I have tinny flies or gnats on my soil and in my trees. I think they are dung flies, going after the organic fertilizer I applied in early spring. Will they hurt the trees roots or foliage? Will they lay larva in the soil?
I am not entirely sure what kind of insect you have, but I can tell you how I deal with the bugs on my plants. Unless it’s causing damage to the tree, I let them be. I’ve also had a type of little gnat/fly in the soil, but I haven’t noticed any issues with my trees. Mind you, I only see a few, and I haven’t noticed any of the roots in my trees being damaged.
I have had issues with more destructive species, like mealy bugs and spider mites. I’ve lost a tree to mites, and it won’t take long before you notice if they are hurting the tree or not.
If anything, get a good picture, post it, and google whatever you can about the bug. I would also check with local gardening clubs or bonsai clubs, to see if they have any idea on how to deal with the pest.
Sounds like fungus gnats. They are common and are easily researched. My understanding is they can do damage to certain kinds of plant tissue but usually nothing severe. They like soggy organics. They definity are a pest. At one point I elimated my problem with a natural lavacide called Natrole(sp).
Mosquito bits are an easy solution if they are available to you. Completely natural and they are even safe for ponds with aquatic life. Bacillus thurengiensis is a bacteria in the bits that will eat gnats or mosquitos from the inside. Sprinkle them on the surface.
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I didn’t think BT would work on gnats. I used it not too long ago to get rid of some caterpillars that were wrecking my garden, and was thoroughly impressed. I’ll have to keep it in mind when I see this kind of thing.
Thank you
I think I solved the problem. I removed the loose organic fertilizer from the soil and replaced it with the same fertilizer but used tea bags. Also sprayed a light application of neem oil on the soil. 90% of them have moved on. I removed the worse tree from the pot to check for lava or damaged roots and everything was good. All my trees are producing new foliage and roots. Soil has good balance of H2o and O2. Thanks again.
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