If small flies appear in the apartment, it is important to act quickly, because no matter what kind it is they multiply very quickly and often become a real one Plague. Most of them are fruit flies, also known as fruit or vinegar flies, or fungus gnats. While fruit flies can mainly be found in the fruit lying outside, fungus gnats like to settle on potting soil and buzz around flower pots. Both types of pests have a different way of life and are also combated using different methods.
Fruit flies
Fruit or fruit flies occur mainly in the summer and autumn months and mostly in the kitchen or around fruit bowls. The insects, which are only 2 to 4 mm in size, like open beverage bottles, rubbish, of course fruit, especially ripe foods and leftover food. After they have multiplied, they buzz around the apartment, always looking for food.
The little flies come into the house in various ways, through the open window, through shopping, mainly fruit. The females lay their eggs, up to 400 pieces, preferably on fruit. The small larvae feed on the pulp. Because they are so tiny, we humans usually overlook them and eat them with us. At ideal temperatures, around 25 ° C, the larvae hatch after just 24 hours. After only 9 more days, the fruit fly is fully developed. So you can imagine why a few fruit flies can become whole hordes within a few days.
Fight fruit flies
There are different ways to get rid of the fruit flies. It is important to start fighting in good time before they can multiply.
- Yellow boards or yellow stickers - the flies are attracted to the bright yellow plugs, sit on them and stick to the sticky surface. You can't get away. The glue traps are effective and non-toxic.
- Carnivorous plants - feed on small insects but cannot cope with masses of them
- Funnel traps - consist of an attractant and a trap in the shape of a funnel that makes escape almost impossible. It is effective, but far too expensive for a purchase price of around 10 euros.
- Instead, set up a bowl with 3 parts fruit juice, 1 part vinegar, 2 parts water and a drop of washing-up liquid. Place them where most of the flies occur, i.e. usually next to the fruit basket. The fruit flies are attracted and land on the liquid. The detergent ensures that the surface tension does not carry the insects. They fall into the liquid and drown.
- Instead of juice, sugar can also be used, again water and washing-up liquid. You don't have to spend 10 euros on it. It is important, however, that all food alternatives are cleared away. Nothing else is allowed to stand around that is of interest to the flies.
- Sparkling wine also has this effect. Simply fill a large sip in a bowl and set it up. Wine works the same, red wine works better than white wine. Don't forget the dishwashing detergent!
- Suck away with the vacuum cleaner. This is particularly helpful in the case of a massive infestation. You don't get all of them, but they are reduced considerably. Small hand-held vacuum cleaners are also inexpensive.
- Fruit fly destroyer for the socket. The flies are attracted with a special UV lamp and destroyed by an integrated high-voltage grid. One plug is enough for a room of around 20m².
Prevent fruit flies
You can do all sorts of things to prevent fruit flies. The introduction of pests, mostly with fruit, cannot be prevented. However, there are few problems if the insects cannot find food. Therefore, fruit should be stored in the refrigerator in summer and autumn if possible. In addition, the garbage has to be emptied or be closed with a lid. If there is no space in the refrigerator, you should cover the fruit just to prevent the eggs from being laid on it. Cleanliness is important. Leftover food, dirty plates standing around, fallen food, all of this is ideal for fruit flies. They can be limited quite well by cleanliness. Beverage bottles should never be left open. Water may not be dangerous, but it is the power of habit.
Sciarid gnats
If the little flies are not after fruit and sweet drinks, but mainly around flowerpots and on the ground, then it is likely to be fungus gnats. At first glance, they look like small flies, but they are fungus gnats, also known as fungus gnats. These little pests lay their eggs in potting soil and the larvae can damage the roots. As a rule, the parent animals are perceived as disturbing, as they are buzzing around everywhere.
But they are pretty easy to fight. It becomes a little more difficult with the larvae in the soil.Sciarid gnats are similar to fruit flies. The best way to tell them apart is under a microscope. The larvae show clear differences. The fungus gnats are much larger, visible to the naked eye, up to 5 mm long, maggot-shaped, whitish in color with a black head. Some plants that are weak, do not develop and grow well, have larvae in the soil. It can be worth taking a look.
Fighting fungus gnats
In the case of sciarid gnats, a clear distinction must be made as to whether they are adults or larvae. They are fought differently. Not all remedies help consistently well, sometimes it makes sense to try different ones.
Adult fungus gnats
- Yellow stickers or Yellow panels - these are put directly into the potting soil. The bright yellow color attracts the insects, they settle and stick. The glue traps are non-toxic and effective. In the event of severe infestation, the stickers must be replaced regularly so that there is always enough space on them. In addition, they have to remain standing for weeks so that future generations are also eliminated.
- Vacuum - simply suck away the floating insects with the vacuum cleaner. This method is effective even if not all pests are caught.
- Fly swatter - you can kill the mosquitoes as soon as they sit down, preferably at the window or next to the planters
Sciarid fly larvae
The larvae can be combated in various ways, from simple household remedies to roundworms, bacteria and predatory mites to chemical agents. Sometimes you have to experiment a little before you find a good solution.
- Stick the matches upside down in the potting soil. The sulfur in the ignition head kills the larvae in the soil. However, the matches have to be replaced after a few days. It is also helpful to keep the soil drier.
- A layer of sand about 1 cm thick on the potting soil prevents the female mosquitoes from laying their eggs. This must be equally strong. Keep the soil drier underneath
- Only water the plants from below, i.e. over the saucer or the planter. Not all plants like this, but you should try it. This keeps the surface in the container drier. Put sand on top and the situation will improve.
- Pour a mixture of lukewarm water, baking powder, a little oil and a little salt directly onto the potting soil.
- Seal potting soil for 4 to 5 weeks. It is best to put the entire flower pot in a perl stocking and close it at the top or tightly around the trunk. The water drainage holes also need to be. So no flies come to the earth to lay eggs and no newly hatched larvae come out of the earth. The cycle cannot continue and no subsequent generations can come together.
- Parasitic nematodes - small roundworms that are added to the irrigation water and then attack the maggots in the flower pot and cause them to die. Nematodes are absolutely harmless to humans and pets. You can order them on the Internet or at the DIY store and garden center. After watering, it will take 2 to 3 weeks for them to do their job. Steinernema feltiae are best suited. If the infestation is severe, the treatment should be repeated after about 4 weeks. The substrate must not dry out during the entire treatment time.
- Bacteria - especially Bacillus thuringiensis var. israelensis (BTI), also kill the larvae. They are also introduced into the ground via the irrigation water. The bacteria form permanent spores with protein crystals, which are poisonous for the pests. Like nematodes, bacteria can also be obtained commercially.
- Predatory mites - feed on the larvae of the fungus gnat. Hypoaspis miles are particularly useful for use in greenhouses and closed conservatories. They live in the upper soil layers and hunt the larvae there. They only stop when there are no more. After a while, the mites also die.
- Chemical agents should only be used in an emergency. Usually they are not necessary. There is a wide variety of insecticides on the market. You have to get advice. Funds are withdrawn from the market every year. new ones are added.
- Agents that are used against mosquitoes in garden ponds or other stagnant bodies of water are also helpful. You add these to the watering water and so they are simply killed. There are also quite harmless products with no harmful ingredients, at least for humans and pets.
Preventing fungus gnats
Prevention is not easy because the mosquitoes get inside through open windows and the larvae are also in containers that have been outside over the summer. They are also easy to bring in. Sciarid gnat eggs are often found in fresh growing media. In this particular case it makes no difference whether you buy cheap or expensive soil. Even in organic soil, the eggs are, which is because the different types of fungus gnats are quite useful. This is why they are particularly common in organic farms.
The best way to prevent this is to avoid keeping indoor plants too moist. Sciarid gnats don't like dry soil. If the top layer of soil is nice and dry, the mosquitoes will not settle. Therefore, a good layer of sand on the earth is a good basis. Quartz sand is particularly suitable. Bird sand, on the other hand, should not be used.
Planters with an irrigation system have proven to be beneficial. Once grown in, the plants draw the required water from the reservoir from below, the upper layer of soil hardly ever comes into contact with water and remains nice and dry. Sand from above can also help so the mosquitoes don't stand a chance.
It is also helpful to treat new potting soil with heat in the microwave or in the stove. Insect eggs are killed in the process. Depending on the amount and wattage of the microwave, the earth should be heated for 2 to 5 minutes. In the oven, the earth is spread out on a tray and heated at 100 degrees for about 1 half hour. Larvae are killed, regardless of the species. Hydroponics is also extremely cheap. There is no longer any earth.
The mini flies are really uncomfortable. Regardless of whether it's a fruit fly or a fungus gnat, the insects are annoying, especially when they have multiplied strongly and appear in large numbers. The vacuum cleaner is a good solution to contain them in terms of quantity. Then the causes have to be checked. In the case of fruit flies, all fruit must be removed, as well as leftover food and open garbage. You are not allowed to find anything edible. In the case of fungus gnats, the damp soil needs to be reduced, with less irrigation water and a layer of sand. These measures help well. If there are leftovers, a trap with a self-made sweet cocktail with washing-up liquid will help with the fruit flies. It attracts them and kills them by drowning. Yellow panels also reduce the nuisance. In the case of fungus gnats, there are also a variety of simple ways to get rid of the insects. You just have to stay tuned.
