Question
For the last week, I've discovered tiny flying insects that surround my Venus Fly Traps. They seem to just come up from the soil. I've noticed them land on the traps, but the traps don't close on these insects. What are these insects, and what can I do to stop them?

Also, I've noticed what seems like moss growing on the soil of my plants. Is the insect problem related to the moss? What can I do to hinder the growth of the moss?

I know, these are a lot of questions...

Thank You

Answer
The tiny insects you see are very probably fungus gnats. Their larvae eat bits of fungi and other organic matter in the soil, but rarely do any substantial damage to living plants, although some people have reported that the larvae may chew a little on the tender roots of young seedlings. I often place some Drosera plants (sundews) near a pot that is infested with fungus gnats and the drosera feast on them.

Fungus gnats do flare up from time to time, usually when the potting soil is kept too constantly wet, but then disappear for large amounts of time. I personally don't consider them a nuisance in the pots of plants I grow in the greenhouse or outdoors, but indoors they can be a nuisance to humans even if not so much to plants. For control, you might consult the following URL:

http://doyourownpestcontrol.com/fungus-gnats.htm

The moss you see is very probably one of the many species of carpet moss. Nearly every grower of carnivorous plants sees various carpet mosses. Many new growers think that the moss is pretty and allow it to grow. However, carpet moss can form a very dense mat that can suck up almost all of the water in the top inch or more of growing medium and can squeeze against other plants making it hard for them to grow well.

I usually remove as much carpet moss as I can by hand and put fresh medium in its place, and I repot if the moss has grown too thick. Carpet moss grows slowly at first, so by the time that it becomes a problem in a particular pot, it might be near the time the plant(s) ought to be repotted anyway.

I don't know of a good control for carpet moss or a way to eradicate it with herbicide that would not also kill the desirable plants, but others may have some good suggestions and advice at an online carnivorous plant forum such as the following--

CPUK Forum
http://cpukforum.com/

FlytrapCare.com Forum
http://www.flytrapcare.com/phpBB3/

Best wishes,
Steve