Hi there's a winged insect that's quite tiny that hangs around my succulent pots. I killed one to take a up close picture, does anyone happen to know what this is and if it's a big problem for my plants?
While I'm here! Should I buy some type of broad range insecticide for my plants? Any good brands?
These look like fungus gnats in the family Sciaridae. Their larvae usually are found in very damp/water-logged soil having a high organic content. In addition to feeding on the fungal mycelium often found in such environments, they may cause damage to plant roots and other tender underground plant parts. The easiest control is to let the soil in potted plants dry out as much as practical between waterings; chemical control usually is not necessary. The adult flies do no harm.
Thank you Flapdoodle.
These can get out of control in an orchid house where plants require constant humidity. They even breed under live moss on mounted plants and cause extensive damage. Bt controls the larva. Several sprayings are needed, a week to ten days apart, until the adult gnat population dies off. This can take as little as two treatments.
