Flower midges are small insects that appear in plant pots or on windowsills. They not only spoil the appearance of indoor flowers, but can also cause harm to them.
Midges feed on fungi and plant roots, and also carry various diseases. Therefore, it is important to combat these pests and prevent their reproduction.
What types of midges are there?
There are several types of midges that can live in flowers. The most common are fungus gnats (or sciarids) and thrips.
Fungus gnats are dark brown or black flies, 2-3 mm long. They fly slowly and often sit on the surface of the soil or leaves. Their larvae are white worms with black heads that live in the soil or organic material. They feed on fungi and plant roots, especially young and weak ones.
Thrips are yellowish-brown or black flies, 1-2 mm long. They fly quickly and often hide under leaves or flowers. Their larvae are transparent worms that live on leaves or flowers. They feed on plant sap by piercing the cells with their hook-shaped mouthparts.
How to fight midges
There are several ways to combat midges in flowers, depending on the degree of infestation and the availability of resources.
Prevention
The best way to combat midges is to prevent them from appearing. To do this, you need to follow these rules.
• Buy high-quality soil for plants, without impurities and fungi.
• Repot plants in new soil once a year or more often if it is too fertile.
• Monitor the soil moisture level, do not over-moisten it and do not allow water to stagnate.
• Remove dry leaves, flowers and other organic waste from pots.
• Provide good lighting and ventilation for plants, avoid overheating and drafts.
• Regularly inspect plants for midges or damage from them.
Mechanical method
If midges have already appeared in flowers, you can try to get rid of them mechanically. To do this, you need the following.
• Catch adult flies using sticky traps, which you can buy at the store or make yourself from paper and glue.
• Rinse the soil and plant roots with warm water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate to kill larvae and fungi.
• Remove topsoil and replace it with fresh soil or sand to reduce the amount of organic material.
• Replant plants into new pots with drainage holes and clean soil.
Chemical method
If the mechanical method does not help or there are too many midges, you can use chemicals to combat them. To do this, you need the following.
• Spray plants with insecticides that kill adult flies and larvae. For example, you can use preparations based on pyrethroids (Raptor, Kinmiks), neonicotinoids (Aktara, Confidor) or bacteria (Bitoxibacillin, Lepidocide).
• Add insecticides to the soil in granules or tablets that act on larvae. For example, you can use preparations based on imidacloprid (Prestige), thiamethoxam (Cruzader) or bacteria (Bazudin).
• Use biological preparations based on fungi or nematodes that parasitize on midge larvae. For example, you can use preparations based on the fungus Bovaria bassiana (Botanigard) or the nematode Steinernema feltia (Nemabact).
When using chemicals, you must follow the instructions for use, dosage and processing time. You must also protect your skin, eyes and respiratory tract from contact with the preparations. It is not recommended to use chemicals near children, animals and food products.
