Wednesday 11 May 2016

And Then There Was The Time Fruit Flies Weren't

Once upon a time, one of the grocery stores here were selling these little potted plants that had magnets on the side of the pot so you could stick them on your fridge.

I impulse bought one (because so cute!) and at some point, saw that it was growing outwards in a funny way so I decided to propagate it.  (I think that's the proper term.  I wanted to say "have babies" but I didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea)

I repotted the, uh.. growing bit that I took out and, I don't know, water... somethinged?  And it continued to do well, and I felt like a really good plant momma.

A few of weeks ago, though, I noticed that there were little flies around.  Fruit flies.  UGH.

A couple of weeks ago, I noticed more than a few of the fruit flies around this plant, and figured there was some kind of issue with the plant that was causing them to hatch.  Boo.

I went and got some apple cider vinegar to catch the fruit flies, and moved the plant to dry up the soil for a while, and I also ordered some aquarium gravel (someone on the internet said that flies from houseplants often are coming from the dirt and you can "smother" the larvae with the gravel.)

Two days later and none of the fruit flies had made it into the trap.  So.... clearly not fruit flies.

Some kind of gnat is the best guess the internet searches gave me, and I'm hoping that the gravel (which hasn't arrived yet, I amazon-ed it) will work and that it's the soil at fault and not the plant rotting (I sometimes have problems with plants that aren't super leafy... I, for example, have tended to kill Jades and Cacti and the like with overwatering... and this little guy's Jade-ish... but not)

So, I'm hoping that I don't have to throw my plant out or replant it in someone's garden (because it'll likely die with the change of temperature) but yeah.  Those them there fruit flies?  Weren't.

Le sigh.

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