About this product
Full description
The complete answer to indoor fungus gnat problems — our best-selling fungus gnat solution, properly packaged as the two-step treatment that breaks the pest cycle. The Fungus Gnat Treatment Bundle combines yellow sticky traps for the adult flies and parasitic nematodes for the larvae, with free First Class shipping included. Everything you need to clear sciarid fly and fungus gnat problems from your houseplants, seedlings, conservatory, and propagation set-ups in a single complete solution at £15.00.
From Ladybird Plant Care, our trusted partner specialising in biological pest control. Live nematodes are despatched fresh from their facility direct to your door with the sticky traps included.
Why this is properly the complete solution
Most fungus gnat treatments only tackle one stage of the pest's lifecycle — either the adults or the larvae — which means the pest cycle keeps repeating. To break the cycle properly, you need both:
- Yellow sticky traps catch the adult flies — the visible nuisance you see hovering around houseplants. Each trap captures the breeding population, reducing the number of eggs laid in the compost
- Parasitic nematodes kill the larvae — the actual damage-causing stage that lives in the compost feeding on tender roots. The nematodes find and parasitise these underground larvae before they emerge as adults
Sticky traps alone reduce adult populations but don't stop the larvae underground — new adults keep emerging from existing eggs. Nematodes alone deal with the larvae but the adults already on the wing continue laying eggs. The combination tackles both lifecycle stages, properly breaking the pest cycle. That's why this bundle is our best-selling fungus gnat solution.
What's in the bundle
- 1 x 60sqm pack of parasitic nematodes — Steinernema feltiae and S. carpocapsae mix. The same active species used in commercial greenhouse pest control. Watered into compost; treats up to 60 square metres of growing surface
- 5 x eco yellow sticky traps — each 12cm x 5cm. Hung above plants to catch adult flies. The new generation of eco-friendly sticky traps use recyclable backing and plant-based adhesive rather than the older plastic-and-petroleum design
- Free First Class shipping — built into the bundle price. Live nematodes need fast despatch for peak viability; First Class shipping ensures they arrive ready to work, not three days past their best
Everything you need to clear an active fungus gnat problem in one delivery.
About sciarid flies and fungus gnats
Sciarid flies (also called fungus gnats; species in the Sciaridae family) are the small dark flies you see rising up when you water houseplants, hovering around seed trays, or sitting on the compost surface in pots. Properly familiar to anyone who grows plants indoors.
The adults themselves are mostly a nuisance — they don't bite, don't transmit disease — but they're the visible sign of the more serious problem below ground:
- Small white maggot-like larvae live in the top 3–5cm of compost, feeding on organic matter and tender roots
- Severe damage to seedlings and cuttings — the larvae sever fine roots, killing young plants outright
- Established houseplant roots get damaged too — stunted growth, yellowing leaves
- Damp, organic-rich compost is the ideal habitat — exactly the conditions you create when raising seedlings or potting up houseplants
If you sow seeds indoors, raise cuttings under cover, grow houseplants, manage a greenhouse, or grow microgreens, fungus gnats are almost certainly part of your pest landscape.
How the nematodes work
The biology is properly elegant:
- The nematodes are mixed with water and applied as a compost drench (watering can or hand sprayer)
- Once in the compost, they swim through the thin water films around soil particles, searching for prey
- They detect hosts (sciarid larvae) by sensing carbon dioxide and metabolic waste products from the larvae's breathing
- Once they find a larva, they enter through natural openings (breathing pores, mouth)
- Inside, they release symbiotic Xenorhabdus bacteria that liquefy the host within hours
- The nematodes feed and reproduce inside the liquefied host, then emerge to seek further prey
- When pest populations drop, nematode numbers naturally fall back to background levels — no long-term environmental impact
The whole process is completely invisible to the gardener: you water in the nematodes, the larvae die underground, the adult population declines as you trap them, and the plants are protected.
How to use the bundle
Step 1: Deploy the sticky traps immediately on arrival
- Hang one trap above each affected area — greenhouse bench, propagation table, houseplant cluster, seedling tray cluster
- Position about 5–10cm above the plant canopy or compost surface
- Adult flies are attracted to the yellow colour; they stick on contact
- Check and replace traps when they become full (typically 2–4 weeks for moderate infestations)
Step 2: Apply the nematodes within 48 hours
- Mix the nematode powder with water as instructed in the included guide
- Apply as a soil drench using a watering can or hand sprayer — cover all the soil surface in affected pots and trays
- Ensure soil is moist before application (water plants gently the day before if compost is dry)
- Apply in evening or low-light conditions — nematodes are killed by direct UV
- Keep compost slightly moist for the following 2–3 weeks while nematodes establish
- Soil temperature should be 10°C or above (typical indoor conditions are ideal)
Step 3: Monitor and repeat if needed
- Watch the sticky trap fill rate — declining adult numbers mean the cycle is breaking
- For severe infestations, a second nematode application 2–3 weeks later catches any newly hatched larvae
- Maintain sticky traps through the growing season for ongoing prevention
Detailed nematode application instructions are in the official instruction PDF.
Why the "eco" sticky traps matter
Yellow sticky traps have traditionally been a small environmental compromise — effective for pest catching but disposable plastic with petroleum-based adhesive. The new eco traps included in this bundle are properly different:
- Recyclable cardboard backing — not plastic
- Plant-based adhesive — not petroleum-derived
- No toxic chemicals — safe disposal in normal household waste
- Aligned with chemical-free gardening — even within biological pest control, the components themselves should be properly considered
If you garden organically or want to minimise plastic in your pest control approach, the eco traps are a small but proper improvement over standard yellow sticky traps.
The seed grower's natural solution
If you sow seeds indoors — flower seeds in spring, vegetable seedlings, herb propagation, microgreens through the year — fungus gnats are the most common pest you'll encounter. Indoor seed sowing creates exactly the conditions they thrive in: moist sterile compost, organic matter, warm temperatures.
For Bishy customers raising our flower seeds, vegetable seeds or microgreen seeds indoors, this bundle is properly the right protective tool to have ready. The £16.50 cost is properly cheap insurance against losing a season's seed-sowing investment to sciarid larvae — a single bad fungus gnat infestation can wipe out a tray of carefully raised seedlings.
Why First Class shipping matters here
This isn't a marketing throwaway. Live biological products have limited shelf life — the nematodes are active organisms that lose viability over time:
- Standard shipping (2–3 days) means the nematodes spend longer in transit, reducing the active population that arrives at your door
- First Class shipping (next-day typically) means peak viability on arrival
- Best results come from applying nematodes within days of despatch, not weeks
The free First Class shipping is built into the bundle price properly because live biological products deserve fast delivery. Properly considered for the customer.
Where this fits in our biological control range
This bundle is the complete-control entry point to our biological pest control range:
- Fungus Gnat Treatment Bundle (this) — nematodes + sticky traps + shipping for fungus gnat / sciarid fly
- Fungus Gnat Nematodes — just the nematodes (if you already have sticky traps)
- Fruit & Veg Protection Nematodes — same active mix; outdoor garden positioning
- Codling Moth Nematodes — dedicated apple tree treatment
- Chafer Bug Nematodes — lawn grub control
- Ant Control Nematodes — path and lawn ant management
- Fuchsia Gall Mite Sachets — predatory mites for fuchsia and red spider mite
The bundle is the right starting point for first-time biological control customers who want the complete solution rather than buying components separately and figuring out the combination themselves.
Specifications
- Supplier: Ladybird Plant Care (UK biological pest control specialists)
-
Bundle contents:
- 1 x 60sqm pack of fungus gnat nematodes (S. feltiae + S. carpocapsae mix)
- 5 x eco yellow sticky traps (12cm x 5cm each)
- Free First Class shipping included
- Total price: £16.50 (including shipping)
- Coverage: Up to 60 square metres of compost; 5 trapping locations
- Soil temperature: Minimum 10°C (typical indoor conditions)
- Primary target: Sciarid fly / fungus gnat (adults AND larvae)
- Safety: Safe for bees, ladybirds, pets, children, edibles, houseplants
- Withdrawal period: None — harvest and eat same day
- Despatch: Fresh from Ladybird Plant Care; order by 10am Monday for same-week despatch
Important supply note
Nematodes are live biological products that don't sit on shelves. Each order is sourced fresh from Ladybird Plant Care's specialist facility:
- Order by 10am Monday for same-week despatch
- Orders after this typically ship the following week
- The bundle ships together — sticky traps included with the fresh nematodes
- Once delivered, store nematodes cool (refrigerator works well) and apply within 2–4 weeks
- Sticky traps can be deployed immediately on arrival
A small thought: there's a particular relief in opening a delivery, hanging the sticky traps within the hour, watering in the nematodes the same evening, and knowing you've done the proper complete job — not the partial job that leaves the cycle going. A week later the visible adult flies are gone, the seedlings look healthier, and the cycle is properly broken. The kind of practical biological intervention that quietly saves the careful indoor work that's part of every gardening season.
What's included
- 5 x eco yellow sticky traps (12cm x 5cm each)
- Application instructions
- Free First Class shipping included
Care and use
- Store nematodes in refrigerator (not freezer) until application
- Apply nematodes within 48 hours of arrival for best results
- Use within 2-4 weeks of despatch for full viability
- Soil must be moist before nematode application
- Don't combine with chemical sprays