I've searched this a lot, but I CANNOT get rid of those tiny gnats swirling around my house plants. I've tried spraying mixtures of vinegar and water and hydrogen peroxide and water, as suggested, but they aren't fazed. Anyone know? Thank you.

Try letting the soil surface dry out a bit more. You can also use 'Mosquito Bits' on the surface. Mosquitos are flies like gnats and the bits will control them too. It's a completely harmless, natural insecticide and does a good job.

Thank you!

The usual directions are to dissolve the bits in a watering can, then use that when watering plants.

Fungus gnats can be so annoying!
Household chemicals such as vinegar and peroxide won't kill the gnats, but can damage your plants.
Bt-i--Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis--is a least-toxic treatment. Yes, you can use Mosquito Bits or Mosquito Dunks, but there are several products that are easier to use. Gnatrol is a product formulated for use on houseplants. Just follow instructions to get rid of the larvae in the soil. Treat all of your plants at the same time.
This is unlikely to completely wipe them out forever, just re-treat when you notice even a few flying around again.
Yellow sticky traps will help catch the flying adults. They only live a week or two, so once you kill off the larva the adults will disappear shortly. Or let the sticky traps thin them out.
Some cultural practices can also help discourage them. Don't leave water in saucers. Let your plants dry out a bit more before watering. A thick layer of sand on top of the soil can keep the adults from laying eggs in the soil. I haven't tried it, but I've heard that they're not strong flyers, and a small fan that directs airflow away from your plants will keep the adults from getting back to the pots to lay eggs.
Bt-i is the least-toxic way to get rid of them. If you decide to nuke them, get a product with imidacloprid, made for houseplants. Bonide Systemic Insect Control Granules for Houseplants is one, there are others. Do not use it outdoors--it's very toxic to honeybees, butterflies, other pollinators and friendly insects in the environment. Use carefully only according to directions, this stuff is very toxic and bad for the environment. Again, treat all your plants at the same time.
Whatever you do, the gnats always eventually come back. Just keep an eye out for them and repeat the treatment as soon as you notice even a few. I end up treating my plants with Bt-i two or three times a year, this keeps them in check.

Thank you all. I had never heard of either of these solutions, so I will try! They are so annoying. I'm constantly clapping them in the air, looking like a crazy person (which my husband hasn't ruled out!) 😅

...i see bugs...

gamehensm said: Thank you all. I had never heard of either of these solutions, so I will try! They are so annoying. I'm constantly clapping them in the air, looking like a crazy person (which my husband hasn't ruled out!) 😅

I sympathize with you completely. Gnats have been a serious problem for us for years because of the houseplants. They die in our food on the stove, they get trapped in the bubbles in the sink, they fly in our faces, ears and noses and even get in the microwave and crawl on our plates of food and we have to keep stuff covered. Try trapping the gnats in a apple cider vinegar trap. Fly strips in your kitchen can help to. Keep your sink emptied out to keep them from being attracted to there. Have a fan blowing across your face keep them blown away while you eat.

Thank you!

I quit having a problem with gnats when I quit using "potting soil", which means that I no longer use peat moss. It's not necessary to have gnats just because you have potted plants inside. Even though my plants are outside for most of the year and when frost is predicted, all get carried in, there are not gnats in my house.

Purpleinopp, it may be the difference in climate. I don't use peat moss in any of my indoor plants — maybe there is a percentage that is put into "all purpose" potting soil, but I don't mix any in. I also don't have them around my Peace Lily, Hindu Roos or ZZ plants. But I DO have them buzzing around me when I'm not that close to a plant sometimes (hence the clapping the air!). I have ordered mosquito bits which should be here today and am hopeful. 🙏🏻

If you bought a bag called "potting soil," there's a 99% chance it has peat moss in it, possibly little else.

But agree about climate differences. In a more dry climate, a lot of people report that a potting mix that dries more slowly is more of a pro, not a con. But here where it's moist and steamy, just putting a bag of that stuff where plants can see it could kill them. LOL! OK, that's an exaggeration, but it feels true.

Hi all, Well, I've tried the mosquito bits — 2 rounds of watering, but the gnats persist. I have yellow sticky strips, which are always loaded, but I replace them and they just keep coming (not to mention the strips, which I cut and stick in the sides of pot, are not very attractive). Although people here have said that hydrogen peroxide doesn't work, my hairdresser has tons of beautiful, healthy plants in her salon and said HP worked for her. I do have BT for my geranium worms so maybe I will try that. The problem is, these are small plants — not in huge pots; so they can only be watered so often and I'm afraid putting all these different solutions in the water will kill the plants. I may just have to adopt them and treat them as pets, since they don't seem to hurt the plants.

Question:
How did you apply the Mosquito Bits? I just sprinkle a layer on top of the soil and water as usual. They're made not to dissolve right away, they gradually leach into the soil and do their work.
There are different forms of Bt. For gnats, mosquitoes and flies you want Bt-i.
Bt-k is for caterpillars ("worms") and won't work on fungus gnats.
Some people swear by peroxide. I don't. It can damage plant tissue, especially roots. I don't recommend it.
If you can, you might try the Gnatrol, which is made for houseplants. It's easy to use and works well.
Don't give up! You don't have to put up with swarms of gnats in your house in order to keep houseplants. If they're really driving you nuts, go for at least one round of the Imidacloprid.
BTW, they're tiny and poorly defended--outdoors their natural predators clean them up.

Thank you, MsDoe. I used the bits as instructed as well as leaving some of them on top. Also, thanks for differentiating the BT-i from BT-k. Gnatrol sounds promising too. I will slowly persevere! Like I said, I can only water them so often with these different solutions. 😅

Repotting and, for so many plants, propagating are also options. I lean more toward those than having a pot of dead bugs.

Thank you, Tiffany, but don't they just come back?

It's possible, but it would take a while to develop into an infestation again. Are they all of your pots, or just some? If you already said what kind of plants have gnats in their pots, I forgot. That would make a difference to me.

I have 2 ZZ plants, a croton and a peace lily that don't have any. I have 2 Hindu ropes that are just starting to show more of them and the worst is a (I believe) dragon tree plant (pictured), which is the worst; but I think that's because it is in the bathroom where there's more humidity.

For that particular plant, I would repot. Dracaenas respond well to it. Shake off the old soil, rinse off the roots, trim off any really long roots, replace in the same pot if you want, but after cleaning it off, and with new soil.