What is this nasty little critter?

[NYCorchidman]

I have them and they seem to be seasonal. When the weather is hot like in the middle of the summer or in the dead of winter, I don't see any. then they start flying around during other times. They lay many eggs so in no time you will see lots and lots!
I try and kill any flying adults that I find. a few every day now.
I highly recommend butterwort plant (ping in short I think?). It's rather attractive green little plant with pretty purple flowers.
I bought one single growth plant last May and it gave me lots of flowers over the summer. and it has now grown to five plants! I see flower buds emerging again!

Anyways, since I started to grow butterwort (ping), the fungus gnat population decreased noticeably.
You can basically see the dead bugs stuck on their leaves. lol

[astrid]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I have them and they seem to be seasonal. When the weather is hot like in the middle of the summer or in the dead of winter, I don't see any. then they start flying around during other times. They lay many eggs so in no time you will see lots and lots!
I try and kill any flying adults that I find. a few every day now.
I highly recommend butterwort plant (ping in short I think?). It's rather attractive green little plant with pretty purple flowers.
I bought one single growth plant last May and it gave me lots of flowers over the summer. and it has now grown to five plants! I see flower buds emerging again!

Anyways, since I started to grow butterwort (ping), the fungus gnat population decreased noticeably.
You can basically see the dead bugs stuck on their leaves. lol

I actually just picked up a pinguicula/butterwort the other day!! I am already trying to propagate it from 6 pulled off leaves, haha!!

I'm excited about it! I hope I don't kill it. How do you keep yours? I am keeping mine in just a few mm of standing water because I heard they hate hate hate to dry out.

[camille1585]

Originally Posted by astrid

I'm excited about it! I hope I don't kill it. How do you keep yours? I am keeping mine in just a few mm of standing water because I heard they hate hate hate to dry out.

Yup, they need to be standing in water all the time. What sort of water are you giving it? It's best to use rain water, or RO water, or some other sort of pure water. These carnivorous plants grow in nutrient poor conditions, so most of the time tap water will be too rich for them.

[NYCorchidman]

Astrid- How many growth does your ping have?
Mine was one growth plant with about 2in across last May when I bought it. It double in size and began to flower abundantly by the fall. Now it has divided itself into 5 parts, each with its own "rosette" and some with flower buds.
So these grow quite fast and robust!
I hope you are not hurting the plant when too young.

By the way, I have been trying to keep it moist at all time but never had it sit on water. but apparently it is super happy here with me. haha
Are these swamp plants??
I know sticky dew (I'm too lazy to recall the real name) plants are found in wet land growing on moist moss but not in the water itself.
Depending on the nature of your potting mix, I guess standing it in water may work or may kill it in the long run?
I have not repotted mine yet but I'm scared as to how to go about doing it. I remember it was planted in some dark dirt. Now I can see any dirt because the plant has grown so much it is literally about to walk out the pot. looks kind of like chicks and hen plant.

Oh, and I have been watering with tap water. never fertilized it although it caught many fungus gnat on its own.

[Subrosa]

Ime Pinguicula don't hold a candle to Drosera species for eating fungus gnats. D. capensis, D. filiformis, D. roseana and D. scopioides are all species that seem to trap the most for me.

[astrid]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

Astrid- How many growth does your ping have?
Mine was one growth plant with about 2in across last May when I bought it. It double in size and began to flower abundantly by the fall. Now it has divided itself into 5 parts, each with its own "rosette" and some with flower buds.
So these grow quite fast and robust!
I hope you are not hurting the plant when too young.

By the way, I have been trying to keep it moist at all time but never had it sit on water. but apparently it is super happy here with me. haha
Are these swamp plants??
I know sticky dew (I'm too lazy to recall the real name) plants are found in wet land growing on moist moss but not in the water itself.
Depending on the nature of your potting mix, I guess standing it in water may work or may kill it in the long run?
I have not repotted mine yet but I'm scared as to how to go about doing it. I remember it was planted in some dark dirt. Now I can see any dirt because the plant has grown so much it is literally about to walk out the pot. looks kind of like chicks and hen plant.

Oh, and I have been watering with tap water. never fertilized it although it caught many fungus gnat on its own.

It was under hot grow lights where I bought it, and their pings were also standing in a little bit of water. I have read some people suggesting to keep it in 3/4 deep in water, which seems a bit excessive to me!!

This plant has a big rosette (just over 2 inches) with shallow roots. It seemed big and healthy enough to me to pull some leaves and try to propagate but we will see. I know where to get more if I accidentally kill this one!!

I am also watering mine with tap water, but I read in NYC that they get water from snow runoff so it is deficient in many chemicals and minerals compared to many other places in the country. We'll see what happens with my plants! I am just experimenting at this point. Mine is already catching nasty lil fungus gnats, so I am happy!

[NYCorchidman]

I see. Apparently that works!
I did not know you can pull the leaves off and make more plants off of them. Very interesting!

Tap water in NYC (well, depending on the area and the building) is very low in TDS, so I use it on my orchids all the time and so far so good.

---------- Post added at 04:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:35 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Ime Pinguicula don't hold a candle to Drosera species for eating fungus gnats. D. capensis, D. filiformis, D. roseana and D. scopioides are all species that seem to trap the most for me.

I think my ping is somehow a bit dry this year as opposed to being sticky on their leaves.
Last year, it was covered with black bugs on a good day! lol

I will have to search drosera now.

Ok, drosera, I know what it is. I just call it stick dew.
I don't think they will be happy here. They are more of a greenhouse and vivarium type of plants that need very high humidity to do well.

Plus, ping is very "normal" looking with pretty flowers.

[Subrosa]

Originally Posted by NYCorchidman

I see. Apparently that works!
I did not know you can pull the leaves off and make more plants off of them. Very interesting!

Tap water in NYC (well, depending on the area and the building) is very low in TDS, so I use it on my orchids all the time and so far so good.

---------- Post added at 04:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:35 PM ----------



I think my ping is somehow a bit dry this year as opposed to being sticky on their leaves.
Last year, it was covered with black bugs on a good day! lol

I will have to search drosera now.

Ok, drosera, I know what it is. I just call it stick dew.
I don't think they will be happy here. They are more of a greenhouse and vivarium type of plants that need very high humidity to do well.

Plus, ping is very "normal" looking with pretty flowers.

Say what?! I grow some species of Drosera outdoors year round in unprotected above ground half barrels. Outside Philadelphia. Greenhouse and vivarium plants indeed!

[astrid]

Originally Posted by Subrosa

Say what?! I grow some species of Drosera outdoors year round in unprotected above ground half barrels. Outside Philadelphia. Greenhouse and vivarium plants indeed!

I think the place that sold me the ping was also selling droseras or something like it. They had very cool vivariums with poisonous frogs there, too, and seem to know what they're doing so maybe I'll try one.
I will probably try one in a month or two and see what happens. I hope my ping propagation works and then I can just have a bunch of them all over my room and hopefully that'll do the trick!!

[Subrosa]

The issue with most Pings is that they're highly seasonal and many species require distinctly different care at different times of the year. Some need to be kept absolutely dry during the winter.