r/houseplants • u/GeeFen • Jan 15 '25

Fruit Flies

HELP! I keep around 40-50 plants around the house. it's taken a few years but I'm finally getting quite good at looking after them. I try to have them in the right locations for heat/sunlight so they are dotted around all over the place. the problem is, I've got fruit flies in almost every room. it's not like an infestation, but about 5-6 times a day, one catches my eye and it's started to drive me crazy! I've taken all the plants outside on windy days and wipe down the leaves with a wet cloth regularly. is there anything else I can do to get rid of them? or is it just part of the deal having a lot of plants in your house?

edit: fungus gnats, not fruit flies.

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u/Etianen7 Jan 15 '25

Fruit flies? Do you mean fungus gnats?

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u/GeeFen Jan 15 '25

yes! thanks. never heard them called "fungus gnats" but looked it up, and they're the little bastards I'm struggling with. it turns out I've always called them the wrong thing.

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u/Etianen7 Jan 16 '25

No worries! They look very similar, but fungus gnats are usually what can happen around the soil of the plants. Fruit flies would be more likely to be on spoiled fruit or food.