Indoor potted aloe vera infestation

[Marie2020]

I've always wanted a aloe vera plant and had a little beauty, sadly it is a breeding area for these nasty little flies. I changed the soil and they came back again, I added a little benonite clay but they came back again so then I added a bit of rosemary and lavender this didn't work either.
This is my second plant by the way and the same thing was happening to my last plant.
Would anyone here have any ideas? this is sending me loopy

 

[flowerbug]

I've always wanted a aloe vera plant and had a little beauty, sadly it is a breeding area for these nasty little flies. I changed the soil and they came back again, I added a little benonite clay but they came back again so then I added a bit of rosemary and lavender this didn't work either.
This is my second plant by the way and the same thing was happening to my last plant.
Would anyone here have any ideas? this is sending me loopy

if you are talking about fungus gnats (little black tiny flies) they are mostly harmless. since aloe vera plants can likely handle a more mineral soil perhaps you should change the soil to a mineral based cactus mix and see how that goes? and perhaps step back on the watering. those are my thoughts.

i've had some bad infestations of fungus gnats that i took the houseplants outside and put them under a tree for the rest of the summer. had to remember to water them but otherwise they did ok. came back in in the fall. once the plants died back for their normal winter dormancy i repotted them all in fresh potting soil and haven't had a repeat incident yet.

i keep worm buckets and sometimes the fungus gnats will try to get going in those too, but the past year or so i've been using little tiny spiders to capture them and it has almost been working (except in one case where there were just too many fungus gnats for the tiny spiders to keep up with). that bucket went entirely out into the gardens this past May planting time so that took care of that problem. i also transplanted some of the spiders into a few gardens to encourage them to capture some of the bugs out there. i'm always trying to add diversity to my gardens any way i can. all of the worm buckets i have wood lice, springtails and other soil community creatures that will keep busy breaking everything down for me while i'm getting ready for the next year. since i just restarted all the buckets i won't know how they're really doing for a few months and then i will start making sure they all have some of each kind of soil creature i can detect in them. it keeps me amused in the winter and gets my hands dirty a little bit...

um, ok, i do wander around in my ramblings too here on TEG... haha...

 

[Marie2020]

if you are talking about fungus gnats (little black tiny flies) they are mostly harmless. since aloe vera plants can likely handle a more mineral soil perhaps you should change the soil to a mineral based cactus mix and see how that goes? and perhaps step back on the watering. those are my thoughts.

i've had some bad infestations of fungus gnats that i took the houseplants outside and put them under a tree for the rest of the summer. had to remember to water them but otherwise they did ok. came back in in the fall. once the plants died back for their normal winter dormancy i repotted them all in fresh potting soil and haven't had a repeat incident yet.

i keep worm buckets and sometimes the fungus gnats will try to get going in those too, but the past year or so i've been using little tiny spiders to capture them and it has almost been working (except in one case where there were just too many fungus gnats for the tiny spiders to keep up with). that bucket went entirely out into the gardens this past May planting time so that took care of that problem. i also transplanted some of the spiders into a few gardens to encourage them to capture some of the bugs out there. i'm always trying to add diversity to my gardens any way i can. all of the worm buckets i have wood lice, springtails and other soil community creatures that will keep busy breaking everything down for me while i'm getting ready for the next year. since i just restarted all the buckets i won't know how they're really doing for a few months and then i will start making sure they all have some of each kind of soil creature i can detect in them. it keeps me amused in the winter and gets my hands dirty a little bit...

um, ok, i do wander around in my ramblings too here on TEG... haha...

You are amazing, thank you so much.

I am stuck with this plant, it's a mess and there's no where local to buy cactus soil. I do have play sand and wonder if I can mix this with compost would that work? I broke a lot of the leaves transporting it outside to change the soil last time.



We still have lockdown here and very few buses as the local company has not been paid, so really hard to get out getting home is a nightmare, it's literally killing elderly people trying to get food shopping, one man I thought would die yesterday after being refused as we are only allowed 10 people per bus he had to wait another hour, it's so cruel .

Any help on this plant is appreciated, I need it for a medical problem right now.

 

[flowerbug]

no, don't mix in any organic material, if you want to lighten the soil use perlite. likely the fungus gnat problem is coming from the compost to begin with. they're very ephemeral creatures. in the late winter when we walk in the woods (well we used to walk in the woods) they'd be all over the snow.

wow, right now going out in the middle of the day here would likely kill a lot of older people as it is getting up to 35.5C. hopefully this is the last day for a while of this extreme of heat/humidity.

back to the fungus gnats, they're fairly harmless to many plants, can you put the plant outside under a tree where the light isn't too strong to start with and then gradually move it into more light (after a few days)? this way the gnats won't bother you indoors.

 

[Marie2020]

@flowerbug I have soaked garlic in water to wipe the leave's which started turning brown, removed the top of the soil. But cant find the perlite shops refuse to deliver. People are losing their jobs and companies are closing those that are open just won't deliver. Thanks very much I'm still trying to find perlite and sharp sand would sharp sand help?

 

[Marie2020]

Plus a sprayed watered down peroxide on top of the soil. Will put plant out when I can find anything to top it up with

 

[Marie2020]

Really appreciated your direction .I called b&q they have perlite cactus soil and vermiculite. I hope this plant can hold on because my nieghbor said he can pick all up including and aloe vera plant for me on the weekend. Wish I could post you a plant as a thank you gift
Hoping the weather cools down for you all there @ducks4you was having trouble with the heat . We've had a lot of humidity here too. Yet there was smoke looking plumes over the hills yesterday when it was raining, most odd @flowerbug

 

[flowerbug]

good to hear! nice neighbor!

 

[Marie2020]

good to hear! nice neighbor!

He's my gem.

 

[flowerbug]

thank you for the thoughts, but basically what i hope is that when i help someone out or give them plants or beans/seeds that they just pass the good will along to those around them - whichever is convenient and good.

gardeners are my clan.