​Better-Gro Phalaenopsis Mix by Sun Bulb was the first Orchid potting mix I ever purchased when I realized I might be addicted to Orchids.  I’m sure if you’re reading this, you’ll totally understand what I’m talking about.

​The only thing I knew about using bark as an Orchid media is that it needs to soak prior to using.  The bag itself was so pretty, and the reviews were pretty decent too.  I didn’t know anything else about Orchids at that time, nor did I realize there was anything else on the market that could be used to pot Orchids.  WOW was I wrong!   But that’s not what this article is about.

Actually, what you are seeing are not fruit flies at all, but rather fungus gnats…pesky little critters that are more annoying to us than they are to our Orchids.  Rest assured that fungus gnats are a very common annoyance that even the most reputable greenhouses deal with on occasion.

There are two reasons why fungus gnats are hanging around your Orchid:  first, your potting media may be so broken down, it has become a haven for fungus gnats to lay their eggs, so their larvae can feed off the decaying media; or second, your Orchid may be dealing with some rotted roots which are feeding the fungus gnat larvae.