Tiny Black Flies in Your Houseplants? Meet the Fungus Gnat.

You're sitting on the couch, and a tiny black speck flies right up your nose. You wave it away. Five minutes later, another one. You think they're fruit flies, so you set out a vinegar trap.

Nothing happens. They ignore it.

That's because they aren't fruit flies. They are Fungus Gnats, and they are living in your potted plants. I see this constantly in homes that love indoor greenery. You are literally loving your plants to death.

You Are Overwatering

Fungus gnats lay their eggs in the top inch of moist soil. If you keep your soil damp 24/7, you are running a gnat farm. The larvae hatch and feed on the fungus in the soil (and sometimes the roots of your plants, which causes yellowing leaves).

The fix is stupidly simple: Stop watering.

Let the soil dry out completely. I mean bone dry. The larvae can't survive without moisture. Your pothos plant will handle the drought just fine, but the gnats will die off.

The "Mosquito Bit" Tea

If drying them out isn't fast enough for you (or you have a plant that needs water), go buy a product called "Mosquito Bits." It contains BTI—a bacteria that kills fly larvae.

Don't just sprinkle it on top. Soak the bits in your watering can for 20 minutes to make a "tea," then water your plants with it. It kills the larvae on contact.

For the adults flying around your face? Those yellow sticky cards you see on Amazon actually work. Stick one in every pot. It won't solve the root issue, but it stops the annoying adults from flying up your nose while you wait for the BTI to work.