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Year round i stay about 98% gnat free. My tip is ONLY bottom water and always keep the first 2in of soil dry. Apply diatomaceous earth to the top of the soil. DE only works with dry soil so avoid getting it damp.

My stress level went down considerably when I added nematodes. They are good for every insect that lives in the soil, & good for aerating soil. They got rid gnats & thrips for me. Used sticky traps for the adults

IM SO HAPPY FOR YOU ❤❤❤ I have also gotten rid of 99% of them alongside with you. You have been a great support during this difficult time 😅 thank you!! The nematodes + watering religiously with mosquito bits + not letting my soil be moist for long periods worked🎉

You're my favourite plant guru, thanks for such great videos! I always learn a lot and you're so easy to listen to as well, you make the boring problems less stressful! Really fun video thanks!

Getting rid of the gnats is great and all… but I started growing carnivorous plants and find the gnats make a fantastic food source for my sundews and pings. They’re like living versions of those yellow sticky traps ❤

Yes, I completely concur! Bring on the Nematodes. I used them when I had a big Gnat issue with sticky traps, they were gone pretty quickly and for months on end too. I’ve seen a few adults again (as new plants have snuck their way in) so time to order again.

I just want to tell you that I really enjoy your KZfaq page. I love your sense of humor and you have some really great tips. Thank you for sharing!

You literally described every experience I had. I'll keep this solution for future use if i have a break out again, but my current solution was mosquito bit tea and sand. I mix 3 Tablespoons of mosquito bits into 1 gallon of water, let it sit 24 hrs, and water. I covered all the top layer of soil for all my pots with sand as well which dries fast and deters the adults form laying eggs. After 2-3 months of doing this I now also have almost no fungus gnats. The ones I see are probably from outside, but with the sand in place they just can' thrive anymore.

Thank you Richard, for another informative and entertaining video 😄 Love your channel so much! ❤️

I love that you included how you plan to keep on top of everything moving forward. Terrific video I was laughing and commiserating at the same time 😫

I never had a gnat problem until I bought a high end indoor soil. It was full of wood chips and other "forest floor" type stuff. It does not drain well at all, thus providing a wonderful fungus gnat environment. Once I realized this I'm slowly repotting into a different soil, using apple cider vinegar to kill the gnats and hydrogen peroxide in the soil. If this doesn't do it in my home I'll definitely get worms (lol). Thanks Mr S!

Lol I just found your you tube channel and subscribed. I have plants all over my livingroom and decided i need more detailed info so i can stay on top of their care. Your info has been of great help to me especially root pruning and repotting dividing plants because they had grown out of control. They were taking over so i needed to divide into smaller plants and give some away once established in new pots. I been binge watching videos today while cutting and dividing my plants. Some of your videos i have seen are hilarious and entertaining and keep me interested. Thank you keep making videos and ill keep watching!! Fungus gnats has been a major issue for me I even smoked bombed my apartment with insecticide i was so frustrated. That didnt work. I started using gnatrol and that did the trick for me. They were gone after about 6 weeks. I never knew i could have used that humungous bag of Diatomaceous earth in storage. Could have saved boatloads of money. Thanks for the info.

I'm so happy for you! I used nematodes the first time last year and it was a game changer. I order nematodes every spring and bring them out to prepare for the season. Last year that was enough all year round but this year I needed to repot a lot and got new plants, so I'll be ordering another batch. I had the same grief as you before - nothing else worked and sometimes my plants were suffering because of the treatment. Or I was suffering because come on - Neem oil reeks and it's disgusting. I don't mind beneficial insects though, I am not freaked out by the thought of other insects in ny plants. I also regularly get predatory mites as a prevention and that worked really well. I have a lot of calatheas and alocasias and to this day never seen a spider mite anywhere. One does need to be brave though, because if you look really closely you can see the little critters on the leaves

My 16 year old saw fungus gnats crawling around on a succulent planting and he thought they were bugs I had specially trained to stay on the planter. 😂😂😂 I am talented but that is beyond my skill level. I let the soil dry out and put a sticky fly catcher by and they disappeared. It was so weird.

Funniest fungus gnat video ever! Mrs. Sheffield must be thoroughly entertained!

I simply used 1/2” 1.27cm of houseplant sand on top of the soil and bottom watered. I also used fly tape because I had it. Gone in about 2weeks. Love your channel❤

Awesome video! Great info learned lots thank you Mr Sheffield bless you & Mrs Sheffield

Tried ‘em loved ‘em. Saved my sanity and my plants!!!

Perfect timing for this video. I seem to have gnats flying all over the place and in every room. Will give the nematodes a try. Thanks for the timely information.

yay this is awesome very glad to hear it!

how did I miss this video when you first put it out ... thank you!!!

I've always wondered what those little flies were called! I've gone this whole time thinking my kitchen just needs a good cleaning! Thank you!

My gnat problem has been thankfully small so far, and the yellow sticky traps have worked fine. It’s nice to know there’s a better option in case it gets worse.

Excellent news, congrats on winning with the pests! Now it's time to test if this will help with the constant dread that are thrips for me.

I have had success with a 1 centimetre of dry sharp sand on top of the rooting medium and underwatering via saucers. Keeping damp areas in your house mould free along with your drains clean is also prerequisite as they will breed in any source of fungus/mould hence the name Fungus Gnat. Boiling water onto soda crystals into water traps under the sink/bath and then fitting the plugs disinfects the pipework removing surfaces of food for the gnats. Many seem to get confused between gnats and fruit flies, vinegar will attract the last but doesn't seen to work with gnats.

I had them 98 percent eliminated also and now I add DE to the bottom of my cover pot and that really helps. Make sure you allow your plants nursery pot is allowed to drain well and dry bottom before putting back in cover pot. I originally killed them doing this. Every time I watered at the sink it disturbed the flies and I kept my hands wet and slapped them. It worked very well. I also added systemic granules for the other pests

I'm glad they worked for you! I tried them and had no luck 😞 it's so stressful when they get out of control. Switching around 50% of my plant collection to pon has really helped, and I've put a layer of pon about an inch thick on the top of my other plants. I haven't seen a gnat for a few weeks now!

Sigh...🤦 I wish I would have found you last fall... The gnats became overwhelming and suggested remedies were not working, so I finally had to throw my beautiful plants away. I was sick to my stomach. I've been so fearful to take on any more plants since then. Today, my son rescued a few plants from the dumpster that someone else had thrown away, and it's sparking that desire to become a better Mama for these plants! You're an inspiration & I appreciate you sharing your knowledge! Thank you!

At one point, I had those yellow sticky things in every plant and hanging from strings in windows etc!! One thing I did try was to switch to bottom watering, which has reduced the amount of knats, but I will definitely try nematodes- thanks for this video! 😊

Thank you!!! I’ve started using the sticky traps, 😉, and bottom watering where I can, which has made a very big difference. However, they’re never really gone. I will absolutely try this!! I have some very large indoor plants that I can’t bottom water so yay, I’m excited!!

Thank you, as always a great video.. Am so happy for you. Thanks for all the great information.. I will remember it if I need it.

I found gnats in a large ming aralia and immediately did the hydrogen peroxide treatments to minimize the eggs and larvae. And at the same time took yellow sticky sheets and literally covered the entire soil surface of the plant (about 80-90% of the surface minus where the stems are). I then threw BITS dunk into my 8 gallon water source so every time I water any plants will have BITS in there. After about 2-3 weeks the yellow stickies on the pot is clear. I know is over kill but it worked I guess. Fingers crossed.

I used a combo of beneficial nematodes added to the soil, and Safer's insecticide plant care spray on the trunks, stems, and earth surface on my plants, and that's the only thing (along with the yellow sticky things) that seemed to work. Congrats on sorting your soil issues! I use soil meant for tropicals mixed with soil meant for cacti, and add in even more perlite to that to ensure good drainage.

Omgggggggg, This video is so on point, I love it!! You hit the nail on the head about EVERYTHING - from letting the plants almost die of thirst to all the different solutions and whacking of the face and head 😂 I, too, was creeped out by Nematodes, but now I'm going to tell my husband to get some. He'll love that since he already recommended them a while ago 🤣🤷🏾‍♀️🙄 THANK YOU. .

I tried all sorts of ways and settled with adding small stones on the top. The white decorative stones look neat and prevent the insects.

Congratulations!!!

I use beneficial mites twice a year to prevent thrips and spider mites. I absolutely love them! I'm in Canada and we cannot get Mosquito Bits here either - for anyone. Systemic pesticides are basically completely banned. I've been trying to find a local source for nematodes, so thank you very much for the tips!

3% peroxide spray worked for me. And not overwatering, and making sure the soil had sufficient drainage.

Thanks for this. I had a major problem with fungus gnats a while back and tried the same things you did. I only managed to get rid of them by completely replacing the soil which was a last-ditch attempt, really. The problem was, as you said, you had to add the treatments in water which made the soil wet and encouraged the gnats. It felt like an endless cycle. I used yellow sticky traps too. I bought large square ones then cut them into strips and stuck them to lolly sticks on both sides of the pot. It was cheaper than using one square for each pot.

Bravo...well done you!!!!!! I just bought some. Thank you 🤩

Your kitchen makes me so jealous. Those blue cabinets are to die for

First off - love your videos so much! Full of helpful information, tips (moisture meter + bottom-waterer for life over here!) not to mention entertaining. I'm also currently having success with a couple of rounds of nematodes, which is great because in the past they didn't work for me. The ones I got come as little white balls in a gauzy pouch and the instructions are to just put the pouch on the top of the soil and water it every day, allowing the nemes to be released. But I found this just exacerbated the problem since I had to add so much water to my plants. This year I'm cutting open the pouches, adding a tiny bit of water to the beads to make them nice and wet and then mixing them directly into the top layer of soil. Major improvement! Was also wondering, now that you've won your battle, if you have an update on the cinnamon trick? Seemed like it was working for you for a time...

Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉

Congratulations! I've managed to greatly reduce the flying fiends by bottom watering and using pine bark, but I've had my first thrips infestation. It's minor, but I've already decided to use beneficial bugs (I just love a good alliteration) for all the unwelcome critters that might want to set up shop in my plants. I've used neem oil and lukewarm showers, and they work, but they come at a cost to some of my more delicate plants, such as browning leaves and overwatering. I've already accepted that these pests can only be managed, not fully exterminated. That's how it works in nature too, isn't it? So that's what I'll do, use nature to fight nature.

This was so fun to watch; you really did look like a psycho in some of the plans 😂 I had a Ficus lyrata that came with fungus gnats. Sadly, it did not survive and I was too late to get a cutting or to repot into a proper medium. And yes, hydrogen peroxide could not save the plant. After that traumatic experience, I decided to mix my own potting medium for every single plant I get, and have been disinfecting the coco coir (even if it is from a reputable brand) by soaking it in boiling water (in a mesh bag) and then drying it in the oven in batches. After some additional air drying to make sure it is completely dry, I store it in airtight containers from Ikea (there is a 10 litre one available) with paper towels inserted to serve as a desiccator. You can check the paper towel a few days later and change it with a dry one if it feels moist, but one should not shut the container lid without being sure the coir is completely dry in the first place. All of this is rather tedious, but worth it in my opinion. The idea is to kill off anything unwanted and later introduce the beneficial microorganisms through select products. However, using the oven so much in summer is no fun, so get things ready when the weather is cool.😓

New subscriber and great job. I’m ordering mine today!!

Thanks for the info and helping others avoid spending loads of money on temporary or poor solutions. Just bought some nematodes and yellow sticky traps!!! Can't wait to see!!

I used to use premium potting mix instead of compost. I found that I had bigger and happier plants when I switched to using compost instead. Of course, this meant I developed a fungus gnat problem. But I use tanlin drops every time I water my plants and have the stickers in my pots. It took a month or so but that wiped out the gnat problem I had. I’m happy to keep using the tanlin whenever I water my plants. This seems to be the solution that means I can maximise plant growth with compost and not have hoards of gnats. I also found that my habit of having a thick layer of small pebbles on top of the soil of my cacti and succulents also stops gnats.

Mr. Sheffield, I sent away for these nematodes, and I gave my plants a big drink. After 4 days I put the sticky traps in the pots and I only have five fungus gnats out of 55 plants! I have tried everything, and it looks like this is going to be the cure! It was expensive but I will do this a couple of times a year now. Thank you so much!

Yes! Natural predators! 🐞Ladybugs are cuter and they do the job, too. I bought 300 on Amazon. Still have some in the fridge, but the gnats are gone. You have to release them onto your plants after the sun goes down. You only see them here & there after. So it’s not like they are flying around your house 😂 Though I spent the first night checking.

Glad you found a solution that works for you. I like nematodes for small hive beetles, which are a pest in my apiary. In my dry climate, I have to renew them occasionally, so you may have to with your pots, at least the drier ones. Plus, if they work too well you can run out of ‘food’ food for them. At least you didn’t have to resort to smuggling mosquito granules over the border under your hat or something!

I had a heinous infestation, the key is to continually treat the soil for months, I used tanlin and mosquito bits, if a plant is totally infested it has to go. I also used yellow traps and carnivorous plants, pings and sundews, pings and sundews are better than sticky traps, they are gnat magnets. I’ve removed all sticky traps and just have carnivorous plants now, though I appear to have zero gnats I’m continuing to use additives into my watering routine. You need to continue treatment well past the point you deem the issue clear, the breeding in the soil is the issue!

Nematodes became some of my besties a few years back when gnats attacked my Peace Lily (after repotting/ those gnats came with the new soil!).

The GOAT of houseplant tending videos putting in work 🔥

When I use diatomaceous earth I mix it very thoroughly with a generous amount of perlite then top dress which keeps it drier, but also always try to bottom water so it doesn't get wet. I went from a heavy infestation (the flying ones I murdered with isopropyl alcohol when they landed on the windows) and I'm down to just the occasional one. I'll get some of the nematodes in tho too. It's so genuinely obvious how happy you are lol. Glad you got on top of it. Compost is great nutrition but it is slow to break down and the white fuzzy fungus tends to start to form very quickly which the gnats love to eat. The bottom watering usually means the fungus doesn't get to form as a big banquet on the surface which would mean a lot more gnats but yes they can still survive on what forms at the bottom access points of the pots. It's just the way of things. Living things begat living things.

Hey Richard yes my mate at one of my favourite nurseries put me on to nematodes. She recommended dosing all my plants around twice a year, once I'd got them under control. I've not needed to use them yet because I had been watering with neem meal tea for a couple of months and I think it did the trick. The trouble is, neem is very smelly (my family complained bitterly) so I will use the nematodes going forward😑

Never thought of using nematodes for indoor plants. I did use them in the lawn to control fleas. It helped there too.

I'm not sure what kind of gnats that I have, but I don't have plants. Maybe I can get a plant and do this plan. Great video.

I found an insecticide here in Czechia called Cimetrol. It has a pythroid insecticide, a growth disruptor, and a repellant. It worked so well, I got bored not seeing any gnats and trying to figure out how to destroy them.

This is awesome I believe the right soil is key I changed things up this year with fully drying out my soil and making my own mix worked like a charm no pest this year and hopefully years to come 🎉❤ if not I'm trying this

I've used them to get rid of these nasty web building, leaf roller wormy things on outside bushes. Worked great

I just bought 5 millions of nematodes too :-) Applied them a few days ago together with yellow sticky traps and other predators eating spidermites and thrips (mostly as preventative - I know they are hiding somewhere there). H2O2 helps to reduce them for a little while (I tried that too), but won´t really solve a major gnats problem. Let´s hope they don´t come back 🙂

I use aquarium grade bti and put a drop in my watering can! Works wonders! ❤❤❤ use to get mosquito bits but it never lasted long and we more of a hassle.

Never heard of them but will look into them now

I've used nematodes in my strawberry beds for snails and slugs. Works great. Never thought about it for gnats. I have had success with controlling them with apple cider vinegar but the key to this is to get it nearer the soil. I use little cappuccino cups with one drop of dish soap and cider and place that little cup on top of the soil. They are not gone, but severely reduced. I will try the nematodes though.

When I started my indoor plant addiction and I was using store bought potting mix,I had so many fungus knats,I would literally get up my nose,in coffee,soups,sit on my iPad screen in the night while I’m watching KZfaq. The only change I made was making chunky substrate and they disappeared about 6 months ago! And yes I did try lots of things to get rid of them! I don’t know what else it was that helped to irradiate them! 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

Good morning from Missouri! 😁👋🏾 This video gave me the itchies. 😅

I haven't had any gnats in years by simply adding a thin layer of small size aquarium gravel to the tops of my soils so the gnats can't burrow in and lay eggs in the first place. Maybe about a third or half inch of the gravel only.

I can also vouch for the power of the ‘todes. Total elimination achieved and like you I found they start working from day one.

yes! I love using bene bugs!! you should look into ones that help fight/prevent other pests like thrips, spider mites, etc. I'd LOVE to see a video covering them from you! Some bene bugs will eat each other so you have to make sure you get the right combo lol but they're so easy for pests compared to systemics keep up the awesome videos!!

Loved your video, thanks for being entertaining as well as encouraging and informative. I was ready to throw out all of my expensive collection of plants. I'd never had a problem before I replanted my plants with new soil >:( I will try your solution before giving up. Thanks again!

I've been battling these things for month! Our exterminator (on his third visit) said that in the five years he's been doing this, last year was bad but this year has been awful. I've literally shed tears. Tomorrow I am buying BOTH the nematodes and mosquito bit. Fingers crossed this is a preemptive thanks

Water from the bottom by using a saucer underneath and keep the top soil dry. You could also layer an inch of sand on top. Nematodes are very beneficial but I only use them in my garden.

Sounds interesting! I have fungus gnats which seem to come and go, so when they seem to go I develop a false sense of security until one tries to fly into my mouth. I do not care for this, so will definitely try the nematodes.

Omg i loved this video thank you. You understand the univeral pain lol

You can get them for outdoors too. Slug nematodes, vine weevils nematodes, ant ones etc. I’ll defo be getting slug ones for my veggie patch next growing season.

I'm happy the nematodes worked for you! Fungus gnats are so incredibly frustrating. I had a period of about 8 months where they were in every single one of my plants, and it was so frustrating. They got bad enough that they were just all over my apartment. They'd fly around my face while I was trying to work or relax, and it was embarrassing when I'd have guests over who would notice them. Nematodes, very unfortunately, didn't work for me. I ended up having to use a product known as "Systemic," which is just like a sort of pesticide that you water into the soil, and then the plants suck up the pesticide so that when bugs bite them, or chew the roots, they get poisoned and die. Not as organic as I would have liked, but it worked!

Thanks for the advice just ordered some nematoads as the sticky yellow traps ain't enough love the video funny

I made tea with the mosquito granules that they use for ornamental ponds and fountains. It’s safe for animals and people. I use the tea every time I water and it has been a godsend. I put the yellow stickies around for the adults and after a few weeks of ever diminishing numbers, I’m essentially gnat free. I also put diatomaceous earth in the container I keep my potting soil in after I found the little critters setting up light housekeeping in it. Edited to say I’m so sorry you can’t get them in the UK. They are certified safe for organic so I’m not sure why they aren’t. I’ve not tried nematodes but I know I’ll remember them.

I've tried all the tricks too & was close to trying those nematodes but just couldn't do it lol. I gradually switched all my plants into leca & haven't seen a gnat since, or anything else so far. It's a whole new learning process but well worth it imo.

Ooooohhh...I am so grossed out now. "Don't judge me" 😂 However... I could see this working. Beneficial bugs are always good ❤ As always, great content! 🎉🙌

LOL. Good video. Helpful.

BIG CONGRATULATIONS !!! , Is all still going well ?

You are so fun to watch.

I have gotten the fungus gnats for the first time. They came out of a bag of indoor plant soil... I sure never expected that!! Anyway I watered with the hydrogen peroxide water and then yesterday afternoon I put out those yellow sticky papers. Today I see almost no gnats!

EPIC achievement!🎉

That's wonderful! Now how do you make sure they don't come back into your house? Are these coming in with produce, or something?

As I was watching this video a fungus gnat appered on my shirt.Ever since then I have started a full on war on them.

Awesome!!!

I've had an ongoing battle for the last six months trying to get rid of fungus gnats.I tried everything you listed in your video, but they just took it as a challenge. I used so much hydrogen peroxide I'm sure I've been flagged up somewhere, but ..nothing worked. Then I tried your beneficial nematoids, and (fingers crossed) they seem to be working. I've combined them with a layer of fine steel wool laid on the top of the pots, and a good layer of grit on top of that, and I've only caught three gnats on the sticky traps in the last fortnight. Thank you so much! I was at my wits end so this is such a relief.

3 good soil wettings of an off-the-shelf neem oil spray worked for me (over a span of 2 weeks). Went from pretty bad infestation to nothing in about 2 weeks. People complain about the smell but it doesn't even last for a full day.

🤣 This winter my gnats feel like they are trying to pick me up and throw me out of my bed. They love light and when I am working on my computer at night, boy oh boy! My poor computer is suffering because of these horrible things.

I have tried the yellow sticky route, was always getting them stuck on my hands, arms etc. I had human grade DE but hated how it looks. Then I saw a YT video on top dressing the pots. You could use fir bark or calcined clay. I purchased 1/8 inch clay which is used on Bonsai. The knats cannot get into the soil to lay their eggs so no more new ones. And i like the way the clay gets darker when you water. I had to order more to top dress the rest of my plants.

I have fongus knats as well but I also have like 6 pitcher plants in my collection so they mostly hover over those and then eventually fall in.

Could not wait to see this because whereas I have mine under control they are not gone.

In my area, we can only buy nematodes in the spring because they can’t be shipped in the winter. It looks like the nematode you used were freeze dried and “revived”. Is this the case? Another thing I found useful in the gnat war is to cover the bottom drain holes with a bit of sheer polyester material (used for sheer curtains etc.) when potting up a plant, water goes through it easily and it is too fine for the fungus gnats to get to the soil. *Note natural fibre doesn’t work Thank you for putting out such lighthearted and helpful content.

fungus gnats are the aerobic trainers of the plant world (omg the pot lids ... i just can't) 😆

Your video really helped me to understand what these Nematods are and how to use them. I finally ordered them, and they should arrive today! I have one question for you. I want to use them in my flower boxes, since that's where I had whole "herds" of them. Does fertalizer harm these Nematodes or can I continue to try to help my flowers grow while working on these fungus gnats?

Ive had some pretty good success with adding a 1 cm layer of sand on top of the soil in my pots. The adults dont seem to be able to dig through it. I will keep nematodes in mind if i ever have the problem again though.