The fruit flies will crawl into the holes in the lid, but they won’t be able to fly back out. Eventually, they’ll die inside the jar. To make your trap even more effective, add a few drops of dish soap to the vinegar. Dish soap will make the vinegar stickier, so the flies will get stuck in the liquid and drown. This trap isn’t as effective against fungus gnats, but it works really well against fruit flies.
You can quickly test your soil by sticking a finger into it. If your finger comes out slightly wet with dirt on it, your soil is still moist, and you don’t need to water. If your finger comes out mostly clean and dry, then it’s time to water your plant.
Be sure to empty out the drainage dish beneath your pot, too. Standing water can attract more flies and gnats.
Adding gravel and sand won’t affect how you water or care for your plant. When you water your plant, the water will run right through the top layer and into the soil.
Sensitive plants may go into a slight shock after being replanted. However, most bounce back after a couple of days and a good watering.
Sticky traps only catch adult fruit flies and gnats; they won’t be able to get the larvae or eggs inside of the soil. However, they’re very effective at stopping the spread of fruit flies in your home.
Diatomaceous earth is harmful for insects, but it won’t hurt your plants or any other animals in your home.
Microbial insecticides only target the pests at the larvae stage, so they won’t kill any adult or pupae gnats and flies.
Chemical treatments are most effective when paired with other prevention methods. If you choose to use chemical insecticides, make sure you’re still letting your soil dry out and using well-draining potting soil to avoid fruit flies and fungus gnats all together.
