Simply bake your own remedy against a fungus gnat infestation. As always, baking powder is a must. The effective home remedy is also very likely to be successful when it comes to pest control. On this page you will find out everything you need to know about the application.
How does baking soda work against fungus gnats as a home remedy?
Baking soda helps control fungus gnats by killing the larvae and preventing the females from laying more eggs in the potting soil. Simply sprinkle some baking soda on the affected soil, spray with water and isolate the plant.
How does baking soda work against fungus gnats?
Many people consider adult fungus gnats to be the biggest problem. Although the adult animals are very annoying, they do not pose any danger to the plant. On the one hand, they have a very short lifespan at this stage, and on the other hand, they show no interest in feeding on plant components.
The behavior is completely different it is with the larvae of the fungus gnat. These usually reside in the plant's substrate and cause great damage. Female fungus gnats lay their eggs specifically in the potting soil so that the hatching brood can later feed on the sugary plant sap. The larvae deprive the plant of its reserves of energy for growth.
By covering the substrate with baking soda, you prevent the females from laying more eggs. On the other hand, the larvae ingest the home remedy. However, they don't get the ingredients, so they die after a short time from the baking powder. If you want to take more gentle action against the fungus gnat, it is best to use bird sand or coffee grounds instead of baking powder. This only prevents the pests from spreading further.
Baking powder as a home remedy
Advantages
- Baking powder is usually available in the household.
- Plant is not damaged
- very inexpensive application
- targeted control of the main problem, namely the larvae in the potting soil
- long-term effect
Disadvantages
- only takes effect after some time
- Application will most likely need to be repeated
- They kill the larvae when used (other home remedies only drive the animals away).
Procedure
- Add some baking soda to the potting soil of the affected plant.
- Isolate the plant from the rest of your plants.
- Spray water atomizer onto the substrate.
- Observe the fungus gnat infestation.
- If there is no improvement after a few days, repeat the application.
- Do not return the plant to its old location until you are sure that there are no longer any fungus gnats on the leaves.
