I've had pretty good results with little bowls of real apple cider vinegar with a drop or 2 of dish soap mixed in, set in among my violets.

Maybe someone else will have an idea though.

Sue

If it gets too bad, I'll spray the surface of my soils with a houseplant insecticide.

Does the trick after a while ...

I had and still have that problem, but not as bad at the moment. What I tried was those sticky pads meant for sliverfish spiders... don't know why, but the do fly into them... and I use ACV with sugar in it to see if they land in there and they do LOL... but I noticed is that if there is a open container of liquid, of any size, they flew in there too.

Those are fungus gnats. Buy Mosquito Bits and shake it onto the soil. It's a harmless bacteria to people, pets, and plants, but the gnats and their larvae will die (still: I am careful not to handle the product too much, and wash my hands thoroughly after). Takes a few weeks to catch all parts of their life cycle, but it got rid of my problem once and for all.

I still shake a spoonful of granules onto all of my newer plants as a preventative. They have never returned.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mosquito Bits

Fungus gnats can certainly be annoying and difficult to eradicate until you know how.

I haven't used "Mosquito Bits", so cannot comment beyond saying that it sounds like Danielle317 has some experience with the buggies. I have tried folk remedies like bowls of water with dish soap and yellow food coloring added and tried the yellow double sticky tape. They worked some, but did not end the infestation. The local Cornell Cooperative Extension identified the winged beasts as "fungus gnats", also known as "fruit flies". They suggested a product called Gnatrol, specifically designed to combat fungus gnats.

Gnatrol is easy to use and works well. After the soil has a chance to dry, a small amount of the concentrate is mixed with water, then the soil is drenched as the larvae lives across the surface of the soil down to about 3". (I generally use 5 ml [1 tsp] per 2 liters [2 quarts] of water.) Since it effects only the larvae, in order to get rid of everybody as they mature, the soil must dry between servings and the drench repeated once weekly for three weeks. PROVIDE NO OTHER WATER. Just to be sure, I throw in another week or two. By that time, there will be no more larvae left alive to grow into adults.

This thread further discusses Gnatrol: http://forums.gardenweb.com/forums/load/pests/msg0411022110590.html There is a link provided for an informative article at the Colorado State University. (I was unable to find the product locally, but readily found it online.)

To prevent an infestation:

* The gnats normally live in the soil outdoors where they can find yummy rotting organic material. They may try to enter through open windows when outdoor conditions prove unpleasant for them (too dry, too wet, too cold). Extra-fine mesh screens may help keep them out.

* Examine produce before you buy it. If you see fruit flies (fungus gnats) flying around it, do not buy it. They may have already laid eggs in the flesh of the produce. The eggs are way too small to be seen with the naked eye.

* As soon as you see the first gnat, ACT IMMEDIATELY! Water all your plants with Gnatrol x 3 weeks minimum.

All the best luck!

Fruit flies and fungus gnats are two different insects, and the biggest threat is the fungus gnat larvae, who thrive in a moist environment and feed on tiny roots. It was easy enough for me to let my succulents dry out and stay dry for some time, but I believe AVs are more likely to be stressed by completely dry soil. That's why I liked the Bits ... the bacteria is continuously washed into the soil, and it kills the larvae. I have heard only good things about Gnatrol, and only went for the Mosquito Bits because it was the most readily available to me, and seemed like more of a no-brainer. Fortunately, I didn't need to try anything else.

Here is a link that might be useful: Fruit flies and fungus gnats: two different things

This post was edited by Danielle317 on Thu, Jan 8, 15 at 17:21

Thanks for that link to the Mosquito Bits, Danielle. I had never heard of it before and wasn't about to go using heavy chemicals for this problem; I have the yellow sticky cards out already which are catching the flyers, but this will keep any of the little larvae from chewing my plants' roots, blast them. It is certainly inexpensive and sounds easy to use - and it says "for fungus gnats in houseplants" right on the label. Cool.