Cutworms - Cutworms are soil-dwelling caterpillars of several species of moth. In June and July the moths lay eggs in batches of 30-50 on leaves and stems. The emerging caterpillars are up to 40mm long and are often creamy-brown, greenish-brown or greyish-white in colour. They feed on many vegetables, fruit and ornamental plants and, after a couple of months, pupate in the soil. A second generation hatches out in August or September to feed, and to overwinter when the weather gets colder. Sciarid fly can be a pest of a wide range of plants including ornamental flowers and vegetables around the home, in greenhouses and in propagation cold frames. Cultural control is the basis of any effective integrated pest management (IPM) programme for both sciarid and shore flies. Sciarid fly larvae thrive in moist growing media and infected root ti ssue. Therefore g ood nursery hygiene, keeping benches, floors and irrigation equipment clean, remov ing heavily infested and diseased plant material, avoiding over-watering and giving adequate ventilation to crops are key cultural control methods . Sciarid Zoot Off Granules – Stop Sciarid Flies laying their eggs in your pots / containers / seed trays by adding a layer of Sciarid Zoot Off to the surface of your compost – layer should be at least 1cm deep. It can be spread around established plants or applied after seeds have been sown and the seedlings will germinate through the dressing. This new granular product is made from dried, crushed olive pommace (the dried left-overs from making organic olive oil) with an added volcanic mineral. Sciarid Zoot Off is made out of natural / non-toxic ingredients, is attractive in appearance, fragrant, biodegradable, safe to use and is totally safe for pets and wildlife. Available in 1.7kg bags, each bag will cover 1.2 sqm. How it works :- Fungus gnat larvae are normally brought in from infested potting soil, or soil in a new houseplant. They can also be brought in by firewood, since they like the damp bark.

Fungus gnats, also known as sciarid flies, affect all types of plants including flowers, fruits and vegetables. They especially love indoor or greenhouse plants in pots and containers due to their moist soil and/or humid conditions, and can be very irritating to have flying around inside. Sciarid Fly thrive in warm moist conditions and are a particular problem where greenhouse hygiene may have been overlooked. Water at the beginning of the day and try to avoid excessive wetness at the end of the day and always sweep up excess compost and plant debris, ensuring the growing bench is as clean as possible all of the time. How to get rid of Sciarid FlyThe adult beetle is 3 – 4 mm long, dark brown and shiny, with beaded antennae, short wings and an upturned rear end. The adults are very active and can run and fly but often remain hidden within the growing media and under pots or trays. The young larvae are small and white , while the older larvae reach 3 – 4 mm in length and are brownish-yellow . D . coriaria is recommended for use in t he early stages of infestation. Water from the bottom using a tray, rather than the top. Since the eggs tend to be laid near the top of the soil, this prevents the top section becoming too moist. You can create your own gnat trap simply with a bowl of apple cider vinegar and a few drops of washing-up liquid. The vinegar attracts the gnats, whilst the washing-up liquid makes it hard for them to leave. Hypoaspis mites are a great solution, they are hard working, crawling over the compost to find their prey. They are fine in dryer conditions don't need lots of compost to live in. They can work well as a preventative measure to stop new outbreaks as they have a reputation of living for quite a long time without food (when they have been previously fed). Maybe even giving you protection for a few months.

Seedlings and cuttings are most affected by this and so are a major problem for herbs, greenhouses and nurseries. Welcome to our new House Plant Pest Series where we will release a number of dedicated blogs on common house plant pests throughout the year. The first issue regards Fungus Flies, a pest that is currently highly prevalent in homes across the U.K. Fungus Fly Larvae feed on plant roots, and are capable of killing young plants if left untreated. Overwatering Plants Can Lead To Infestations Kleidotoma psiloides is another naturally occurring p arasitoid of shore fly larvae, found on UK protected ornamentals in PC 239, which behaves in a similar way to A. debilitata .The Fungus Fly, also known as the Sciarid Fly, can cause severe damage to many plants including house plants and plants being propagated. These tiny flies will lay eggs in compost or soil, from which larvae develop. T he larvae often feed on young plants and seedlings at propagation and are a very common pest in house plants. Damp conditions and organic plant matter will provide an ideal breeding ground for the larvae, which will feed on plant roots causing damping off and seedling collapse. The larvae, at large numbers, can also spread soil-borne diseases such as Pythium. Once the larvae develop into adults they become nuisance pests, forming small clouds of flies when disturbed. What Are Fungus Fly Killer Nematodes & How Can They Help? Add 0.5L of the nematode concentrate to a w atering can or sprayer (hand held sprayers should suffice, with filters removed, or use our specific nematode applicator, the Nema Super Sprayer, for optimum nematode application) with up to 8L of water.

Fungus Fly are primarily a nuisance pest but can damage plants if allowed to build up in large numbers. The larvae of the flies sit in compost, or soil, and feed on plant roots. This can weaken plants and, in severe cases, kill young plants. Fungus Fly can also spread a number of plant diseases. Long yellow roller traps will catch more adult sciarid and shore flies than standard-sized traps but should be used with care in IPM programmes as they will not control the pests in their own right and will also catch flying beneficial insects .

How to get rid of Sciarid Fly

Killing fungus gnats off for good is difficult since each female lays around 150 eggs in their short lifetime. Fungus gnat numbers grow exponentially, and once set in can be hard to eradicate completely. Traps St ratiolaelaps scimitus ( Hypoaspis miles) and Macrocheles robustulus are ground-dwelling predatory mites commonly used for sciarid fly control and can be very effective. Adult females of both species are up to 0.8 mm long, off-white , with a pale brown shield covering most of the upper surface of the body. The adult parasitic wasps are small and dark, about 1.5 mm long, with narrow ‘waists’ and long beaded antennae. The females have paddle-shaped wings, but the males have very reduced wings and are unable to fly . The adults can be found on the surface of growing media, on benches or floor coverings where shore flies are present. The females lay each of their eggs inside a shore fly larva, and the parasitoid develops inside the body of the lar va and pupa. When fully developed, the adult emerges from the parasitised shore fly pupa. To treat Sciarid fly, mix the nematodes with water and water directly into the affected pots / trays. Fungus gnats are often more numerous in composts that are constantly wet, allowing compost to dry can reduce infestations, provided this does not affect the health of plants. Potting media formulated for houseplants is the best choice for indoor plants