The main sign of gnats are the sightings of the adults as they fly about in the air. Gnats typically are small and long-legged insects. They often are weak fliers.
Gnat is the common name for many small, winged insects in the fly grouping. There are many differences between fruit flies vs gnats. Some species are excellent plant pollinators and feed on crop pests such as aphids and scales.
Other gnats, such as the Hessian fly, are crop pests themselves. Depending on species, gnats can be biting or nonbiting and will feed on plants, other insects or blood. For some species, males assemble in large mating swarms known as ghosts. These swarms occur most commonly at dusk in large fields and above streets.
Depending on the species, gnat eggs are laid on land or water. Larvae may be immobile or capable of movement by way of rocks and water plants.
Adults range in size but usually are no larger than 33 mm. The larval and adult stages of the gnat are considered both beneficial and detrimental. The best control for fungus gnats is to identify any plants that have wet soil and let that soil dry completely before the next watering. This will kill the larval stages in the soil.
The adult gnats can be removed with a vacuum cleaner from windows and from around the plants. Watering plants only when they need water will help prevent fungus gnat infestations. For most gnat populations, their food source must be located and corrected if possible. Fruit should not be exposed to open air. Electric fly exploders that electrocute individual gnats may help to control their populations outside but also kill many beneficial insects. Inside, insect traps that are plugged into electrical outlets work by emitting ultraviolet light sources.
Flying insects are attracted to this light and are caught by the sticky surface of the trap when they approach. Most of these methods address only individual, adult specimens. In order to properly treat an entire gnat infestation, including larvae, it is best to consult a pest control professional. Are Gnats Attracted to Light?
Black Gnats. It does, however, point to fungus gnats being resilient and also suggest freezing is not a very effective method for killing fungus gnats.
Instead of placing an infested potted container outside in the freezing temperature, you may want to seek alternative methods to eliminating these nuisance pests. Hot temperature is also unlikely to cause fungus gnats to die unless you give the infested soil a proper bake. Habitat favorability includes such things as the quality, quantity and availability of food sources, plus access to available moisture and protection within their habitat.
As an example, fungus gnats commonly develop in residential potted plants and large ornamental plantings within commercial malls and business site lobbies. When these sites are overwatered, fungus gnats generally live longer and produce more offspring than when plant soil is kept only damp enough to sustain healthy plants.
These flies all develop via complete metamorphosis and go through four life stages — egg, larvae, pupae and adult. The longevity of these gnats is not very impressive since they do not live for a long time.
However, their ability to reproduce and keep themselves well populated is very impressive. For example, fruit fly adults do not live very long, but each female fly has the potential to deposit as many as eggs or more in her lifetime. Fruit fly adults may live from about days or less and can take from days to complete a life cycle.
Phorid fly adults may live from about days and the life cycle may take from as few as 8 days to about 37 days to complete.
0コメント