Collection: Control fungus fly
What is the sciarid fly?
The sciarid fly is often called the fungus gnat, and is a common gnat that goes after houseplants, especially in rooms with high humidity levels. They are attracted by moisture, decomposing organic matter, and high temperatures. The larvae are white, legless, and look like tiny worms.
What damage does sciarid fly cause?
Sciarid fly attacks different types of plant. Damage includes sudden wilting, poor growth, and yellowing. If you have a severe infestation, there is a risk that you will lose a large part of the plant. Stronger, older plants often recover from the damage, unless there is a high level of infestation. In addition, these gnats carry viruses and fungus that can compromise plants.
The lifecycle of sciarid fly
A sciarid fly starts as an egg, which hatches a larva after two to three days. Depending on the temperature, the larva takes two to five weeks to develop into a pupa, after which an adult sciarid fly will emerge after three to four days. The adult gnat lives for around one week, during which time it will lay hundreds of new eggs.
Managing the sciarid fly with nematodes
The most effective way to tackle the sciarid fly is to manage the larvae, which can be found in the soil close to the roots of plants. Nematodes are effective against the larvae and go after only the larvae – not the eggs, pupae, or mature gnats. Therefore, we always recommend a repeat treatment with nematodes, one week after the first treatment.
To capture mature gnats, you can also use yellow sticky traps. In order to tackle a stubborn infestation of sciarid fly, it’s a good idea to repeat treatment with nematodes after two to three weeks. The second treatment will take care of all larvae that were pupae, gnats, or eggs during the first treatment, and so were not attacked by the nematodes.
The larvae of sciarid fly love humid environments, so to prevent future infestations, it can be useful to make sure that the soil around the plants is not too moist.
What sort of nematode should I opt for?
We generally recommend Steinernema feltiae. The soil temperate is an average of daytime and night-time temperatures. Our smallest package contains 2,5 million nematodes, which is enough to cover up to 5 plants in pots with a diameter of 40 cm. To manage an infestation of sciarid fly in a limited number of houseplants, we also recommend mixing the sachet of nematodes with the quantity of water than you normally give to the plants. This prevents the plants from taking in too much water and ensures good use of the nematodes. For more than 25 plants, you should opt for nematodes for more than 20 m2
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