Question
I have a common house plant that has been in our family for generations, so this plant means a lot and I want to do nothing to risk killing it!  I have rooted some pieces over time to help make it fuller.  Recently I went to plant a new root and noticed a ton of small clear worms (under 1") in the soil.  I am assuming the culprit for this is my husband, who has been watering it with water from our fish tank. (He heard that fish water was very good for plants) Am I right to cut him off from watering my plants, and how do I get rid of these little guys, if necessary? Thank you!

Answer
Carly,

They are Planarians, horsehair worms, newly hatched earth worms, fungus gnat larvae, grubs, or nematodes. My best guess would be the fungus gnat larvae. It really doesn't matter what they are, since they are in a beloved houseplant you need to get rid of them. Go to Walmart or a pharmacy and pick up several bottles of 70% isopropyl alcohol. You want enough alcohol to equal the amount of water you give it when it is very dry. You also want to get a large plastic bag that the entire plant and pot will fit in, possibly a drycleaning bag.  Then allow the plant to get dry and place it in the large plastic bag with the opening toward the top. Then water it with the bottles of rubbing alcohol and use a twist tie to close the top of the bag.  The alcohol will kill the worms over a several hour period. The bag is to prevent the alcohol from evaporating too soon to kill them all.  After 12 to 18 hours you can take the plant out of the bag and let the alcohol evaporate. Then when the alcohol is evaporated and the plant again feels light weight your husband can water it with aquarium water. The worms did not come from the aquarium water. However tell him to stick a bamboo skewer (you can get them from the grocery store, they are used to make shish kabobs) into the soil and break or cut it off about an inch above the surface of the soil. When he thinks the plant needs water he should remove the skewer and see if the top 2/3rds of the skewer is dry. If it is not dry it is not time to water the plant. As long as the plant is only watered when dry you should not have a return of the worms. If you have more questions feel free to write again. Good luck!

Darlene