How to get rid of fungus mosquitoes (sciarid)

The fungus mosquito of the family Sciaridae belongs to the soil insects that are found everywhere. Despite this, they belong to the least studied group of representatives of dipterans.The family has nearly thirty genera, including more than 1,700 species studied and described by scientists. Sciarids living in tropical regions of the Earth, and there are about twenty thousand species there, will be described in the near future. The fauna of Europe is not so rich in representatives of this family. About 600 species live here.

All mushroom mosquitoes have their own distinctive features, but they are almost invisible to the uninitiated person. Most often within Russia there are representatives of the Scirara, Lycoriella and Bradysia clans. Get rid of flower pests once and for all impossible. They will appear again if conditions favorable for their existence are created. The sciarids in the photo presented on the site confirm that they are very similar to each other. Differences of each kind can be seen only at high magnification.

Mushroom mosquito

Biological characteristics of the mushroom mosquito

A schiarid fly is a small mosquito, whose body length ranges from 1.5 to 4 mm. In young individuals, it reaches two millimeters. The color of the outer cover in adult insects is black, and in young it is light gray.The mushroom mosquito has a well-developed front translucent pair of wings, thanks to which they can fly well. Hind wings lost their original purpose. They were transformed into a club-shaped halter, so during the flight the insect makes a characteristic squeaking sound. The oral apparatus of the sciarid performs a sucking function.

Adults Stsiarid not harm the plants, because they do not feed. Insects under favorable conditions multiply very quickly. The female mushroom mosquito lays eggs on the surface of a well-moistened soil or in clods of soil between the roots of houseplants. In one clutch there can be up to three hundred eggs. After a few days, the larva-like fungal mosquito larvae appear from them. The length of their body can be from two to ten millimeters. It is translucent, with well visible intestines and a characteristic black head. On it it is possible to distinguish representatives of the flower pest from the annelids. Sciarid larvae have a gnawing mouth apparatus. They usually develop on decaying plant debris present in the soil.However, while in the flower pots of indoor plants, they may lack fodder substrates. The larvae of midges feed tender forage system and underground shoots of flowers than irreparable damage to plantings. After a while, pupation occurs and the young flies out. Abandoned shells decompose in the soil. You should pay attention to the fact that they do not tolerate dry soil. Extracted from the wet substrate, the sciaride larvae die within a short period of time.

Larvae of mushroom mosquito

The danger of mushroom mosquitoes for humans and houseplants

It should be immediately noted that the Scyaridae midges do not bite a person and do not drink his blood. This is confirmed by studies of American scientists. They, unlike midges, do not swarm near the face and do not climb into the eyes. However, sciarides are carriers of dangerous fungal diseases that are harmful not only to plants, but also to humans. Severe respiratory diseases can develop in humans after contact with infected plants and inhalation of spores of mold fungi that spread the front siiaridae.

As for the plants, the favorite food in the ground indoor plant pests are the roots of poinsettia, saintpaulia, anthurium, hibiscus, orchids and other household plants. In pots, where sciarid larvae appeared massively, the flowers no longer develop normally, they lose their attractive appearance, become sluggish and lose their ability to bloom. All this indicates that it is necessary to take care that in the indoor colors as soon as possible to exterminate dangerous pests.

The reasons for the appearance in the apartment of a mushroom mosquito

Mushroom mosquito in the house

To get rid of midges in indoor plants, it is necessary to establish the reason for their appearance in the room. The most common factors for the existence of a mushroom mosquito in an apartment are:

• high humidity in the apartment and improper care of home plants;
• the purchase in a specialized store of infected with larvae or adults of the flower sciaride;
• sciarid can enter the apartment through the ventilation channels, open the window or door;
• a warm and humid environment is an ideal condition for vital activityinsect. Having settled in such a room, they lay their eggs in a floral substrate and continue to exist.

Having established the way in which the flies appeared in the apartment, it is necessary to proceed to comprehensive measures for the destruction of pests.

Preparatory activities

Before you begin an effective action against pest control of indoor plants, you need to establish their number, place of mass habitat, and only after that decide how to get rid of the sciarid and which method to choose. Initially, you must perform the following steps:

• inspect the premises for the presence of food waste and establish ways for the Scyarid to enter the apartment;
• install protective nets for exhaust and ventilation ducts;
• check the soil in flower pots for the presence of larvae and, if necessary, replace it with a fresh substrate;
• conduct a revision of the root system of plants, in order to detect rotten areas;
• reduce the air humidity in the room due to additional ventilation.

After this set of activities, you can choose effective methods of controlling the mushroom mosquito.

Ways to kill fungal mosquitoes

It is possible to bring out mushroom mosquitoes and their larvae with the help of insecticidal preparations or to use time-tested folk remedies.

Folk recommendations

Having discovered that mushroom mosquitoes are bred in a flower pot with your favorite violets, it is necessary to reduce watering. If the degree of plant infection with sciarides is high, then fight the flies in flower pots will have to use more radical means. It is necessary to transplant the flower in a new land and remove a part of the rotted root system.

Important!

If the roots of the plant are not damaged, then it is enough to change the top layer of flower soil.
It is desirable to display sciarid using affordable and safe funds from midges:

Folk remedies for mushroom mosquito

• Infusion, prepared from dry tobacco to spray infected soil and the ground part of the plant. Handle five times at weekly intervals.
• Soap solution made from thirty grams of chips dissolved in a liter of water. Spraying is carried out by analogy with the previous method.
• The organization of the upper drainage. Pour a layer of fine gravel, coarse sand or expanded clay onto the ground surface.After watering, drainage will always be dry and will not allow sciarides to multiply.
• A light pink solution of potassium permanganate will allow to disinfect the ground in a pot.
• As a natural repellent, you can use citrus peels, garlic cloves, anise oil, which smeared flower pots or chopped dill, poured on the top layer of the earth.
• Sticky blackfly traplocated near flower pots.

All these tools will help get rid of mushroom mosquitoes. You can use the original unconventional way. To do this, growers recommend having nepents in the house - an insectivorous plant that will reduce the number of harmful insects.

Chemical insecticides

Sciaride can be destroyed with the help of effective chemicals. Before proceeding with the treatment of infected plants, you must collect the flying midges with a vacuum cleaner. The use of chemical preparations implies strict adherence to the recommendations set forth in the instructions.

Important!

After the use of insecticides, it is not recommended to water the treated plants for five days.

Funds from the mushroom mosquito

Getting rid of a mosquito will provide such effective substances:

• "Raid", "Neo-dichlorvos" and other means from flying insects, which should treat the room where there are home flowers;
• "Karbofos", "Agravertin", "Aktara", "Kinminks", "Aktellik", "Inta-vir" and other means that must be diluted in an appropriate proportion and pour contaminated soil;
• chalk "Masha";
• soil insecticides Pochin, Basdin and Thunder 2.

These and other remedies for sciarid, while observing the irrigation regime and proper care of flowers, will allow getting rid of pests.