Stenema 100m² nematodes against sciarid larvae (against larvae of the sciarid fly)

What are mourning flies or mourning gnats?

Mourning flies are black small flies that live in plant material such as potting soil, planters, flower pots and so on....

Houseplants are regularly infested by these potting soil flies. But it is not the black flies that cause the greatest damage, but the larvae of the mourning flies. The larvae feed on the roots of plants, which can cause them to die if they are present in large numbers.

Stenema nematodes against sciarid larvae

To avoid the death of your houseplant and to be rid of this pest, you best combat them with nematodes. Stenema contains active nematodes Steinernema feltiae which parasitize the larvae of sciarid flies, preventing the development of adult sciarid flies.

The nematodes are harmless to plants and completely safe for humans, animals (including earthworms) and the environment. There is no problem with resistance and the product is odorless.

Applying nematodes against sciarid flies

We are going to dissolve the nematodes in water and pour it on the potting soil. We speak of a soil treatment. The product will be active in the soil for 4 weeks and will kill off the larvae present. Stenema can be used outdoors at a soil temperature of 10 to 12°C. Indoors it can be used all year round.

Tip: Do not only treat the affected plants, but all your houseplants immediately. This way the flies can not build up a population and you are immediately completely relieved.

Preventive and/or curative treatment

Stenema can be used both preventively and curatively.

Preventive control of sciarids

Mourning gnats are usually a problem in young seedlings and cuttings during the first six weeks of breeding. Treating preventatively prevents sciarid fly from developing and one treatment is sufficient. For slow growing plants it is recommended to give a second treatment after 4 to 5 weeks.

Curative control of sciarid flies

When starting the treatment with Stenema at the moment sciarid flies are present, it takes 2 to 3 weeks after the treatment before the number of adult flies decreases significantly. But even then the problem is still solved, young plants can die during this period.

Potting soil flies in houseplants

Many people let the potting soil of houseplants dry out when they suffer from potting soil flies. Dry soil indeed slows down the development of the flies but will not stop it. This measure is therefore only a temporary solution and unfavorable when using nematodes.

Stenema cannot be applied in dry potting soil. So you must moisturize the pots before applying Stenema. Nematodes need moist soil to work. Moreover, if you pour the solution of nematodes into dry potting soil, the potting soil cannot hold it and the nematodes will run out of the pot at the bottom. This should be avoided at all costs because you will lose a large part of the active nematodes.

m² ~ m³

A package for 10m² covers up to 500 liters (0.5m³) of soil.

A package for 100m² covers up to 5000 liters (5m³) of soil.

One package for 500m² treats up to 25000 liters (25m³) of potting soil.