Teeny tiny bugs in my house - Ask Extension
I have found tiny bugs in my kitchen from time to time. They are smaller than fruit flies, and I suspect they were brought inside from my outdoor gera...
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Teeny tiny bugs in my house #823226
Asked March 23, 2023, 1:16 PM EDT
I have found tiny bugs in my kitchen from time to time. They are smaller than fruit flies, and I suspect they were brought inside from my outdoor geraniums (which I keep from year to year in a sunny window, photo 1) or a decorative plant that died when I moved it inside last fall. A friend watered my plants in Oct when we were gone for a month, and she apologized for killing the tall plant. I'm guessing it was the bugs, not her. That dead plant has since been moved to the garage last fall until I get around to disposing of it, photo 2. All of my live plants consist of 4 geraniums and one plant (I don't know what it is), which seems very healthy, in another room, photo 3. I thought I noticed "spider webs" in one of the geraniums a month or so ago, but I cleaned them out along with dead leaves and dead stems. I never see the bugs on any of the leaves. In years past my geraniums have flowered all winter, but not this year. Presently only a few blooms have appeared. Is this because of the bugs? How do I get rid of the insects? Do I just put up with (almost) nonflowering geraniums until I move them outside? Will the bugs die when the geraniums go outside? Thank you so much!
Carver County Minnesota
Expert Response
Plants that are overwatered often get fungus gnats. What is your watering schedule? Without pictures we cannot positively identify the insect. You could set some sticky traps. See the following websites for additional information.
1.https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/insect/indoor/flies/small/fungus-gnats.html
2. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/insect/indoor/
3. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/insect/indoor/flies/small/fungus-gnats.html
1.https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/insect/indoor/flies/small/fungus-gnats.html
2. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/insect/indoor/
3. https://apps.extension.umn.edu/garden/diagnose/insect/indoor/flies/small/fungus-gnats.html