Question
Dear Sir.

I have five Pathos Ivy's and in the soil it appears they have these very tiny little black insects that do fly about. I washed my plants and put them outside but these tiny little Cooties are still lingering around in my very pretty Pathos' soil. Can you please help me to save my plants from certain death.

Thank you very much for your time.

Answer
Hi Terry Anne,

Those "cooties" are actually fungus gnats. The larvae live in damp soil and feed on decaying roots. As they mature, they develop wings and then fly out of the plant. They are usually introduced in unsterile potting mixes. Miracle-Gro's moisture control potting mixes have a very poor reputation for quality control. The presence of gnats is usually an indication of over watering.

If you recently repotted your Pothos and added soil, I suggest you undo the repotting by removing the soil you added and putting the original rootball back into the original pot. Otherwise, remove any loose soil from the surface of the rootball. Many of the larvae will get discarded by removing this extraneous soil. Then, allow the soil to dry about an inch or so deep into the pot. Not only is this drying out better for the Pothos, it will deprive the gnat larvae of the moisture and decaying roots that they feed on.

If you are diligent about keeping the soil as dry as possible, then you should see a gradual decline in the gnat population. The winged adults only live for about a week before dying of old age. So the key is controlling future generations by keeping your plant's soil as dry as possible.

I have written articles on indoor plant pests, repotting and on Pothos care that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who emails a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

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