What are these bloody flying insects in my house?!

[Patchw0rk]

Photos attached.

They’re only small but they are so annoying when sat watching tv. They’re pretty slow so can usually catch and squish. We don’t have pets. Help!

Thanks 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

That’s my sleeve to give indication of size!

We have them as well - suspect fruit flies - overly ripe bananas the likely culprit….

House plants. Been driving me mad. Its the compost. I've got these sticky things that catch them you put in the plant pot but some escape!

Do you have House plants? Little Black, easy catchable flies live in the top few cm’s of the soil. You can buy little sticky traps.

@DahliaJ snap!

Haha, crossed post! Great minds!

Information it to let the soil dry out, the bugs like the damp, water from the bottom and kill/catch each insect. It will take time to break the mating cycle so keep focussed!

Fungus gnats. Bloody nightmare this year. Three prong approach: yellow fly catchers, nematodes and gravel in house plants.

Oh yes! I bloody do have house plants! Never had them before, bought loads at the start of the year to brighten up the dining room.

grrrr

And did you use shop B&Q compost?

Mine has been miraclegrow compost and never again! Not even one rogue bag. I stupidly bought the same again. Doh.

I've never repotted any of them so it's just the compost they came with. From various garden centres.

Do I need to get rid?!

I cover the soil of the plant in small stones, that keeps them away for me, they breed in the soil.

Theyre harmless and don’t deserve squishing. In my experience they die out after a season, they aren’t ongoing. A lot of potting soil seems infested with them though, it is irritating. I just stick with compost that has historically been okay and hope for the best. I hear you didn’t get the choice though, OP.