Houseplants · by Mina Chowdhury · 2026-09-15

fungus gnats: when do you admit you are no longer in a "minor" battle

I did sticky traps, let soil dry, cinnamon because an aunt insisted, and now I am standing in my bathroom swatting at the air like a Victorian widow. Do I go straight to mosquito bits or is there another step people swear by?

84 sparks · 8 comments

Comments

Mango Mango · 7 likes

I ended up replacing the top inch of soil on three plants and that made a huge dent.

Mateo Ramírez · 0 likes

There IS one dramatic peace lily that might be the ringleader

Solar Rider · 3 likes

Cinnamon is plant-forum folklore at this point.

Liam Eriksson · 1 likes

Bits + patience. The annoying part is you think nothing is happening and then suddenly way fewer.

Elif Yılmaz · 1 likes

I learned this the expensive way as well.

Sara Ahmed · 1 likes

Check if one pot is the real warlord. Sometimes 90% of the problem is one soggy offender.

Noah Miller · 4 likes

That has been true in my apartment too.

Avery Johnson · 0 likes

Bottom watering helped me because I was keeping the top layer too cozy for them.