Fungus gnats are well-known annoyances to homeowners, especially for those with houseplants.

Fungus gnats are small flies that breed in potting soil or other sources of organic matter. Their larvae primarily feed on fungi and organic matter in that soil. Sometimes they can chew a bit on roots but rarely do damage to the plant.

However, once those larvae turn into adult gnats, they can be extremely annoying. They are attracted to CO2 so they will often fly around your face. If you have ever Googled “How to get ride of small gnats” it was probably these types of gnats. And there are many ways to get rid of adult fungus gnats, such as sticky traps, or apple cider vinegar, wine or fruit traps. These can be great for adult gnats, but if there are still larvae in nearby houseplants, you’re not getting to the ROOT of the problem. We’ll be here all week.

Here’s the solution! Get BTI which is a naturally occurring bacterium. So it won’t harm you, your plants, your pets or anything other than those pesky gnats (and mosquitoes — talk about nature’s miracle!)

You simply pick up a bag of BTI granules, mix them up with water and pour it into your plant when you would normally water. Repeat a few times as needed and the bacteria will go after those larvae and take them out. NOW when you set up traps to get the adults, if needed, you’ll stay gnat free because there are no more new gnats coming in behind them. One popular brand is “Mosquito Bits” available online and in local hardware and gardening stores.

Be gnat free and enjoy your houseplants again!