Looks like fungus gnats

@finitebanjo@feddit.online

Could be fungus gnats though our occasionals seem smaller than what's photographed.

What's worked for us for long term control of soil born pests is a combination of bottom watering and a layer of coarse sand for mulch for our indoor plants. Playground sand is too fine and can prevent proper gas exchange in the substrate but builder's sand works well. It's probably less expensive to call a landscape supply place near you and fill a bucket than to buy it in a box store unless you have enough indoor plants to use 50lbs/22.7kg. We use a large clay tray pot for the bottom watering and then everybody goes back to their own tray after a drink.

Fungus gnats in particular lay in wet soil, and not very deep. A few mm of sand keeps them from finding any hospitable place to lay their eggs. The bottom watering helps prevent any disturbance of the sand mulch which might reveal wet soil.

Repeating fungus gnats as the answer. I use a few strategies to manage them:

• yellow "sticky strips" (can be purchased at garden stores and Amazon) that you stick into the pot. They're ugly, but the flies love them.
• dish soap bath for plants that can handle it (the blue Dawn extra strong soap is best).
• bottom watering, or letting the top of the soil dry out between waterings

Humid environments require lighter watering. You might want to get a soil moisture detector so you can see how moist your soil really is and determine if you need to water.

I work at a plant nursery and we always tell people to mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide 10 parts water, then water the plant as normal with the solution. It kills the fungus and the gnats will starve to death.

fungal gnats

Try watering your plants with a small amount of dish soap or vinegar. They're likely propagating off of your plants but they could also be coming from some other mold such as expired fruit or rotten wood.

The other replies have it covered but to add a few things:

1. I agree with mosquito dunks but also get some of those sticky traps. The dunks kill the eggs, the traps get the adults. You'll get faster results using both

2. They don't feed on or harm the plant. They're just extremely annoying and multiply like crazy

I don't have a good solution, but sundews seem to catch a shit ton of them

I used mosquito bits previously but have recently found a liquid source of BTI that is much more convenient since I don't need to wait for the bits to soak.

I find bottom watering an impossible thing with the amount and size of plants I have so just adding the BTI during normal watering a few times past when you think you got them all, along with the sticky traps, should do the trick.

If you replant or add more soil I recommend starting another round of BTI right away for several waterings to prevent them from occuring again, since they seem to be prevalent in potting soil mixes.

The only solution.

https://www.bugasalt.com/

I know others have made suggestions, but I would also have a cup of apple cider vinegar with a couple drops of dish soap to break the water tension sitting off to the side near the plants. The adult fungus gnats will go into that solution and drown. It works pretty well!

Neem oil spray and watering could help. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neem_oil

They look like boogs, they like plants and stoof. Get yourself a big o’l spider, they love eating boogs —totally not spider