Irritating gnats around my plants?

I brought some spider plants, mandevillas and some ivys inside from the summer. I did spray them before I brought them in for bugs, but I'm finding little gnats (like fruit flies) around them. Does anyone have a good, safe product I can use on them - I have some elephant ear babies I'd like to spray too. Help please, those gnats are making me nuts, LOL! Thanks, Cynthia

One of, if not THE most effective way to rid your plants of gnats is to use dehydrated water every other time you irrigate.

Al

My method worked great by spraying the leaves with insecticide spray to kill the adult gnats. Then I poured about an inch of yardsafe granules that I bought at Lowes. That killed the larva and gnats on the soil. My plants were all infested and now they are gnat free! Plus I never overwater and check the potting soil bag for gnats before I use it.

Tapla, this is a dumb question but what is dehydrated water? Is it like distilled water? I've never heard of that before... duhhh. What does dehydrated water do when you use it? This is interesting...

Antoinette, these are house plants. Just to clarify, you put the yardsafe granules on the the house plant soil? I think you are right, they must be in the soil as it seems they are multiplying.

I'll wait to hear back from you both before I move forward as I really am attached to these plants.

Thanks for your input! Cynthia

A raw potato works, I've tried it. Just slice the potato and lay in on the soil,you will have to change out the potato about every 4-5th day. I think I read about the potato on this forum :>)
Christine

Serious, a raw potato? How cool is that!!! I'll search this forum and see but that's definitely a great deal. I wonder if watering my plants with the dehydrated water will help keep the lil guys away too.

Whereabouts is Blue Mountain? It's a lovely name for a town. We love the Finger Lakes area - Watkins Glen is my fav! Cynthia

The dehydrated water was a tongue-in-cheek suggestion to reduce your watering frequency. Dehydrated water is air, so if you water with air every other time, you cut your water applications in half. Plants are happier and gnats go 'bye'. I would never look to chemical means to rid my plants of an insect infestation until I was sure that a cultural change wasn't sufficient AND that the chemical I chose was the least noxious choice that would reduce the infestation to within acceptable limits. The odds are overwhelming that if you have gnats you're over-watering and using an inappropriately water-retentive soil and/or organic fertilizers. Minor changes in the grower's habits are normally all that is required to eliminate the gnats.

Al

Cynthia, , I live about 10 minutes from Woodstock. I havent been up to Watkins Glen yet, every year I say I'm going up to see a NASCAR race and havent made it yet LOL...
The potato brings all the nasties to the surface to eat the potato and die, I'm guessing its the starch that kills them off. I've also heard that you need to cut back ALOT with the watering since the nasties love moist soil.
Christine

Although the granules are for the yard, it also works on houseplants.

I just repotted ALL my houseplants, with new medium. I baked the medium in the oven to 180 degrees, allowed it to completely cool before potting. I also made sure that I bought the soil from a store that keeps it inside and dry.. Yes, the gnat larvae love and are in the overly wet soil.. If you get a bag of wet soil, the larvae are already there and coming home with you. Blech!!

It was alot of work and took me all weekend to do it but my plants are much happier and so am I. No gnats.. I hate those little creepers.

Yes, I do tend to overlove my plants with water and I am sure they are in the soil. I really appreciate all the suggestions and will cut down on the watering, try the granules and stick a potato on there for an extra measure. If worse comes to worse, I'll repot them all though I'd hate to do that as I just repotted them less than a month ago when I brought them in. I assume the gnats were in the soil I used.

Tapla, you got me with your tease ... I thought dehydrated water was some kind of special water (being new to gardening) that maybe had less or more chemicals, duhhhh. That's funny. I am letting all my plants dry out right now as they have been wayyyyy too wet.

Thanks again for the suggestions... lots to do and try! Cynthia
PS Here's Han, the collie

Han is stunning. I had a collie when I was a kid, they are such great dogs
Christine

Thanks, we do nursing home therapy and he is always a hit. Collies are pretty rare these days.