Comments on: Insects The Uninvited Houseplant Guests http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/insects-the-uninvited-houseplant-guests the official Flower Shop Network blog Thu, 08 Jan 2009 08:55:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Kami http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/insects-the-uninvited-houseplant-guests#comment-6521 Kami Tue, 10 Jun 2008 18:03:39 +0000 http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/insects-the-uninvited-houseplant-guests#comment-6521 Thanks! I think they are fungus gnats from the photo! I'll follow your advice and get the Bonide product. Thanks for your help! Thanks!
I think they are fungus gnats from the photo! I’ll follow your advice and get the Bonide product.

Thanks for your help!

]]> By: Jamie Jamison Adams http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/insects-the-uninvited-houseplant-guests#comment-6514 Jamie Jamison Adams Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:01:49 +0000 http://www.flowershopnetwork.com/blog/insects-the-uninvited-houseplant-guests#comment-6514 Kami, There are many insects that can attack houseplants. Spider mites, fungus gnats, aphids, thrips, scale, I attached photos from the <a href="http://mrec.ifas.ufl.edu/lso/fungusgnats.htm" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Insect & Arthropod Pest & Identification handout for Southern Greenhouse Conferenes from 200 to 2004 edited by Ronald Oetting UGA/CAES/Griffin Campus</a>. See photos above. I think you have fungus gnats which is shown in the first photo. These occur when humidity is high and soil is overly moist. In the greenhouse we moderate watering and aerate the soil occasionally with a light scraping using a plastic fork to prevent them. Once you get an infestation you will most likely need an insecticide to kill them. Does your insect look anything like the photos? If it looks like any one of the photos above the process is the same. Use an insecticide to kill them. As to the cause, any time you open a window or a door there is the potential for infestation. These insects occur naturally and survive on the weeds and plants in your yard until a lovely houseplant comes their way. Keeping your plants properly watered will help. Other than that a watchful eye is the best defense. Fertilome makes a product called White Fly & Mealy Bug Killer which is a liquid that you can spray on your plants to kill white flies, mealybugs, aphids and spider mites. I'm not sure how effective it is for fungus gnats. Bonide makes a granular systemic insecticide called Systemic Houseplant Insect Control. It kills fungus gnats, mealybugs, whiteflies, thrips, aphids etc. Because it is systemic the plant absorbs the chemicals and the protection can last up to eight weeks. <p><a href="/blog/wp-content/uploads/c-6514/spidermite.jpg"><img style="padding: 0" src="/blog/wp-content/themes/icon_attachment.gif">Attached Image: spidermite.jpg</a></p> Kami,

There are many insects that can attack houseplants. Spider mites, fungus gnats, aphids, thrips, scale,

I attached photos from the Insect & Arthropod Pest & Identification handout for Southern Greenhouse Conferenes from 200 to 2004 edited by Ronald Oetting UGA/CAES/Griffin Campus. See photos above.

I think you have fungus gnats which is shown in the first photo. These occur when humidity is high and soil is overly moist. In the greenhouse we moderate watering and aerate the soil occasionally with a light scraping using a plastic fork to prevent them. Once you get an infestation you will most likely need an insecticide to kill them.

Does your insect look anything like the photos? If it looks like any one of the photos above the process is the same. Use an insecticide to kill them. As to the cause, any time you open a window or a door there is the potential for infestation. These insects occur naturally and survive on the weeds and plants in your yard until a lovely houseplant comes their way. Keeping your plants properly watered will help. Other than that a watchful eye is the best defense.

Fertilome makes a product called White Fly & Mealy Bug Killer which is a liquid that you can spray on your plants to kill white flies, mealybugs, aphids and spider mites. I’m not sure how effective it is for fungus gnats. Bonide makes a granular systemic insecticide called Systemic Houseplant Insect Control. It kills fungus gnats, mealybugs, whiteflies, thrips, aphids etc. Because it is systemic the plant absorbs the chemicals and the protection can last up to eight weeks.

Attached Image: spidermite.jpg

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