry no disease. To your plants they are. With a large population the fine roots get damaged, the plant grows poorly, leaves yellow and young cuttings can die. On a mature plant the damage is usually limited; on seedlings and cuttings it is not.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere do they come from?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUsually into the house with a new plant or a bag of potting compost, with the eggs already in the soil. Watering too often is the main driver, because the larvae need a permanently damp top layer. A plant that is allowed to dry out between waterings rarely becomes a problem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhy are the sticky traps yellow?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFungus gnats respond to colour, and bright yellow works on them like a magnet. There is no scent or lure in them, only that colour and the glue. It is also why they catch whitefly, aphids and other small flying insects alongside the gnats.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eWhere do you put the traps?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePush them into the pot, just above the soil, because that is where the gnats rise and where they lay their eggs. Hanging them high in the plant works far less well. With several plants side by side, one per pot, because they barely travel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003ch2\u003eHow long does it take?\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eExpect three to four weeks to break the cycle. The adults live only about a week, but the eggs and larvae in the soil need time. Catching only the adults is not enough, because the next generation is already in the soil.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cscript type=\"application\/ld+json\"\u003e\n{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Are they fungus gnats or fruit flies?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Look at the place and the behaviour. Fungus gnats rise out of the potting soil, move in jerky darts and stay near the plant or head for the window. Fruit flies are yellow brown with red eyes, circle around fruit and the bin and fly more steadily.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Are fungus gnats harmful?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Not to people: they do not sting, do not bite and carry no disease. To plants they are. With a large population the fine roots get damaged, the plant grows poorly and young cuttings can die.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Where do fungus gnats come from?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Usually into the house with a new plant or a bag of potting compost, with the eggs already in the soil. Watering too often is the main driver, because the larvae need a permanently damp top layer.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why are fungus gnat traps yellow?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"Fungus gnats respond to colour, and bright yellow works like a magnet. There is no scent or lure in them, only the colour and the glue. That is also why they catch whitefly and aphids.\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Where do you put fungus gnat traps?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"In the pot, just above the soil, because that is where the gnats rise and lay their eggs. With several plants side by side, one per pot, because they barely travel.\"}}]}\n\u003c\/script\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"super-ninja-fruit-fly-trap-fungus-gnat-killer-combo-uk","title":"Super Ninja Fruit Fly Trap \u0026 Fungus Gnat Killer Combo","description":"\u003cp\u003eDouble protection in one pack: the 2 fruit fly traps attract and catch fruit flies in the kitchen, whilst the 10 yellow sticky stickers immediately trap fungus gnats on your plants. Together, they provide a complete, toxin-free solution for flies throughout your home — works instantly, can be placed discreetly and is made from recycled materials.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Super Ninja","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56991451414905,"sku":"FFNPFN00-UK","price":15.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0961\/6015\/3977\/files\/1_1c73099a-ca11-4159-aa38-c031cf772457.jpg?v=1775645774"},{"product_id":"super-ninja-fungus-gnat-killer-uk","title":"Super Ninja Fungus Gnat Killer","description":"\u003cstyle type=\"text\/css\"\u003e\u003c!--td {border: 1px solid #cccccc;}br {mso-data-placement:same-cell;}--\u003e\u003c\/style\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan data-sheets-root=\"1\"\u003eCatch adult fungus gnats instantly — no chemicals, no odour. The bright yellow flower shape irresistibly attracts gnats and traps them on the ultra-sticky adhesive layer. Installed in seconds with the “stick \u0026amp; go” strip, effective for up to 3 months, and made from 100% recycled plastic.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Super Ninja","offers":[{"title":"30 Traps","offer_id":56992133218681,"sku":"PFN33557-UK","price":7.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"60 Traps","offer_id":56992133251449,"sku":"PFN22667-UK","price":11.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0961\/6015\/3977\/files\/p30.jpg?v=1775645898"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0961\/6015\/3977\/collections\/plantvliegjes.jpg?v=1789630668","url":"https:\/\/superninja.eco\/en-gb\/collections\/get-rid-of-fungus-gnats.oembed","provider":"Super Ninja","version":"1.0","type":"link"}