https://leaftriage.pages.dev/plants/houseplants-general/Recent content in Houseplants-General on LeafTriageHugoen-usSun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://leaftriage.pages.dev/posts/fungus-gnats-houseplants-control/Sun, 01 Nov 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://leaftriage.pages.dev/posts/fungus-gnats-houseplants-control/<p>Tiny dark flies around houseplants and lamps are often fungus gnats (family Sciaridae), not fruit flies. Wisconsin Horticulture explains they are strongly associated with overwatered plants. Adults are mostly a nuisance; larvae usually eat fungi and decaying organic matter in moist potting mix, though high numbers can nick root hairs. University of Maryland, University of Minnesota, Cornell Cooperative Extension, and Oklahoma State Extension all converge on the same core strategy: <strong>make the surface less welcoming, interrupt the life cycle, and only then consider sprays.</strong></p>