Note: Include a pic of your problem and your question gets posted first. Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to: green@apartmenttherapy.com
Judy needs help getting rid of those pesky garden bugs...
Dear Re-nest,
I have been growing my indoor herb garden like everyone suggests — sun for these not for those, separate pots, NO over watering — and yet I'm still full of these tiny fly-types! We started with a biodegradable seed starting kit and followed the directions enough to have more than 1/2 of the pods go into their own pots. (Perhaps you can tell by my surprise by this I don't normally have a green thumb, as last year we had these on our farmer's market plant, hence from seeds this time.) Now we're just overrun with these tiny blueish flies! I'd watered them twice now with water having some biodegradable soap residue (a recommendation from last year's bug problem) and they're still around. Moreover I'm not even sure these bugs are bad and if I should take more drastic measures to get rid of them. Help!
Thanks,
Judi
I think it depends on the type of fly. In a house I recently rented, they had an indoor planter that got infested with fungus gnats. You can do a search online and see if these little guys are the issue. If so, they lay eggs on the soil and live under there for awhile as larvae before they become flies. A lady at the plant store recomended putting sand on top of the soil, which pretty much killed the flies when they tried to emerge. But I think treatments depend on your type of fly...
view mniche's profile
If you're just worried about them being a nuisance, you can use fly paper/tape or those yellow sticky tabs - sold in garden supply stores - the color is supposed to be attractive to flying insects. While not the most attractive thing to have around, they certainly do the job without resorting to harsh chemicals.
You could also give this a try:http://www.re-nest.com/re-nest/insects-pests/fruit-fly-death-trap-055578
Or this: http://www.gardeners.com/Fly-Traps-Ceramic/37-712,default,pd.html
view accidentalvermonter's profile
Proving once again that tobacco is bad for you, you can use tobacco to kill them.
Take the tobacco from two cigarettes and put it into a cup of boiling water. When it cools, take the water and pour it slowly into the soil of the pots. The tobacco will kill the flies and the larvae within a few days.
I've used this for house plants and it takes care of the problem.
view Aldyth's profile
They shouldn't be a problem, but if you want them to shoo try the sand.
view whytephoenix's profile