A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 spider plant pest problem

I have two beautiful spider plants in separate rooms, one that has no babies yet and was started off in the bathroom (old family tip for some reason that usually makes them grow like mad, guessing the moisture in the air and the heat from the long baths!) and one with babies that has swapped places to the bathroom for now.


Lately I've noticed several small flies around it. Googling around this site would suggest that they are fungus gnats except that there are no white larvae to be seen, but the surface is teeming with small dark grey - black crawling things that don't fly off. The spider plant seems to cope with them but they turn my stomach.

Any help gratefully received and apologies for starting this forum life with a problem!

Fungas gnats live less than a week& they feed on organic matter.Females live 4-5 days and can lay 100-150 eggs.some say sprinkleing sand on top of the soil inhibits them.I use a neem spray.its safe and for me it works.you can also try placeing them in cooler temps.Warm moist temps make them thrive.
and the gray matter is the babies.their eggs are grayish.you can do a google search for fungas gnats and see all kinds of images of them in all stages....but you'd not enjoy that.

BT will also work.
DE~ decantmounus earth will work also just be sure is the grade for plants not the one for pools.It will eat them to the bone/skelaton.

Dawn dishsoap with degreaser will work to make them uncomfortable.I'm just a neem person.I even clean my garden beds up with it.

Thanks for your advice! If the dark things are eggs though they move as well, just don't fly.

I'm not sure if they sell neem in the UK but am sure there is something similar around.

Meanwhile I've put a weak washing up liquid in water spray on the soil and will see what that does

They sound like aphids to me. Aphids will succumb to most general insect treatments.