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Pests in diffenbachia


Question
I replanted my diffenbachia about 2 months ago.  Shortly afterwards I started noticing these flying pests on and around the plant.  They are almost like 'fruit flies'.  What can I do to get rid of them?  The plant has already started a new leaf so I think the plant is doing well.

Answer
Linda,

Hard to say for sure but it sounds like dark-winged fungus gnats (see http://www.livingwithbugs.com/fungus_gnat.html for a picture of the adult fly). The larvae live in the soil and feed on fungi. The re-potting may have stimulated some kind of emergence of the adults. If the plants seem otherwise healthy you probably don't need to do anything.

Jack DeAngelis
http://www.livingwithbugs.com

Also visit my blog at http://livingwithbugs.blogspot.com/index.html for updated home and garden pest news.  

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