posted
Hi. I have a few dozen violets and various other plants in my apartment. This year I am having problems with little bugs which fly around and seem to live in the dirt, mostly in the violets. They don't seem to be bothering the plants, but they are DRIVING ME CRAZY! They fly around our heads when we sit at the computer and my kitty tries to attack them, thus knocking over violets...not nice. Anyone have any tips on how to get rid of these little flying bugs...they are really small, like fruit flies. Thanks in advance. Plants: 71 | From: germany | Registered: Feb 2003
| Seeded: 217.83.13.93
Jiffymouse
guest
posted
Hi Muskrat, haven't seen you on in ages. Welcome back. About your fly problem. There was some discussion about flies breeding in the soil of house plants and if I remember correctly the answer was to cover the top of all your houseplants with aquarium gravel. the flies could not lay the eggs in the gravel so therefore died off. If you do a forum search, I am sure you will see the topics and discussions.
Seeded: 12.94.114.83
posted
Thanks for that tip...I will give it a try...and keep looking for tips. Not many folks talk about how to get rid of the little buggers....because they don't harm the plants.
So far my new kitty has only knocked over 2 or3 violets. She hasn't chomped on any of my plants yet...I was terrified for my bonsai, but she can't jump that high yet...and seems to be leaving the others alone. Phew. As she gets older she will jump more smoothly and gracefully, I hope.
I changed the soil of my violets and scrubbed the pots and that worked for me.
Good luck, Newt
* * * * When weeding, the best way to make sure you are removing a weed and not a valuable plant is to pull on it. If it comes out of the ground easily, it is a valuable plant. Plants: 271 | From: Maryland zone 7 | Registered: Sep 2002
| Seeded: 200.37.164.34
posted
I am still having the bug problem. I at least took the violets out of the bedroom, so we don't have to fight the flies at night. They are all on the kitchen table though. All 18 of them. I found that there are little larvae cases hanging out of the bottoms of some of the pots. I have sprayed soap (Gall Seife...Gall Soap ... recommended by German housewives) on, under and around the plants. But they still persist. I am reluctant to repot them all because I just did that a few months ago when there was a little wormy type bug that was wreaking havoc on half of my, then 25, violets. THAT WAS A HUGE PROJECT! PLUS... I am concerned that every time I buy soil here that it has some kind of infestation or another. Is that possible or am I just being batty?
When I have used soil or sand which I have harvested from the great outdoors I have cooked it in the oven to kill any extra buggers...but when I buy potting soil I don't expect that I have to do that.
Oh, to answer another question.. it is really the end of fall right now here in Southern Germany. The colors of the trees were not as brilliant as I had hoped for. I had made a trip to Chicago in the second week of October...the colors were changing right before my eyes...and the weather was GORGEOUS! I think nature is hunkering down for winter now. Me too for that matter!
I just saw your post about the Kitty Group! Too fun! Perhaps we do need a garden and my cat area for Catlover, Muskrat and myself. I only grow african violets indoors, as Ms. Monroe tries to eat any other type of plant!
jc2weho
* * * * Plants: 409 | From: Los Angeles - Hollywood Hills | Registered: Oct 2003
| Seeded: 63.205.47.93
posted
Muskrat I had the same problem for awhile. Those nasty little gnats are a pain! I have cats as well and what I used is very poisonous to cats but I did it outside and then later brought them back in. And I don't know how African Violets would react to this stuff. I used Diazinon granules and sprinkled them on top of the soil....scraped it in within the top 1/2-1 inch of soil....then sprinkled with water to activate. Had to repeat 3 or 4 times over several weeks but it sure did the trick. The key is to keep the soil dry enough on the top but yet enough water for your plant....I know nothing about African Violets or their care. Then I placed a layer of pea size rock on the top. Finally got rid of those little suckers. Remember it is poisonous to animals. There was no way I was going to remove, repot,etc. It was a do or die solution.
Now Will Creed will totally disagree with me.(sorry Will) We had a lot of postings on fungus gnats but don't know if they went history when the site went down for awhile. But this is what worked for ME!!!!
* * * * Plants: 7129 | From: California | Registered: Mar 2003
| Seeded: 68.66.244.5
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haven't seen you on in ages. Welcome back. About your fly problem. There was some discussion about flies breeding in the soil of house plants and if I remember correctly the answer was to cover the top of all your houseplants with aquarium gravel. the flies could not lay the eggs in the gravel so therefore died off. If you do a forum search, I am sure you will see the topics and discussions.
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