I added several new houseplants to my home and noticed little gnats flying around that I think may be whiteflies. What should I use to treat the plants?
If the insects taking flight are white, then you have made the correct diagnosis and whiteflies are likely feeding on the foliage. They should also be easy to see on the backs of the leaves and can be controlled with a soap or oil spray available from your garden center. But when you catch one to get a close-up look, and it’s really a dark color, you may have fungus gnats flies that live in damp places such as your soil. These insects have an immature wormlike stage that when mature produces the winged adults. If this is the case, it’s probably best to take the plants outside and treat them with an insecticide made for use with houseplants that can be drenched on the soil. When the treatment dries and the odor dissipates, you can move the plants back indoors for display.
