Managing Fungus Gnats on Ficus benjamina: Distinguishing Galls from Breeding Sites and Control Options

Office Ficus with Galls and Gnats

The 1‑1.5 inch galls at the soil line are normal on Ficus benjamina—not the gnat source. The gnats are likely whiteflies (common indoor pest).

Repot in fresh potting soil.
Spray horticultural oil on leaves.
If possible, move plant out of office; fumigate office after hours, then air out.

Whiteflies are hard to eradicate but oil + soil change reduces them significantly.

Tropical Plants: Outdoor Ficus benjamina Leaf Drop, White Powder on Bark: Root/Soil Stress, Likely Scale or Woolly Aphids—Nursery ID Needed; Oak Galls in Arizona: Tiny Wasps, Harmless Growths; Ficus Hedge Troubles: Leaf Drop, Brown Patches, and Whitefly Solutions; Persistent Fungus Gnats in Houseplants: Cultural and Biological Controls; Fiddle-Leaf Fig Fungus Gnats: Undo the Repotting; Ficus Losing Deep Green Color: Light, Water, or pH?; Effective Solutions for Fungus Gnats on Indoor Ficus Trees; Ficus Gall: Bacterial Growth with No Cure; Ficus with Fungus Gnats and Worms; Gall on Braided Ficus Trunk: Prune and Monitor

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