Or get some Dart Frogs. They are cute and they would love the fungus
gnats to death.

Yes, I'm thinking about starting to collect the damn things. What is it
about collecting stuff that is so addictive, anyway?

Rob (Littlefrog Farm)


wrote:
J Fortuna wrote:

Sue,
Thanks. I sent the info along to my mother in law. Though I would be
surprised if that's it, since she has been into orchids for only 2

years,

and she is really into repotting, so I would be surprised if there is

a

single orchid there that has not been repotted fairly recently.


Fungus gnats can thrive in a moist, organic mix, even if it has not
started to significantly break down. There will always be some
decomposition of old roots, fungi, etc. IMHO, the easiest way to
control fungus gnats is to allow the mix to dry out completely so that
the larvae dessicate. Most orchids can tolerate occasional drying for
a day or two.

If your Mother in law is having trouble with fruit flies in the
kitchen, she can make a simple trap that works on the same principle as
a fish trap or crab pot. Take a jar and insert a cone of stiff paper
or card in the mouth. The cone should have a small hole at the base,
so that fruitflies can crawl through. Put a little piece of fruit in
the jar. The flies will find their way in through the small hole by
following the scent of the fruit, but they are much less likely to
escape. Every few days, freeze the jar and then discard the contents.
It's amazing how many fruit flies it can trap.

Nick



--
Rob's Rules: http://littlefrogfarm.com
1) There is always room for one more orchid
2) There is always room for two more orchids
2a) See rule 1
3) When one has insufficient credit to obtain more
orchids, obtain more credit