Suggestions for gnats

[enigma42]

I'm trying to select a plant that is suitable for a beginner and will take care of the gnats, fruit flies, and possibly mosquitoes that are rampant in my area. It seems that butterworts and sundews are most popular for these problems. I'm leaning toward the sundews, since they can eat slightly larger bugs (it will probably have to eat some of my dubia after the gnats are gone), but I would like to hear your suggestions.

 

[Sig]

A ping in a room full of gnats and fruit flies will turn black within a day or so... but I can't guarantee it would still make much of a dent in those insect populations. Dews will take in larger bugs, but not nearly as many of the smaller ones.

 

[enigma42]

Do you have a specific recommendation? I'm gone most of the day and can't give it full sun, so it has to be something extremely easy.

 

[Clue]

... I'm gone most of the day and can't give it full sun, so it has to be something extremely easy.

In that case, I would recommend yellow flypaper instead of a CP... they aren't forgiving of shady conditions in most, if not all, cases.

 

[Sig]

You could get some ivy and wrap it with the yellow traps... that would look pretty funny and be much easier!

 

[Indiana Gardener]

If you can find a cheap desk lamp fixture that will hold one of those compact florescent bulbs you could grow a pot of an easy sundew under that. My D. capensis likes the 100 watt equivalent daylight bulbs. Gnats seem to be drawn to them too.


David