Solved the problem! Tried the vinegar, sucked them up with the vacuum. Did all the positive organic methods. Did not use poison or infest my house with other insects. It's 32º out, had a couple of pepper plants, some basil, and some bean that were taking off great. My house was having infestation issues. Put it all outside no more bugs. Gardening see you in the spring.
I place small bowls around my house filled with 2-3 tablespoons of fresh pineapple soda. The gnats are so attracted to it and they drown. I did this for about a month and I used Neem oil mix on all the plants and their soils (once). I have not seen any gnats since completing this cycle! I found out that gnats like the FANTA soda because I was drinking a bottle and a gnat dove right in. Well yuck lol. I don't have any more gnats!
Another great video, Summer! Thank you! I recently had a problem with gnats. I used some apple cider vinegar mixed with a little sugar and a drop or two of Dawn dish soap. I placed a jar of the solution wherever I saw the most gnats. I was able to get rid of them in a day or two. Just another option incase anyone is searching...
I use a two-prong method: yellow sticky paper gnat traps to catch the adults and a hydrogen peroxide solution in the soil to kill the larvae. The traps are cheap and really work. Hydrogen peroxide can be used on plants for all sorts of purposes. Also cheap.
Was hoping you would do a video on pest control. Can't say I have the nerve to release MORE bugs in my apartment but I am impressed by how hardcore you are
you can also sprinkle the mosquito bits directly on the soil of your plants,to get rid of the gnats that are flying hang fly paper near a light and when you go to bed only leave that one light on
I’m so thankful I found your video...I can’t thank you and the people that had the question on Gnats enough because I just ordered some mosquito bits and am SO excited to get rid of those! I had no luck with ANYTHING as of yet with a remedy & was getting gnats in my coffee & guinea pig cage especially my plant soil because of the richness (apparently from what you said) that I used this season in my houseplant pots...so thank you so much for your feedback on that!! I live in Texas so hopefully the mosquitos around my house will disappear greatly after the use of this product. So it’s a win win there... YAY! 👍🏻😊 thanks
So I’m learning the hard way that the more plants you own the more bugs you’ll have to deal with. It started with mealy bugs and now I’ve too many gnats . I’m crying cuz I hate the smell of neem oil but went ahead and sprayed my plants,both indoor n outdoor, with it. We may have to move soon 😑 or I’ll burn the house down .
I love that you don't blast with chemicals : ) We put a layer of sand on our houseplants that have gnats & that's gotten rid of them. I'm thinking our kitten would love the entertainment of Lacewings! I'm loving spending time with you.
What is the life cycle of the lacewings? Once they reach adulthood, how long will they fly around my house? I have a lot of plants in a very small space and I like the idea of using lacewing to find and eliminate any pests before I do, but I'm concerned about dealing with these bugs flying around all the time once they reach adulthood because, similar to the fungus gnats, it just gets annoying.
Thank u so much!! I have 26 indoor plants so far and I'm infested with fungus gnats and spider mites😣😣I go all organic non pesticide/non chemical. For outdoor plants I implemented neem oil/soap/hot pepper mix and sprayed my veg.. Worked great. Also used lady bugs for spider mites. But indoor they attacking my soil so I have to find a solution for the soil. But I'ma try the lace wings and mosquito bits n see how that goes. All my pants are losing and going brown leaf by leaf so thank u so much! I love it science based information 😍
I steep my plant water with a mosquito dunk and I put mosquito bits in my soil mixes and for wetter plants I put some bits on the soil surface in addition. Works pretty good. Keeps fungus gnat population down enough that I don't need to do anything else.
Ms Summer, the part when you said you were gonna look for the BTI, then you couldnt find it, that maybe it was outside, and you said you’re not gonna go outside to look for it but decided to do it...that entire scene was a suspense and I jumped out of my seat when you showed it on the camera! Well done Ma’am, well done! I am actually inspired to go to the organic/natural route of getting rid if gnats through this video.
Great info on pests Summer. I think the fungus gnats are attracted to carbon dioxide, so that is why you see them flying in your face. I use a mixture of 1 part 3% peroxide and 4 parts water to kill the fungus gnat larva. I sprinkle a layer of sand on top of my soil to keep the adult fungus gnats from laying eggs in the soil, because they hate the grainy said, so they usually die off, but your method sounds wonderful as well.
i recently discovered mealies in a corner of my collection on two plants, i painstakingly scoured every centimeter of each plant removing them all by hand with q-tips and alcohol. then rinsed everything well, and sprayed everything with alcohol
My solution for bug problems is to place the afflicted plant in a closed container with a Vapona No Pest Strip for a few days. Depending on the size of the plant I may use a bucket that I stretch plastic wrap over the top or if it is a large plant I use a garbage bag or pail. The reason I use a closed container is I don't relish the idea of breathing the fumes that the strip emits. It is supposed to be harmless to humans by why chance it. I also like the idea of having a real concentrated dose of the vapor around the plant. After the plant has been dosed I put the strip back in it's package and seal it well so as to preserve it for the net attack.
Thank you for another great video. If you plant garlic cloves around in various pots it will deter a lot of pests from the plants. Ladybugs/ladybirds are also great and will stay on the plant as long as aphids remain.
Hi Summer. So my first experience with lacewing larvae was not the best (probably my fault). They came from California and most of them appeared dead upon arrival. I guess I should have chosen overnight shipping because it took a few days for them to get to Maine. We went around our house carefully placing the live larvae on plants that had had problems (with toothpicks, it took hours). While doing this, I noticed that one leaf on my Alocasia amazonica was COVERED with spider mites and webs. (I'm 62 and don't always see problems when watering, even when I use a magnifying glass). Anyway, this plant was doing so well, it had two new leaves (a total of 4 leaves) even though just a few months ago it only had 1. So this morning, I rinsed it off in the shower and sprayed the heck out of it with Neem oil. I am going to order more larvae but use overnight shipping this time to help manage the pests. I won't put them on the plant I'm treating with Neem of course. I've told 3 people about the lacewings and they all said the same thins, "So now you're going to have bugs all over your house?" Hehe, yep. Anything for my plants!
Aw, huge help, thanks. I've been spending a small fortune on nematodes, population reduced but not eradicated. (Fungus gnats) So happy to have another option to try. Best to you, Tish
Still using nematodes? I heard about those. Very curious about them. Did they wipe out all your knats in the end? I just imagine maybe there were too many knats for the nematodes to keep up with at first but they got there in the end?
Thank God. A person I can learn something from. I saw you on someone else's show and asked if you have any suggestions to a plant in an 18 wheeler driving across country.
Thank you for taking the time to get the BIT product. I am a beginner and I have a lot of gnats and didn’t know how to get rid of them. Now I can address 🤗
i find if u hav gnats and mites, take the plant to the hose, lean the plant over 90 degrees, then carefully jet hose water off the under side of the leafs, use pressure to blast all the mites off, then do other plants if they have mites. continue to look for mites on all plants, if you discover 1 mite, blast with hose outside again. zero tollerance policy.
Omg I am so happy I found this video! I am new to the plant world and have fungus gnats. I tried the ACV and dish soup trick. It kinda works but it leaves my plant room/study smelling awful! I order the mosquito bits before I even finished the video! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the info. I've always had gnats on my indoor plants at one point or another. Lately my go to solution is to leave them in a nice location outside. That's not really a solution though. I will definitely be trying your solution. Glad you were able to find the Mosquito Bits to show everyone.
wow! i have that mosquito bits for a tadpole pond from last summer. now, i am starting my summer plant starts on my back porch and thought i'd tried everything. i'm literally going to try that right now for those pesky little fungus gnats. - thanks so much / liked / subbed!
My fast solution for Fungus Gnats. I've tried all of the recommended solutions..yellow sticky paper/cups, Apple cider vinegar, wine, sand and even Mosquito bits. You have to infuse the Mosquito bits for a day or two and even that won't kill them instantly. Also you don't want your pets to ingest any bits or infused water. Sand on the top layer only had them coming out of the drain holes. These remedies just did not work fast enough so I had to learn about my enemy. What I learned is that their eggs are probably in your soil when you potted your indoor plant. They thrive and hatch when conditions are right- moist warm rich soil. Typical of house plants. They also breed and lay their eggs there. To combat them you need to break the cycle. What worked and worked FAST was just putting sweet tea(Arnold Palmer style even better)in shallow lids or caps around my plants. I happen to check on them about an hour or so later and was amazed at how many were drowned in the tea. I rinsed the lids and refilled. Checked back later and had caught a lot more. I'd say after about a half day the infestation was probably about 75% gone! Everything I needed was in my kitchen and refreshing!
My giant milkweed bush is infested with spider mites for the second time this year. The first time I had to cut about 2 ft off of all the branches and stripped of the affected leaves. There were not that many leaves left so I was able to wipe them down individually with a piece of cloth dipped in water. The bush recovered beautifully and stayed that way for about a month. But once again, leaves are turning blotchy yellow, shrivel, and drop off. The humidity is off the roof in Houston, TX.
Late as hell on this, but for gnats we use something called Gnatrol WDG. It also contains BTI but is in a soluble powder form. Here we sell it in bulk at $40 a lb, but when you only need 1 tsp p/g and a follow up drench at half dose it’s pretty damn quick and effective. Well worth the price considering what they will do to your roots.
Lawrence Hancock this stuff is the only stuff I found that works! It’s amazing! I use a little bit every time I water my plant jungle indoors. What an awesome suggestion to others!
Use an anti fungal spray like physan 20 and gnat traps. There's these double sided yellow sticky traps that work well in our greenhouse. Be careful though, they are super sticky.
I'm using 3% peroxide 1 part to 3 parts water on my soil-less microgreens for fungus gnats. It's working pretty well but I will definitely look at the mosquito bits.
Super helpful thank you! Going to try the mosquito bits. Until now I used yellow sticky paper to fight gnats. And I've been cleaning off mealy bugs manually with a swap as a form of stress reliever haha
I never had Gnats until one day I bought a bag of Miracle Grow Orchid mix and I re potted nineteen Monstera babies every one of those pots have fungus and gnats I only used one third orchid potting soil and two thirds my regular mix but I am positive thats where they came from.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the mosquito bits advice! Incredible remedy. After just one watering what a difference! And I had already tried insecticide (X), neem oil (X), sticky paper and a electric bug catcher (katchy).
I came here just to see if you would give the ratio for Mosquito Bits, but nothing. The container does not indicate the amount per gallon, but per square feet, and that's not a good measurement to calculate for indoor plants.
ITS SO EASY ANY EVERYONE COMPLICATES IT!!! All you need to do is spray rubbing alcohol on your plants and it will kill them and it will not hurt your plants (surprisingly it won’t try it because I do it and it kills all the bugs and the plants are just fine) On more delicate plants I have watered it down and I have also rinse them off or take them out of the sun for a day but I haven’t burnt a plant! (Just don’t be dumb about it. I.e. don’t submerge plants I’m rubbing alcohol all day...)
Would LOVE to see your insect collection! Also, once the lace wings eat all the mealy bugs, will they still hang around? Is there something else you can put out for them to eat?
I know you said no insecticides, but Safer brand insecticidal soap says it's safe for organic gardening. I just spray it in the leaf folds, and tight corners of plants where mealies could be hiding. I don't however use it on edibles. As for gnats, I find just a top layer of sand keeps them in and out of the soil. But I'm definitely taking your advice on the beneficial insects! Do you provide a water source for them?
I like how you use the other insects as the cure.I spent over thirty hours trying to get rid of scale insects on my orange tree because it was sweating sap and the cure is to put it outside and let the ants have at it i even put a little sugar at the base of the pot to lure the ants to it .The Orange tree knew how to rid itself of scale but it was inside of my house where there was no ants sometimes the plants and trees will send you signals that they are in trouble.
What do you do with the lacewings after they are finished with the pests? Do you just let them complete their life cycle? How long do they live? Do they lay eggs. Then you get a new army of pest management? 🤔
Found mealy bugs for first time in my plant life...4 years or so. I did freak out. I have no bugs to eat them :) I doused with Dawn soap/water and alcohol....will recheck them tomorrow
Your channel is amazing in so many ways Summer! I love your passion for growing!🌸 Great information, we get mealy bugs and aphids here in Florida like crazy. I'm always treating the soil to my succulents outside.. I think it's awesome you don't use pesticides.. I want to try lady bugs for bug control because I heard they really eat a lot of the bad ones. I use organic Neem oil instead of harsh chemicals for bugs and fungus. I love your idea for taking care of pests with natural remedies. Thank you so much for sharing!!
Hi there, I just found your channel and think it's very helpful and informative. In regards to fungus gnats. I have used both mosquito bits and the dunks, followed the manufacturers instructions and not only did it not kill the gnats but killed some of my very sensitive indoor plants like a lot of my peperomias so I don't use that now and that was only after one application. I went and got a few carnivorous plants like Droseras (Sundews) and the gnats are very attracted to these wonderful little plants and are now under control and slowly dying off. I would definitely not use the stuff on my Cattleya orchids. But anyway love your channel and hello from Australia.
Soap, leftover booze, (optional) and some water - has worked on white aphidey stuff on outdoor tropicals here applied by spray bottle. So, no bad chems.
Very helpful video .. starred watching your videos a few weeks ago and I find them all this far so informative and helpful. Your place is AMAZING .. thanks for sharing it all with us 😊
A little bit of insect warfare lol :) You'll have to show us your bug collection one day. Lacewings aka aphid lions (!) besides being ravenous are quite pretty too. Wouldn't mind them around at all. If I'm not able to order them, how would I get my hands on them? I have occasionally seen them out and about if not in my own yard; I may have to carry some sort of insect catching device with me! Thank you for another great vid xx
I so appreciate that you go the natural way! I lost a big beautiful prayer plant to mealy bugs. I kept taking them off with Q-Tips, but couldn’t get them in all the many nooks and crannies without completely destroying my plant. So would the Lacewings get into all those difficult to reach places? Thanks!
Just googled you up. Lol. Small flying tiny drives me crazy bugs that you can't see. Can't see till they get in my art projects ( in woodworking shop). Going to try to find your mosquito bits. Thank you.
Denise Jackson I tried them and it didn't work. I let the bits soak in distilled water for a couple hours then watered the plant with the water. It's been more than 48 hours and I still see gnats flying out of the soil. Any suggestions?
Aleli Hernandez dry the soil a bit then water but don't water to much and use normal hand soap water and water the plants I do the same and put flying sticky tapes on a hok stick, nearby the plants /soils you will see millions of them stack on to it good luck
Lynda I never used mosquitos bits , I only used normal hand soap water to spray and water the plant when I had black fly and sticky flys tapes near the plant, you can get them on eBay online thanks
Your bugs are so awesome!!! I can’t do bugs, my husband has a stoma... I was thinking of Breeding praying mantis..don’t think they would crawl or fly into his stoma....
You are so intelligent. I love you. Thanks for the information. I have never seen any bugs on my plants. They may be there but I have never seen them. I have seen bugs on plants thrown into the compost pile at my community garden. I Just joined the garden last summer but because many of the people there don't worry about using insecticides, I will not be growing there any longer. I don't usually grow edible plants but I want to start growing more exotic fruits. edible cactus varieties and dates. I may suggest to the garden members the use of beneficial insects. Can these be used outdoors or will they just leave the garden?
If they have food, as in aphids, mealy bugs, whatever they eat, they will stay. When they eat all of the bugs that they eat, they move on. If you provide nesting space, they might lay eggs. I am trying to use beneficial insects to deal with all of my problems in the outdoor garden.
@CFlorida girl beneficial insects eat other insects. Fungus gnats are awful creatures. I hate them. I don't know why you thought I was talking about fungus gnats though. I was answering the question regarding whether or not beneficial insects would stay in your garden asked by @Arthur's Garden Days
indoor gnat hack: cup of apple cider vinegar with about 2 spoonfuls of cooking oil. they're attracted to the strong smell & get trapped in the layer of cooking oil
I have to add that I think that my infestation came from my dragon tree plant that was absolutely infested and I found it yesterday and I ended up just cutting off all the stalks and putting them in garbage bags and then garbage bagging the huge plant and taking them all outside. It was devastating because that plant is over 30 years old and came from my grandma's funeral. But I just have this feeling that that's where all of my upstairs spider mites infestation have come from. I'm finding them on more plants than plants that don't have them now. And I'll have a ton of plants
So what happens to the lace wings once they’re adults? Do they just live in your house or will they find there way out, cause I’m not sure how I feel about them hanging out afterward but I do like the idea
Thank you! I was excited to see this episode! I purchased Organic Gnatrol BTI, it is a powder that I add to the water before watering. I hope that is the correct BTI! I'll have to try Mosquito Bits when this supply runs low!
I came down with bird mites. I found that Orange Oil and Citrine Dr. Bronners soap worked. Wash clothes ,spray wood floors, Put orange oil on Body. I used Oregano Oil on my feet(stings,, anywhere else) but I was infested for years and got tree cut down and than with this routine got them off my body.
same problem here, could you give some detailed advice such as brand of orange oil and how to mix or what proportion of orange oil and soap, etc as I have been suffering for years, Thanks in advance
Based on their own precautionary statement on the back of the container, right at the top, Mosquito Bits do not seem safe to humans at all. "Harmful if inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Avoid breathing dust. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking, chewing gum, using tobacco or using the toilet. Remove and wash contaminated clothing before reuse." In no way does that sound like a product you could consume. I can not see how that is safe for growing food at all. I have gnats, and have tried so many remedies. I'm afraid to try this one.
Summer Rayne, I have a question regarding your way of controlling fungus gnats, with mosquito bits. You said you soak them in water and then water your plants with them, what is the ratio of bits to water and how long do you let them soak before watering. I’m trying to get rid of gnats now and I need some extra help! i love all your videos btw! Thank you!
Hi I was wondering how much Mosquito Bits do you add to water ,I put my rain water in a 1 gal container so how much should I put in a 1 gal container love all your videos thanks for your time . Rich
Oh green lace wings are so so pretty when adults, that was an amazing tip to how combat lil critters naturally :) Dis not know about that product mosquito bits, hope we have it here in France, if we do I'll def try it :) Thanks
We have had problems with mealy bugs before on our platycerium elephantotis and they don't tolerate bug spray as well as soon of our orchids do. I'm going to try the lacewings. Thanks for your video.
Thanks for this informative video. I miss New York. I love that you're in New York with this urban jungle in your home. Thanks for sharing. You rock😊👍❤.
Wow real bugs helping you to get rid of bugs on your plants awesome. I like to use the mosquito bits too. They work well. I also use water mixed with a bit of soap, apple cider vinegar and set it in an empty water bottle I cut inhalf next to the plants or inside the container if its big. You will see the next day they are drawn to the smell and inside the mixture. Thanks for sharing. ☆ ★ ♡ ♥ ¤ oo
Hello! I’d love a more detailed video on your insects. How do you ensure you won’t kill them when watering plants? Do they bite humans? Do you have to get them from a breeder? I love this idea so much, I like to keep a clean and natural home too.
Have you ever tried an essential oil defuser around your house plants? Lately I have had trouble with fungus gnats so I don’t water so much and then get spider mites because it’s dry. My lemon tree leaves are suffering. Recently I top dressed them with diatomaceous earth and wondered if it would be benificial to run a defuser with peppermint oil to deter aphids??? Any thoughts
I have also had gnats on my lemon seedlings recently and used traps and hydrogen peroxide. They worked right away. If you have a bigger infestation, the traps can take a few weeks to really catch them all.
Yay thanks!!! I just saw my first fungus gnat the other day & thought, "Oh no!"...but now I know what to use! :) I don't like chemicals either, though I'm a little creeped out by bugs :P I'm actually trying to get over my fear of insects but I'm not fully there yet lol. I will be ordering the BTI asap, but I'm a little confused about how to use it. You said you soak it in water....are there instructions on the packaging?
Amy how did it go with Mosquito bits? Did you find the best ratio of bits to water in the most effective way? How long to leave in the water before applying etc?
so when the lacewings grow to an adult size do you now have a new problem of bugs flying around your house? same with the ladybugs, what happens when they eat all the mealybugs?
Time stamps:
1:14 Mealy Bugs
4:15 Spidermites
5:05 Aphids
11:05 Gnats
thank you. otherwise it was so difficult to follow her.
Actually it's 08:45 for spidermites
Bless you kind sir
🙏🏾
Can I use the green wing guys for fungus gnats too?
Six years later…. THIS IS GOLD!!! Thank you. 🙏
Please do a video of your exotic insect collection!!!!!❤️❤️❤️
Yes!!! 😄
Yes plz, specially wen u release them on the aphids or mealy bugs!!!
That would be great 👍
Solved the problem! Tried the vinegar, sucked them up with the vacuum. Did all the positive organic methods. Did not use poison or infest my house with other insects. It's 32º out, had a couple of pepper plants, some basil, and some bean that were taking off great. My house was having infestation issues. Put it all outside no more bugs. Gardening see you in the spring.
I place small bowls around my house filled with 2-3 tablespoons of fresh pineapple soda. The gnats are so attracted to it and they drown. I did this for about a month and I used Neem oil mix on all the plants and their soils (once). I have not seen any gnats since completing this cycle! I found out that gnats like the FANTA soda because I was drinking a bottle and a gnat dove right in. Well yuck lol. I don't have any more gnats!
Dyna N-Spired I read they are attracted to yellow.
Good observation.
Dyna! Thanks!
Another great video, Summer! Thank you! I recently had a problem with gnats. I used some apple cider vinegar mixed with a little sugar and a drop or two of Dawn dish soap. I placed a jar of the solution wherever I saw the most gnats. I was able to get rid of them in a day or two. Just another option incase anyone is searching...
Ughhhhh that only works for so long, then they morph! Lol
I use a two-prong method: yellow sticky paper gnat traps to catch the adults and a hydrogen peroxide solution in the soil to kill the larvae. The traps are cheap and really work. Hydrogen peroxide can be used on plants for all sorts of purposes. Also cheap.
Can I use the same solution for mealy bugs?
I tried the dish soap, sugar, and apple cider vinegar and put three different dishes of it around my place for a week and it didnt do anything.
Was hoping you would do a video on pest control. Can't say I have the nerve to release MORE bugs in my apartment but I am impressed by how hardcore you are
you can also sprinkle the mosquito bits directly on the soil of your plants,to get rid of the gnats that are flying hang fly paper near a light and when you go to bed only leave that one light on
Stephen Greer great idea! Will try the light thing.
I’m so thankful I found your video...I can’t thank you and the people that had the question on Gnats enough because I just ordered some mosquito bits and am SO excited to get rid of those! I had no luck with ANYTHING as of yet with a remedy & was getting gnats in my coffee & guinea pig cage especially my plant soil because of the richness (apparently from what you said) that I used this season in my houseplant pots...so thank you so much for your feedback on that!! I live in Texas so hopefully the mosquitos around my house will disappear greatly after the use of this product. So it’s a win win there... YAY! 👍🏻😊 thanks
Shes so pretty, great personality and informative I can watch her videos all day!
So I’m learning the hard way that the more plants you own the more bugs you’ll have to deal with. It started with mealy bugs and now I’ve too many gnats . I’m crying cuz I hate the smell of neem oil but went ahead and sprayed my plants,both indoor n outdoor, with it. We may have to move soon 😑 or I’ll burn the house down .
I love that you don't blast with chemicals : ) We put a layer of sand on our houseplants that have gnats & that's gotten rid of them. I'm thinking our kitten would love the entertainment of Lacewings! I'm loving spending time with you.
What is the life cycle of the lacewings? Once they reach adulthood, how long will they fly around my house? I have a lot of plants in a very small space and I like the idea of using lacewing to find and eliminate any pests before I do, but I'm concerned about dealing with these bugs flying around all the time once they reach adulthood because, similar to the fungus gnats, it just gets annoying.
Thank u so much!! I have 26 indoor plants so far and I'm infested with fungus gnats and spider mites😣😣I go all organic non pesticide/non chemical. For outdoor plants I implemented neem oil/soap/hot pepper mix and sprayed my veg.. Worked great. Also used lady bugs for spider mites. But indoor they attacking my soil so I have to find a solution for the soil. But I'ma try the lace wings and mosquito bits n see how that goes. All my pants are losing and going brown leaf by leaf so thank u so much! I love it science based information 😍
I steep my plant water with a mosquito dunk and I put mosquito bits in my soil mixes and for wetter plants I put some bits on the soil surface in addition. Works pretty good. Keeps fungus gnat population down enough that I don't need to do anything else.
Ms Summer, the part when you said you were gonna look for the BTI, then you couldnt find it, that maybe it was outside, and you said you’re not gonna go outside to look for it but decided to do it...that entire scene was a suspense and I jumped out of my seat when you showed it on the camera! Well done Ma’am, well done! I am actually inspired to go to the organic/natural route of getting rid if gnats through this video.
Great info on pests Summer. I think the fungus gnats are attracted to carbon dioxide, so that is why you see them flying in your face. I use a mixture of 1 part 3% peroxide and 4 parts water to kill the fungus gnat larva. I sprinkle a layer of sand on top of my soil to keep the adult fungus gnats from laying eggs in the soil, because they hate the grainy said, so they usually die off, but your method sounds wonderful as well.
i recently discovered mealies in a corner of my collection on two plants, i painstakingly scoured every centimeter of each plant removing them all by hand with q-tips and alcohol. then rinsed everything well, and sprayed everything with alcohol
My solution for bug problems is to place the afflicted plant in a closed container with a Vapona No Pest Strip for a few days. Depending on the size of the plant I may use a bucket that I stretch plastic wrap over the top or if it is a large plant I use a garbage bag or pail. The reason I use a closed container is I don't relish the idea of breathing the fumes that the strip emits. It is supposed to be harmless to humans by why chance it. I also like the idea of having a real concentrated dose of the vapor around the plant. After the plant has been dosed I put the strip back in it's package and seal it well so as to preserve it for the net attack.
A lovely , well spoken intelligent woman, in tune with nature.
hey where can you get mosquitoes bites to buy
Thank you for another great video. If you plant garlic cloves around in various pots it will deter a lot of pests from the plants. Ladybugs/ladybirds are also great and will stay on the plant as long as aphids remain.
Do a video where you release lacewing larvae or predatory mites etc
Hi Summer. So my first experience with lacewing larvae was not the best (probably my fault). They came from California and most of them appeared dead upon arrival. I guess I should have chosen overnight shipping because it took a few days for them to get to Maine. We went around our house carefully placing the live larvae on plants that had had problems (with toothpicks, it took hours). While doing this, I noticed that one leaf on my Alocasia amazonica was COVERED with spider mites and webs. (I'm 62 and don't always see problems when watering, even when I use a magnifying glass). Anyway, this plant was doing so well, it had two new leaves (a total of 4 leaves) even though just a few months ago it only had 1. So this morning, I rinsed it off in the shower and sprayed the heck out of it with Neem oil. I am going to order more larvae but use overnight shipping this time to help manage the pests. I won't put them on the plant I'm treating with Neem of course. I've told 3 people about the lacewings and they all said the same thins, "So now you're going to have bugs all over your house?" Hehe, yep. Anything for my plants!
Aw, huge help, thanks. I've been spending a small fortune on nematodes, population reduced but not eradicated. (Fungus gnats) So happy to have another option to try. Best to you, Tish
Still using nematodes? I heard about those. Very curious about them. Did they wipe out all your knats in the end? I just imagine maybe there were too many knats for the nematodes to keep up with at first but they got there in the end?
You have a wonderful vibe and shiny light. I appreciate that you share with us your love for plants.
Thank God. A person I can learn something from.
I saw you on someone else's show and asked if you have any suggestions to a plant in an 18 wheeler driving across country.
Leaening. It's the best thing about the Internet, youtube especially. I'm very delighted by your question. Did she answer?
I don't care about the bugs all I know and see is you're so beautiful your smile just makes my day .
Thank you for taking the time to get the BIT product. I am a beginner and I have a lot of gnats and didn’t know how to get rid of them. Now I can address 🤗
i find if u hav gnats and mites, take the plant to the hose, lean the plant over 90 degrees, then carefully jet hose water off the under side of the leafs, use pressure to blast all the mites off, then do other plants if they have mites. continue to look for mites on all plants, if you discover 1 mite, blast with hose outside again. zero tollerance policy.
Why not build a wall instead)!(
Omg I am so happy I found this video! I am new to the plant world and have fungus gnats. I tried the ACV and dish soup trick. It kinda works but it leaves my plant room/study smelling awful! I order the mosquito bits before I even finished the video! Thank you!
Thank you so much for the info. I've always had gnats on my indoor plants at one point or another. Lately my go to solution is to leave them in a nice location outside. That's not really a solution though. I will definitely be trying your solution. Glad you were able to find the Mosquito Bits to show everyone.
wow! i have that mosquito bits for a tadpole pond from last summer. now, i am starting my summer plant starts on my back porch and thought i'd tried everything. i'm literally going to try that right now for those pesky little fungus gnats. - thanks so much / liked / subbed!
My fast solution for Fungus Gnats. I've tried all of the recommended solutions..yellow sticky paper/cups, Apple cider vinegar, wine, sand and even Mosquito bits. You have to infuse the Mosquito bits for a day or two and even that won't kill them instantly. Also you don't want your pets to ingest any bits or infused water. Sand on the top layer only had them coming out of the drain holes. These remedies just did not work fast enough so I had to learn about my enemy. What I learned is that their eggs are probably in your soil when you potted your indoor plant. They thrive and hatch when conditions are right- moist warm rich soil. Typical of house plants. They also breed and lay their eggs there. To combat them you need to break the cycle. What worked and worked FAST was just putting sweet tea(Arnold Palmer style even better)in shallow lids or caps around my plants. I happen to check on them about an hour or so later and was amazed at how many were drowned in the tea. I rinsed the lids and refilled. Checked back later and had caught a lot more. I'd say after about a half day the infestation was probably about 75% gone! Everything I needed was in my kitchen and refreshing!
They are after my lemon plant... thanks for the tips.
My giant milkweed bush is infested with spider mites for the second time this year. The first time I had to cut about 2 ft off of all the branches and stripped of the affected leaves. There were not that many leaves left so I was able to wipe them down individually with a piece of cloth dipped in water. The bush recovered beautifully and stayed that way for about a month. But once again, leaves are turning blotchy yellow, shrivel, and drop off. The humidity is off the roof in Houston, TX.
Nature is brilliant and people who use nature to balance their homes like keeping bad bugs to a minimum is also brilliant. Big warm hug
Late as hell on this, but for gnats we use something called Gnatrol WDG. It also contains BTI but is in a soluble powder form. Here we sell it in bulk at $40 a lb, but when you only need 1 tsp p/g and a follow up drench at half dose it’s pretty damn quick and effective. Well worth the price considering what they will do to your roots.
Lawrence Hancock this stuff is the only stuff I found that works! It’s amazing! I use a little bit every time I water my plant jungle indoors. What an awesome suggestion to others!
Great video! I've been going crazy trying to deal with fungus gnats.
Use an anti fungal spray like physan 20 and gnat traps. There's these double sided yellow sticky traps that work well in our greenhouse. Be careful though, they are super sticky.
I'm using 3% peroxide 1 part to 3 parts water on my soil-less microgreens for fungus gnats. It's working pretty well but I will definitely look at the mosquito bits.
tangobayus check out the yellow sticky paper gnat traps. They def work to catch adults.
Super helpful thank you!
Going to try the mosquito bits. Until now I used yellow sticky paper to fight gnats. And I've been cleaning off mealy bugs manually with a swap as a form of stress reliever haha
I never had Gnats until one day I bought a bag of Miracle Grow Orchid mix and I re potted nineteen Monstera babies every one of those pots have fungus and gnats I only used one third orchid potting soil and two thirds my regular mix but I am positive thats where they came from.
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the mosquito bits advice! Incredible remedy. After just one watering what a difference! And I had already tried insecticide (X), neem oil (X), sticky paper and a electric bug catcher (katchy).
I came here just to see if you would give the ratio for Mosquito Bits, but nothing. The container does not indicate the amount per gallon, but per square feet, and that's not a good measurement to calculate for indoor plants.
Thnx for the help I have a lot of plants but the careing part stresses me out don't want any sick plants luv them enjoy
would love to see those lace wings in action sounds so cool!
ITS SO EASY ANY EVERYONE COMPLICATES IT!!! All you need to do is spray rubbing alcohol on your plants and it will kill them and it will not hurt your plants (surprisingly it won’t try it because I do it and it kills all the bugs and the plants are just fine) On more delicate plants I have watered it down and I have also rinse them off or take them out of the sun for a day but I haven’t burnt a plant! (Just don’t be dumb about it. I.e. don’t submerge plants I’m rubbing alcohol all day...)
Would LOVE to see your insect collection!
Also, once the lace wings eat all the mealy bugs, will they still hang around? Is there something else you can put out for them to eat?
That comment is really sweet and thoughtful.
She say they mature and go away
Yeah she's gonna get more mealy bugs. 🤪
They eat your fruit 🤪
I know you said no insecticides, but Safer brand insecticidal soap says it's safe for organic gardening. I just spray it in the leaf folds, and tight corners of plants where mealies could be hiding. I don't however use it on edibles. As for gnats, I find just a top layer of sand keeps them in and out of the soil. But I'm definitely taking your advice on the beneficial insects! Do you provide a water source for them?
I like how you use the other insects as the cure.I spent over thirty hours trying to get rid of scale insects on my orange tree because it was sweating sap and the cure is to put it outside and let the ants have at it i even put a little sugar at the base of the pot to lure the ants to it .The Orange tree knew how to rid itself of scale but it was inside of my house where there was no ants sometimes the plants and trees will send you signals that they are in trouble.
What do you do with the lacewings after they are finished with the pests? Do you just let them complete their life cycle? How long do they live? Do they lay eggs. Then you get a new army of pest management? 🤔
Found mealy bugs for first time in my plant life...4 years or so. I did freak out. I have no bugs to eat them :) I doused with Dawn soap/water and alcohol....will recheck them tomorrow
Your channel is amazing in so many ways Summer! I love your passion for growing!🌸 Great information, we get mealy bugs and aphids here in Florida like crazy. I'm always treating the soil to my succulents outside.. I think it's awesome you don't use pesticides.. I want to try lady bugs for bug control because I heard they really eat a lot of the bad ones. I use organic Neem oil instead of harsh chemicals for bugs and fungus. I love your idea for taking care of pests with natural remedies. Thank you so much for sharing!!
I've popped sundews in the windows and the gnats seem lo love feeding themselves to the sticky sundew plants!
YAY First commenter!! I love how you don't use pesticides to get rid of bugs. Thank You Summer =)
Hi there, I just found your channel and think it's very helpful and informative. In regards to fungus gnats. I have used both mosquito bits and the dunks, followed the manufacturers instructions and not only did it not kill the gnats but killed some of my very sensitive indoor plants like a lot of my peperomias so I don't use that now and that was only after one application. I went and got a few carnivorous plants like Droseras (Sundews) and the gnats are very attracted to these wonderful little plants and are now under control and slowly dying off. I would definitely not use the stuff on my Cattleya orchids. But anyway love your channel and hello from Australia.
Soap, leftover booze,
(optional) and some water - has worked on white aphidey stuff on outdoor tropicals here applied by spray bottle. So, no bad chems.
Carnivorous plants help with gnats. Pings are especially good for catching them.
you are braver than this man (me) !! :D I’l definitely jump and run when seeing those bugs
Very helpful video .. starred watching your videos a few weeks ago and I find them all this far so informative and helpful. Your place is AMAZING .. thanks for sharing it all with us 😊
What do you do with the beneficial insects when the mealybugs are gone?
A little bit of insect warfare lol :) You'll have to show us your bug collection one day. Lacewings aka aphid lions (!) besides being ravenous are quite pretty too. Wouldn't mind them around at all. If I'm not able to order them, how would I get my hands on them? I have occasionally seen them out and about if not in my own yard; I may have to carry some sort of insect catching device with me! Thank you for another great vid xx
I so appreciate that you go the natural way! I lost a big beautiful prayer plant to mealy bugs. I kept taking them off with Q-Tips, but couldn’t get them in all the many nooks and crannies without completely destroying my plant. So would the Lacewings get into all those difficult to reach places? Thanks!
Just googled you up. Lol. Small flying tiny drives me crazy bugs that you can't see. Can't see till they get in my art projects ( in woodworking shop). Going to try to find your mosquito bits. Thank you.
Thank You SO much for suggesting Mosquito Bits! You made my day :)
Denise Jackson I tried them and it didn't work. I let the bits soak in distilled water for a couple hours then watered the plant with the water. It's been more than 48 hours and I still see gnats flying out of the soil. Any suggestions?
Aleli Hernandez dry the soil a bit then water but don't water to much and use normal hand soap water and water the plants I do the same and put flying sticky tapes on a hok stick, nearby the plants /soils you will see millions of them stack on to it good luck
@@aishabegum9192 I may have read wrong do you mix soapy water and mosquito bits and use it to water the plants?
Lynda I never used mosquitos bits , I only used normal hand soap water to spray and water the plant when I had black fly and sticky flys tapes near the plant, you can get them on eBay online thanks
Aleli Hernandez I use cinnamon for the gnats yes the kind we eat, sprinkle on the dirt they eat and take back to the colony. Keep me posted.
Hi, what is that lime green colored plant on bottom right? It looks amazing!
ivy is my favorite houseplant, but spider plants just love attacking every one i have, it’s rough
Your bugs are so awesome!!! I can’t do bugs, my husband has a stoma...
I was thinking of Breeding praying mantis..don’t think they would crawl or fly into his stoma....
You are so intelligent. I love you. Thanks for the information. I have never seen any bugs on my plants. They may be there but I have never seen them. I have seen bugs on plants thrown into the compost pile at my community garden. I Just joined the garden last summer but because many of the people there don't worry about using insecticides, I will not be growing there any longer. I don't usually grow edible plants but I want to start growing more exotic fruits. edible cactus varieties and dates. I may suggest to the garden members the use of beneficial insects. Can these be used outdoors or will they just leave the garden?
If they have food, as in aphids, mealy bugs, whatever they eat, they will stay. When they eat all of the bugs that they eat, they move on. If you provide nesting space, they might lay eggs. I am trying to use beneficial insects to deal with all of my problems in the outdoor garden.
@@griseldamoony7086 fungus gnats dont feed on other insects
@CFlorida girl beneficial insects eat other insects. Fungus gnats are awful creatures. I hate them. I don't know why you thought I was talking about fungus gnats though. I was answering the question regarding whether or not beneficial insects would stay in your garden asked by @Arthur's Garden Days
I use diluted neem oil, tea tree and peppermint castille soap, and little 70% Isopropyl alcohol.
indoor gnat hack: cup of apple cider vinegar with about 2 spoonfuls of cooking oil. they're attracted to the strong smell & get trapped in the layer of cooking oil
Tory Kazmierczak works for fruit flies too. ❤️
There is no need to apologize for not using pesticides. I have used them either and I don’t know anyone who does! They’re toxic!
I have to add that I think that my infestation came from my dragon tree plant that was absolutely infested and I found it yesterday and I ended up just cutting off all the stalks and putting them in garbage bags and then garbage bagging the huge plant and taking them all outside. It was devastating because that plant is over 30 years old and came from my grandma's funeral. But I just have this feeling that that's where all of my upstairs spider mites infestation have come from. I'm finding them on more plants than plants that don't have them now. And I'll have a ton of plants
I have had root mealybugs below ground on stapeliads (succulent milkweeds). Woolly apple aphid does that to apples outdoors too.
You are amazing! you just gave me the answer to my fungus gnats. Thank you.
So what happens to the lace wings once they’re adults? Do they just live in your house or will they find there way out, cause I’m not sure how I feel about them hanging out afterward but I do like the idea
Could you do a video demonstrating how to apply lacewings, please!
Thank you! I was excited to see this episode! I purchased Organic Gnatrol BTI, it is a powder that I add to the water before watering. I hope that is the correct BTI! I'll have to try Mosquito Bits when this supply runs low!
Yeah mosquito bits is also BTi. How did you get on with it? Success?
Thanks for the "Mosquiti Bits" -- those nasty annoying gnats are going down!
Omg your HAIR !!!! Love it 😍 loving the color the cut but the color !
I came down with bird
mites. I found that Orange Oil and Citrine Dr. Bronners soap worked.
Wash clothes ,spray wood floors, Put orange oil on Body. I used Oregano Oil on my feet(stings,,
anywhere else) but I was infested for years and got tree cut down and than with this routine
got them off my body.
same problem here, could you give some detailed advice such as brand of orange oil and how to mix or what proportion of orange oil and soap, etc as I have been suffering for years, Thanks in advance
Based on their own precautionary statement on the back of the container, right at the top, Mosquito Bits do not seem safe to humans at all. "Harmful if inhaled or absorbed through the skin. Avoid contact with skin, eyes or clothing. Avoid breathing dust. Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling and before eating, drinking, chewing gum, using tobacco or using the toilet. Remove and wash contaminated clothing before reuse." In no way does that sound like a product you could consume. I can not see how that is safe for growing food at all. I have gnats, and have tried so many remedies. I'm afraid to try this one.
Summer Rayne, I have a question regarding your way of controlling fungus gnats, with mosquito bits. You said you soak them in water and then water your plants with them, what is the ratio of bits to water and how long do you let them soak before watering. I’m trying to get rid of gnats now and I need some extra help! i love all your videos btw! Thank you!
Justin Did the find the answer to this question? I'm wondering this too. How did you get on with it one year later? Problem solved?
Oh would love to see your exotic insect collection!
Hi I was wondering how much Mosquito Bits do you add to water ,I put my rain water in a 1 gal container so how much should I put in a 1 gal container love all your videos thanks for your time . Rich
Oh green lace wings are so so pretty when adults, that was an amazing tip to how combat lil critters naturally :)
Dis not know about that product mosquito bits, hope we have it here in France, if we do I'll def try it :)
Thanks
We have had problems with mealy bugs before on our platycerium elephantotis and they don't tolerate bug spray as well as soon of our orchids do. I'm going to try the lacewings. Thanks for your video.
Thanks for this informative video. I miss New York. I love that you're in New York with this urban jungle in your home. Thanks for sharing. You rock😊👍❤.
Wow real bugs helping you to get rid of bugs on your plants awesome. I like to use the mosquito bits too. They work well. I also use water mixed with a bit of soap, apple cider vinegar and set it in an empty water bottle I cut inhalf next to the plants or inside the container if its big. You will see the next day they are drawn to the smell and inside the mixture. Thanks for sharing. ☆ ★ ♡ ♥ ¤ oo
Hello! I’d love a more detailed video on your insects. How do you ensure you won’t kill them when watering plants? Do they bite humans? Do you have to get them from a breeder? I love this idea so much, I like to keep a clean and natural home too.
Have you ever tried an essential oil defuser around your house plants? Lately I have had trouble with fungus gnats so I don’t water so much and then get spider mites because it’s dry. My lemon tree leaves are suffering. Recently I top dressed them with diatomaceous earth and wondered if it would be benificial to run a defuser with peppermint oil to deter aphids??? Any thoughts
I like this idea. I will try it because why not!?
I have also had gnats on my lemon seedlings recently and used traps and hydrogen peroxide. They worked right away. If you have a bigger infestation, the traps can take a few weeks to really catch them all.
Yay thanks!!! I just saw my first fungus gnat the other day & thought, "Oh no!"...but now I know what to use! :) I don't like chemicals either, though I'm a little creeped out by bugs :P I'm actually trying to get over my fear of insects but I'm not fully there yet lol. I will be ordering the BTI asap, but I'm a little confused about how to use it. You said you soak it in water....are there instructions on the packaging?
Amy how did it go with Mosquito bits? Did you find the best ratio of bits to water in the most effective way? How long to leave in the water before applying etc?
So helpful! Thank you, I love this approach and immediately ordered some Mosquito Bits.
Thanks for the tip on Mosquito Bits!
Thanks you Summer for your wisdom and inspiration
Hydrogen peroxide as suppose to alcohol for mealy bugs? Which one works better?
Walmart sells cheap "fly traps" that are really sticky plastic sheets that catch all kinds of pests!!! 4 traps per box..
so when the lacewings grow to an adult size do you now have a new problem of bugs flying around your house? same with the ladybugs, what happens when they eat all the mealybugs?
You're so beautiful! You remind me of a friend from the past in the 70's
Thank you! You also remind me of someone I went to school with in college in the 70's. Wonderful presentation!
How come I can grow Pathos in just water but if I over water a planted Pathos the leaves turn yellow and die?
Pls do a video on treatments foe fungus, black spot disease, rust, blight