Question
Hi John.  I have a beautiful Mass Cane plant that has tiny nat looking bugs.  This is my second one with the same problem. I don't know what is causing this.  I get them home and they are fine for a while.  I have re-potted both using new pots, new soil.  Very frusterating.  Please advise.

Answer
Hi Diane,

These are probably fungus gnats.  They are roughly the same size as fruit flies, and are dark in color.  They remain close to the soil, and they are considered nuisance insects, but with large infestations, they can damage root systems.  

These gnats feed on the organic material in the soil, and they require a very moist soil to thrive.  In most cases, fungus gnat infestation can be controlled by a normal watering schedule.  Allow the soil in the pot to dry to a depth of one knuckle before watering again.  These fungus gnats inhabit the top several centimeters of the soil, and drying out this portion of the soil will cause the fungus gnat population to crash.

There are some pesticides that are used in greenhouses, but even those are ineffective.