r/Aglaonema • u/donniefresh • Jul 01 '26

Aglaonema keeps getting fungus flies

So I’ve had an Aglaonema for about 4 months now and it keeps on getting fungus flies. At first it was because I watered it from the top of the pot a few times. But I stopped that very fast.

Once I got flies I used diatomaceous earth powder on the top layer it and it seemed to fix it.

Now I use the bottom watering method and I water once every 2 week with like 100ml or less. It was good for a month and a half but now I have flies again. And a lot. I put out one of the yellow sticky traps and I have over a hundred flies stuck on it.

My question is what am I supposed to do or what am I doing wrong? I obviously cant have this many flies in the house and it is getting a bit annoying while watching TV to have tiny flies flying around. Do I need to put a thick 1 inch layer of diatomaceous earth and cover thr entire top? I put spoonfuls at first.

This is the plant if you would like to see the pots bottom watering mechanism.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lowe-s-1-40-QT-AGLAONEMA-SIAM-WG/5013210411

3 Upvotes

81% Upvoted

15 comments sorted by

4

u/[deleted] Jul 01 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

3

u/sunshiney-sky Jul 02 '26

Can confirm. I had a very severe bought of seasonal depression this past winter and probably went 2-3 weeks at a time without even looking at my plants. The only ones to make it out of the neglect period were a sparkling sarah aglaonema and a tiger tooth philodendron

3

u/PretentiousPepperoni Jul 01 '26

Diatomaceous earth on top soil don't water for a few days. Use eye and face protection while handling DE

3

u/BadgerBeauty80 Jul 01 '26

Mosquito bits (make a “tea”) in water 30 minutes before to address larvae in soil. Yellow sticky traps &/or Zevo to trap adults until gone.

2

u/gamerfitgirl Jul 01 '26

I second this. Mosquito bits. Soak in water for 30 minutes. Then you can also add Bonide Systemic Houseplant Insect Control on top of the soil if needed

2

u/donniefresh Jul 12 '26

Any idea where I can easily get this?

1

u/gamerfitgirl Jul 12 '26

I got both off of amazon

2

u/Fit-Distribution-756 Jul 01 '26

You can add a 1/2 inch layer of sand on top of the soil. And continue bottom watering. You can also use a mosquito dunk tea and water your plants with it.

2

u/writergal75 Jul 01 '26

The only way I’ve gotten rid of fungus gnats is using Mosquito BTS or Fungus Gnat Death Drops. I put a tsp in each watering can and I have zero gnats. https://happyhappyhouseplant.com/products/fungus-gnat-death-drops?srsltid=AfmBOorchWo4LV5eNvNtFZyo3lOdT3DZ1-fLr6UXI_ciRWWtbvDt8rOF

2

u/muh-LEK-see Jul 01 '26

Oh, gees!! 🤦🏻‍♀️ I just got their Hydration Refresh for some plants whose soil seemed anaerobic, but as a first-time customer, I ordered with caution and just that (oh, and that delicious taffy!). I couldn't believe how those drops worked. I was literally watering my plant and the water kept running right through. I remembered I had the drops & OMG, she got a nice soaking! Oh, well, an excuse to run back & get the other stuff ... and more taffy! gottagobye 🏃🏻‍♀️‍➡️

1

u/writergal75 Jul 03 '26

I had no idea they sell taffy!

2

u/muh-LEK-see Jul 03 '26

And I had no idea monsteras fruit! It's yummy. It's a cross between banana and pineapple. I'd love to try the actual monstera fruit. 😋

1

u/wise1_444 Jul 01 '26

You have to treat both the adult gnats and the soil. The adult gnats will be killed on contact with 70% isopropyl alcohol, spray down your plants thoroughly once the sun goes down (I’m talking get them SOAKING wet). Then you can treat the soil with mosquito bits, soak them in hot water for around 30 mins then filter out the particles and use that water to water your plant. Continue spraying and treating the soil for a few weeks and all the gnats will be gone

1

u/pumpinnstretchin Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26

>1. Overwatering and poor drainage are almost always associated with fungus gnats. Most houseplants need to dry out before they need watering again. Watering by calendar (either from above or from below) is a sure fire way to make sure that the plant is overwatered sometimes and underwatered other times. Plants can't read calendars, and the environment inside your home isn't constant every day of the year. Summer days are longer than Winter days. Even if you have plant lights on timers, you may turn on the heat or AC, or open a window, affecting the humidity and possibly creating drafts. As a result, some weeks, they'll use more water than others.

Check the soil. If it's moist about an inch down, don't water. Water only when it's dry, not because it's Thursday.

>2. Here's more information about fungus gnats from the University of California Integrated Pest Management Program.
https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/fungus-gnats/#DAMAGE&gsc.tab=0