A great tool for decorating, but what about the Pests? Fungus Gnats
Indoor potted plants offer many benefits in addition to being used as an interior decorating tool. Plants help us purify our air. Some plants may have fragrant flowers. Others can be decorative and edible such as mini herb gardens for your kitchen. And there is much to be said about the personal satisfaction you receive when taking care of plants and watching them grow healthy and strong.
What about pests?
My wife and I have always had many peace lilies in our house. They are very easy to keep and offer a combination of lush green foliage and regular white blooms. Recently we added Pathos. When I was single, I enjoyed cutting and replanting this plant. I was even successful in taking a variegated cutting from a green plant to produce a 100% very variegated plant. We also recently introduced Snake Plant and Philodendron. Somewhere along the way, we introduced Fungus Gnats which unknown to us were a free gift from the Big Box store where we bought the plants. What a pest. They are little flies and they are everywhere in our house.
What do we do now? We love the plants but do not want the pests. Most important is proper plant care. Since our children help us water the plants, they are probably getting overwatered, the perfect environment for Fungus Gnats. The good news is they do not harm the plant. The bad news is, they are flying around my computer as I type. The best first step is to let the soil dry out between waterings and make sure you drain any excess water from the pot dish.
Here are a couple of articles on great indoor potted plants and how to deal with Fungus Gnats
https://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/care/gnats-in-houseplants/
https://www.planetnatural.com/pest-problem-solver/houseplant-pests/fungus-gnat-control/
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/gardening/advice/g1285/hard-to-kill-plants/
https://www.thespruce.com/big-leaf-plants-5101252
Call Ampa Creative Home for your home renovations and repair needs. Ampa Creative Home offers finish carpentry, interior design, and handyman services in the Richmond, Virginia Metro area. We started our business as stage set and prop designers and fabricators for the event industry. With our fine carpentry and artistic skills, we are very good with wainscoting wall panels, finish carpentry, painting, and artistic projects. In general, we are problem solvers and get the job done.
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