Succulents are popular throughout the world because they’re inexpensive, beautiful, and easy to take care of. Whether you have them inside or outside, there’s no denying their simple maintenance schedule. However, you might be worried about the presence of flies and other bugs that could infest your succulents.
Succulents attract flies if there’s too much moisture in the soil. Water attracts flies, allowing them to breed and thrive in the soil. To stop flies from ruining your succulents, never add too much water at a time. Succulents don’t need to be watered often since they’re from a desert climate.
Throughout this article, you’ll also learn the following information about flies being attracted to succulents:
- Numerous reasons that your succulents are covered in flies
- How you can keep flies away from your plants and soil
- Tips to remove flies from the area without harming your succulents
Why Do Flies Land on Succulents?
Succulents are often thought of as one of the easiest plants for beginners to take care of. That being said, it doesn’t mean that they’re without fault. It’s not uncommon for a succulent to get infested with flies. Surprisingly enough, succulents have quite a few properties that naturally attract flies.
Here’s a list of reasons that flies land on succulents:
- Excess moisture in the soil creates a perfect breeding ground for flies. Flies need a still source of water to reproduce. This reason is why you see so many flies and other bugs on lakes but not rivers. If you’re adding water too often, your succulents won’t be able to absorb it. The excess water will be a place for flies to grow.
- The fungus grows in the soil, leading to flies showing up for food. Gardening Know How mentions that fungus grows on moist, dark soil. When fungus grows on the roots of your plants, it starts to attract nearby flies. You’ll wake up one morning with dozens of bugs buzzing around your succulent.
- Improper drainage causes the soil to have pockets of water below the surface. Much like the aforementioned issue of overwatering your succulents, not enough drainage will cause water to build up inside of the gardening pot. Small pockets of moisture and fungus will grow, leading to an increase in local flies.
- Your soil, succulent, or gardening pot is unclean. Dirty surfaces attract flies because they have their food source. When your succulents have been neglected, flies and other bugs will start to find a residency. It might be any of these three components that lead to more flies showing up.
- You might be using compost with manure as fertilizer. We all know that flies love manure because it’s their food source, and it allows them to reproduce. If you’re using a compost mixture that has too much manure, there’s no doubt that you’ll have countless flies show up.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons that flies might be landing on your plants. Whether it’s the moisture in the soil or the fungus growing on the roots, your succulents could be calling countless bugs. If you want to know how to remove flies from your plants, proceed to the next section.
How to Remove Them
Now that you know what causes flies to attach themselves to your succulents, it’s time to learn how you can remove them. It might seem like all hope is lost, especially if there are tons of flies and larvae throughout the soil. Fortunately, there are a few things that you can do to keep your plant healthy and thriving.
Try these suggestions:
Start by drying out the soil with a clean paper towel.
Using a clean paper towel to dab the soil will remove loads of excess moisture. Continue this suggestion until the soil feels dry to the touch. Once everything’s good to go, lightly sift through the top layer of soil to reveal underlying moisture. Dab it with a paper towel and repeat the process until the soil is completely dry.
Remove the flies and their larvae.
Rather than using harmful chemicals that could ruin your succulents, try removing the flies and larvae by hand. It might seem a bit gross, but you can put on gloves and start digging through the soil. Removing the flies and their larvae is a huge step in the process because it stops them from reproducing. You might not get all of them, but it’s worth the time.
Consider repotting the succulent.
If all else fails, you might have to replant the succulent. Unfortunately, not all soil can be saved. If you leave the plant in bad soil for too long, it could ruin the roots and permanently damage the succulent. Get a new gardening pot with fresh soil, carefully remove the succulent, and replant it. Add a small amount of water to let the roots stay hydrated.
Once you complete all of the removal steps, it’s time to find out how you can prevent the flies from coming back. The last thing you want is to have to keep going back and replant your succulent every few months. Read on to learn top-notch tips and tricks to keep them away.
Preventative Methods for Flies on Succulents
- Use a water globe to properly water the soil regularly. Try the Alotm Plant Watering Bulbs. They’re budget-friendly and fairly self-explanatory. All you have to do is fill the bulb with water and stick it into the soil. Make sure you avoid the roots, then refill the bulb with water whenever it’s drained.
- Remove bugs when you first see them, not later on down the road. Don’t allow flies and their larvae to take hold of your succulent. Even if you only see a few of them flying in the area, it’s a good idea to start setting traps right away, and You’ll learn more about making fly traps in the fifth step.
- Take out any trace of manure in the soil. As mentioned earlier in the post, manure can attract countless flies and other bugs. If you want to keep them from coming back, get rid of 100% of the manure, so you don’t have to worry about them coming back. Fortunately, most indoor succulents don’t use manure compost.
- Create drainage holes at the bottom of the gardening pot. Use a drill and make ¼-inch holes in the bottom. You only need a few holes to make a massive difference in the drainage. When there’s not enough water falling through, it creates fungal growth. Start with one hole, test the drainage, and repeat as needed.
- Make a fly trap. Find Any Answer states that making a fly trap can change everything. Flies are attracted to anything sweet. Take an empty tapered water bottle, pour red wine inside, and set it next to the succulent. Some people prefer to pour some apple cider vinegar in a shallow saucer. Both methods will catch flies and prevent them from getting into the succulent’s soil.
Conclusion
Succulents don’t attract flies by themselves, but when they’re not properly maintained, they’ll be a home for a host of bugs. The best piece of advice to keep your succulents fly-free is to keep them healthy and aerated.
Here’s a quick rundown of the post:
- Too much moisture in the soil can attract flies who want to breed.
- Fungal growth on a succulent’s roots can bring flies and other bugs.
- Make sure there’s enough drainage in the gardening pot.
- You might have to replant your succulent if the flies don’t go away.