Poinsettias ( Euphorbia pulcherrima ) are seasonal bloomers that grow outside in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant life hardiness zones 9 through 11 but are more commonly maintain as a houseplant for the holiday . Finding small black flying insects on Christmas star is a telltale sign your plant has an plague offungus gnats . you’re able to get rid of these blighter and prevent them from returning .
Fungus Gnats
Step 1
Despite the name , fungus gnat face more like a diminutive mosquito than gnat . They evaluate about 1/8 inch long and have dingy bodies . Fungus gnat can be found fly around the infested plant life or crawl on the leaves or territory airfoil . Fungus gnats broadly cause no foresighted - full term scathe to most works . University of Connecticut Integrated Pest Management notes that lobster plant are prostrate to harm from fungus gnat feeding and can suffer serious impairment . As the fungus gnat feed on young stems and feeder ancestor , the leave of the infested poinsettia will yellow and throw .
Cultural Control
Providing the painted leaf with right care will help to control fungus gnat as well as other cuss and problem . Damp orbit with an abundance of decay affair provide the ideal surroundings for fungus gnat . you may slim down the number of fungus gnats by merely keep the pot or area around the poinsettia free from fallen plant debris and fend off over - tearing . A good ecumenical rule of thumb to avoid over - watering is to irrigate the plant when the top few in of grime are dry .
Organic Control
Successfully moderate fungus gnats does n’t always command chemical substance . For example , yellow sticky cards placed near poinsettias will trap adult fungus gnat . cut a peeled Solanum tuberosum into chunks and slip in the chunks into the grease pull in the fungus gnat larvae . get rid of the potato part every few 24-hour interval and replace them with fresh piece . Using these method acting — unite with cultural control — will get rid of the fungus gnats without filling your home with pesticides . Another option to controlling fungus gnat organically is to drench the filth with Bacillus thuringiensis . Bacillus thuringiensis contains a bacterium encounter naturally in the soil . This bacterium is not harmful to human being , mammal or beneficial insects . It cause the fungus gnat larvae to stop feast and die . Every firebrand of Bacillus thuringiensis has specific software education that you should stick to . For exercise , one brand recommends mixing 1 to 8 teaspoons of the Bacillus thuringiensis with 1 congius of water supply before address the works .
Chemical Control
Although several insecticides are available to control fungus gnats , they should only be used as a last resort after you have expel other control selection . For example , you may handle with a quick - to - use pyrethrin insecticide every seven to 10 day , or as conduct on the recording label . If you grow your painted leaf indoors , make certain you pick out a product labeled for use indoors .
References
Related
