Question
I was given several orchids, kalanchoe, bromalaides and some other tropical plants that a guy I know was throwing away because he cares for plants in hotels, etc. and they were not blooming currently so he had to replace. I started seeing tiny black bugs with 6 legs all in my home and I am pretty sure they came from the plants. I have thrown out all plants and the bugs are still showing up in my house usually in the tub, shower or around the edges of walls. The ones around water are usually still alive. Do you have any idea what they could be? I have looked at some common bugs in houseplants and they look different. I am desperate for help!!!!!!!!

Answer
Sabrina,

They are probably fungus gnats and you can kill them by spraying the water and the plants if you still had them with rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. It will kill the insects of on contact.

I suspect that when you watered all your new plants you overwatered them and the new soil holds too much water. Both of these factors cause you to be overwatering without realizing it. There are only 2 ways to tell if a plant is dry 1-use a water meter and insert it into the soil so it is within an inch or two of the bottom and do not water until the meter reads dry at that depth or 2 - insert a bamboo skewer and check it before watering, do not water until the skewer only shows moisture on the bottom 1-2 inches.  When you repot plants you should only move them to pots that are 2 inches larger in diameter than the pots you are removing them from. If you moved your plants to pot more than 3 inches larger than the old pots I suggest that you move them back to smaller pots. Any plants that you move to smaller pots or any you repot in the future you swhould mix extra perlite with the soil to make the soil lighter and it will eliminate your problem with fungus gnats. Mix 1 part perlite with 2 parts potting soil and use that for potting all plants except cactus. For
cactus you should add 1 part builders sand. To kill the insects
immediately you can water the plants when they are dry with rubbing alcohol and that will kill any insects in the soil. If you follow my instructions above it will eliminate future problems. Good luck.

Darlene