My spider plants are attracting fruit flies. what do i do??

Get rid of whatever is causing the fruit fly infestation and use an insecticidal soap on your plants (all of them) before the flies lay more eggs and the larvae cause more flies to grow.





The Muse

My spider plants are attracting fruit flies. what do i do??
They probably aren't fruit flies, but rather gnats that live in wet soil. Try letting your plants dry out more in between waterings, and air out your house a bit. That should do the trick. Report It

Reply:What are you putting in the soil?


Spider plants do not attract fruit flies .
Reply:I've never heard of that hapenning- but maybe the soil isnt good- I know it can mold- weird I know but true- try repotting with new soil
Reply:It sounds like it's just soil gnats.





Do NOT do what these other people say and spray insecticides in your house, especially if you have kids and/or pets. That's totally insane. They're no more effective than other methods and having that junk in your home is really bad for your health.





I would bet money that these bugs are coming from keeping the soil too wet. So, what you need to do is remove the top layer of soil and replace it with fresh soil (to remove the eggs). Then go to the garden store and buy diatomaceous earth and sprinkle some on top.





Then, and most importantly, never let the plant sit in water, never let it go soggy, and let it get enough light that it's not swampy and letting gnats lay their eggs on the soil.
Reply:The life cycle of a 'fruit fly' involves FRUIT, not 'spider plants'. What you are seeing are other insects can can be controlled with some insecticide spray.





You can go to Wal Mart or Lowes or Home Depot and buy some 'safe' insecticide sprays...they usually consist of some sort of spray soap and flower extracts. You can take the plant outdoors and spray it according to directions and this should take care of your problem.
Reply:Your plant may not be attracting fruit flies. But fruit flies may be settling down on your plant which may be near your kitchen or near waste box where you have fruit rind, fruit waste etc. Eugenol may also attract them.