How to Spot Fungal Gnats

Fungal gnats are insects that do a lot of damage to plants, such as spreading plant disease that kills or damages plants. Fungal gnats lay 30 eggs in the soil. These eggs hatch into larvae in a week and eat plant roots, which kills or stunts the growth of plants.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Look to see if the insect you find resembles a small fly. If the insect is 1/16 inch to 1/8 inch long, it could be a fungal gnat.

2. Check the coloring of the insect. If the body is dark, it could be a fungal gnat.

3. Examine the legs on the insect to see if they are long, skinny and look similar to a mosquito.

4. Inspect the wings on the insect. A fungal gnat will have clear to light gray wings and have a Y-shaped vein in each wing.

5. Look at the conditions of the plants you find the insect on. Fungal gnats will feed on most species of young plants and love moist conditions. Typically they will be found in greenhouses, houseplants and nurseries year-round.

Tips & Warnings

• The larvae from fungal gnats can leave tiny slime trails, snails and slugs. This can also be a sign that you have fungal gnats living in your plants.
• Fungal gnats do not fly for very long periods at a time and typically can be found resting on leaves or the soil in potted plants.
• Fungal gnats do not damage humans, but they do spread plant disease that spreads to all the plants in your greenhouse or garden and they also eat your plant's roots.