I was wondering if fungus gnats can harm plants. I am not sure that i have them but i think thats what it is and its not in my plant soil but its in my reptile tank soil. Can these harm my plants that i have growing around the room or effect them at all?
I've heard that the gnat larva can harm roots, but normally the harm is in the over watering that leads to the gnats. I don't know what your reptile tank is like, but less water equals no gnats.
While overwatering will encourage fungus gnats, underwatering won't get rid of them. I've let plants get so dry they wilted and had significant dieback, but it still didn't solve the fungus gnat infestation. There's also a common myth that they're only found in the surface layer of soil. Not true; they also use the bottoms of plant pots, entering and exiting through the drainage holes. And it is even less easy to get the soil to dry out there without killing the plants.
I think you would definitely know if you had fungus gnats, because you'd see them flying around. You could always "Gnatrol" to kill the larvae (its biological so I think your reptles would be safe) but it cost $120.00 for a 2.5 gallon jug.
