CINNAMON from your kitchen cupboard will be the killer !! I hate using chemicals so I chose this option . I guess I was over watering and the result for that WAS fungus gnats . ICK !!! Somewhere in one of these fungus gnats forums, Peggy suggested cinnamon . All though she had never tried it , I did . I already knew cinnamon is a natural fungicide and very good for humans but not for plants . It was available and ready to use . When I eye-balled these little buggers I was watering my plants . They come to the surface for air due to the water . I had no idea what they were or how they got in the soil . I hopped on-line and found out right away . I handled the problem by sprinkling quit a bit of cinnamon on the surface of the soil , then used the handle of a spoon to mix it into the soil . Also I sprayed a paper towel with water, then sprinkled cinnamon on the towel and wiped the rims and inside edges of each planter. ( Use a separate towel for each pot ). I love an experiment so I was on my way . I then had to wait for all of my 10 plants to dry out quit well . Some took a few days longer due to the size of the planter . In all about 3-weeks . I sprinkled cinnamon again on the surface ,not too much this time , then watered only half the amount that I had been watering . My plants are very happy now , they are loving every minute of it !!! Also they all have new growth . Thanks to this forum , Peggy and a little research , the buggers are GONE !!!!!!

The above statement is just wrong, fungus gnats do cause harm. If there is root damage they will eat the rotting flesh much like any maggot. I don't know how many times I've had to completely remove a plant and wash it in a bleach solution to kill the little buggers because they have gotten into a small cut in the stem of a plant or root tips. First off do not use any organic stuff like peat, second use lots of chunky stuff like pumice or perlite, and pot it in a clay pot which is just large enough to take the root ball, no bigger. Do not let it sit in water ever. Invest in wooden bbq skewers. Use one to go into the soil about three inches, if it comes back wet or with soil on it, give it a couple of days before watering again. You can also tell by the color of the clay pot, if it's darker, it doesn't need water, if it lightens up and the soil is dry, water. Top dressing will be the death of your plant especially if you don't know the ups and downs of watering yet. It should only be used if you plan on showing your plant, or you really know what you're doing water wise. I'll tell you why, top dressing is used to keep the soil from caking, but also to retain moisture in the soil. Unless you live in a really dry hot area, I would not advise it for a Dief.

Hi all, Here are the results.... Per @gorbelly, I used Bti. After one week, I wanted to dig into the soil and confirm the larvae disappeared. However, the root system had become so dense that doing so would have broken many roots. So, I resigned to looking for indirect evidence. The results... gnats were still buzzing around and a new critter had moved-in (see attached photos). About 15 of them popped out from the mulch when I watered. I don't know what they are. The presence of gnats told me that larvae persisted, so I did another Bti treatment. Additionally, in order to eradicate the gnats and this new visitor, I applied pyrethrins. One week later, I didn't see signs of the new pest, but gnats still existed. So, I applied more Bti (very little). The following week brings us to today. I still see gnats. I guess I will do some more Bti. Anyway, thanks for your help =).

If it's outdoors and you don't have particularly sensitive plants, not worth worrying about. Probably. Compost has living stuff in it.