Have a Pest Question

snowflake224 · #1 12-13-2007, 09:02 PM

Hi Everyone,

I am new here. Referred by my friend Sleeper54 over at Epinions.com

Anyways, I have this generic question and he said this would be a good place to ask. It is about this problem I have been having in my home with unwanted visitors.

Okay - here's the problem.

Here's the background:

Picture this an immaculate home, I mean seriously I am too clean for my own good. Fruit NEVER stays out of the fridge, dishes get done before they hit the sink, trash and garbage are in airtight containers and taken out daily, toilet lid stays down and drains get cleaned all the time with bleach. We insulated all the windows for winter. We don't have any pets.

We have one house plant that was over-watered by a plan sitter when we were away for a week back in September. That is when my GNAT problem started. We let the plant dry out completely, which took a month. Since then we have been back to our regular watering cycle. I sprayed and have continued to spray a garden safe insect spray on the plant. Mind you I have never seen so much as one gnat crawling on or around this plant. I have no idea where they are coming from. But they are coming I see about 50 a day.

I have been all over our apartment with a fine tooth comb. Vacuuming, moving things, looking behind things to try to find some other food source for these pests. It's been 4 months and I am at the end of my rope. Guests come for dinner and see these things flying around and it makes us look dirty, even though our home is anything but.

I heard to put up fly strips, but that is not an option as it would lead to me throwing-up. Does anyone else have any other suggestions to get rid of them and keep them gone for good?

**theworm**[$] · #2 12-13-2007, 09:12 PM

Hi Snowflake! Welcome to EA!! Tell Sleeper to come back too! I miss him!!

Gnats - ick. Honestly, I'm no expert, but if you've had this problem for so long, I'm guessing there are eggs and new eggs and that it's time to bring in a professional exterminator. There are some that use non-toxic products so you don't have to worry about kids and pets, but I would pay for someone to get rid of them.

Good luck!

snowflake224 · #3 12-13-2007, 09:15 PM

Thanks, for the greeting and the suggestion wormy

I have heard of exterminators using fog stuff and you have to leave for the day. I'll have to find out what it entails, I would hate our bedspread and stuff to smell of chemicals.

**theworm**[$] · #4 12-13-2007, 09:23 PM

I'm not sure that would be necessary for knats, but it's worth looking into.

**hadassahchana**[$] · #5 12-13-2007, 10:09 PM

Hi, snowflake, I had a hard time reading your post- but if I read it correctly, you still have this houseplant? If so, you need to think about repotting it. Find a protected place outside to repot. REmove the plant from the pot, knock the dirt off the rootball as much as you can (gently) and then wash out the pot and dry it. Refill the pot partway with fresh soilless potting soil, place the plant in the pot and finish backfilling with the new topsoil, and see if that doesn't clear up your gnat problem.

**mtomm**[$] · #6 12-13-2007, 11:23 PM

Come stay at my house for awhile. It might help. I know it'd help me!

Welcome!

Magick1 · #7 12-13-2007, 11:29 PM

Welcome. Tell sleeper Tom to get back here...we miss him!

snowflake224 · #8 12-14-2007, 08:24 AM

Quote:

hadassahchana said

Hi, snowflake, I had a hard time reading your post- but if I read it correctly, you still have this houseplant? If so, you need to think about repotting it. Find a protected place outside to repot. REmove the plant from the pot, knock the dirt off the rootball as much as you can (gently) and then wash out the pot and dry it. Refill the pot partway with fresh soilless potting soil, place the plant in the pot and finish backfilling with the new topsoil, and see if that doesn't clear up your gnat problem.

Hey thanks everyone for replying. I will leave Sleeper a little note. Surprised he hasn't been around, we can't get rid of him for more than a day over at Epinions.

I will definitely try repotting the plant this weekend. Can't believe I hadn't thought of that one yet as I am sure it will be the answer to my prayers. Thanks for the suggestion.