Symptoms
You should be alert if the following symptoms occur:
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Characteristics on the plant
- Crippled stature
- Cuttings and seedlings die.
- Dried leaves (easily mistaken for lack of water)
- Numerous little animals buzz around the plant.
- Large accumulations on the Potting soil
- Eroded plant stems
Properties of the fungus gnat
- Dark body
- Dark wings
- Slim body
- 2 to 7 cm long
- The trunk protrudes over the head of the animal
- Rarely flies (lurching flight)
- Long legs
- Avoid increased occurrence in heat and high humidity cold
Direct and indirect damage
When it comes to the damage caused by the fungus gnat, biologists differentiate between two types:
- The direct damage
- The indirect damage
The direct damage
The direct damage caused by the fungus gnat mostly affects younger, weakened specimens or cuttings. It occurs when the larvae of the fungus gnat nibble on the roots and extract the sap from the plant. The symptoms mentioned above are typical.
The indirect damage
The indirect damage is always a consequence of the direct damage. If the fungus gnats have weakened the plant as a result of the infestation, it also becomes susceptible to fungal infections. Sometimes the pests also act as a more direct one Carrier a secondary illness.
Plants particularly endangered
Sciarid gnats settle mainly on cuttings and young plants, while older, robust plants are spared. The pests make no distinction between useful and ornamental plants. Basically any kind of plant can get infected by a fungus gnat. However, the animals are particularly common in the following varieties:
- orchid
- fern
- geranium
- potato
- Red clover
- wheat
- parsley
- Cactus
- dill
