House plant pests -flies?

[kt6382]

Hi, I have a house plant called a Areca Palm I think (has long Latin name: chrysalidocarpus) hitch I had with no problems all through uni and for the last 5 years or so at my dad's house but now it's moved to my house it's been struggling.

For about they ast 6 months or so it has had horrid little black flies swarming around it and living in its pot. I looked up online and one site recommended leaving it to dry out to kill any larvae in to he compost... I've started to do this but the plant looks pretty unhealthy now, it needs water! Any one know what these flies are and how I could get rid of them? They don't seem to spread to other house plants??

Thanks!

[andy_j]

Have you, or could anyone have tipped the dregs of coffee or tea into the pot. This is a big problem for plants in offices where people think it's fine to tip their dregs into the lovely plant in the corner. The little sciarid flies live off the fungus that often follows this.

just a thought.

[Bren In Pots]

It helps if you only water plants from the bottom by standing them in a saucer or something similar.

[kt6382]

No, I hope no one has tipped tea in my plant!

I will water from the bottom, shall I start watering again? I don't want it to die... It's struggling though, leaves are brown and dry, it got upset when I moved it here last year... I don't seek to have much luck with house plants, I envisage having a junglelike interior with green leaves everywhere and herbs / chillies indoor salad, when in reality all I have is a few pallid looking spider plants, a peace lily and this half dead palm

[Glutton4...]

When did you last feed it?

[kt6382]

When did you last feed it?

Err... Probably never!? Maybe I have with baby bio but not for years.... Is that bad!? Would that stop the flies though? There are so many of them!!!

[WendyC]

They will obligingly drown themselves in almond oil. Pour some in a little saucer, like a plastic milk bottle lid and they should be attracted to the sweet oil.

[kt6382]

They will obligingly drown themselves in almond oil. Pour some in a little saucer, like a plastic milk bottle lid and they should be attracted to the sweet oil.

Ooh interesting! So I need to go and find somewhere that sells almond oil, worth a try! Thanks

[WendyC]

I got some at a health food shop.

[darcyvuqua]

When I had these in the summer I got a load of sticky fly paper stuff in and around the soil level it didn't get rid completely but slowed it down loads : ) good luck


Sent from my iPhone using Grow Your Own Forum

[mothhawk]

I have an areca palm.



I keep it very dry - water maybe once every or three weeks with about a teacupful of water.

Sciarid flies are a pain. They are less trouble in soil based composts than MPC that has a lot of organic matter in its composition. You can stop or reduce the amount of egg laying in the compost by covering the surface with a 1cm layer of sharp grit or horticultural sand, or better still, a layer of each. This forms a barrier to the females. Use sticky traps on or near the surface of the soil and above the plant to catch adults.

And arecas do sulk if they are moved, and they like a constant steady temperature, so don't leave it in a draughty place.

[Bill HH]

I have bought almond oil from the local chemist but its only in little bottles.