aloe vera pests
By Gemini
london,
United Kingdom 
I have 2 Aloe Vera plants indoors on a windowsill. Each and every morning i find the sill laden with dead black flies. During the day there are no sign of them. Can anyone tell me about this and how to solve the problem?
17 Jan, 2009
Answers
They might be flies that live in the compost. When did you last repot it? Use a soil-based compost to discourage them, or mulch with grit. How about buying a Venus Fly Trap to gobble them up?
19 Jan, 2009
Thrips *are* small flies that live in the compost Volunteer. There are only a couple of things wrong with buying an insectivore. 1) The insectivores actually encourage flies to come into the area so they can eat them so you get more. 2) They only have small appetites and won't eat loads of any insects unless you have a forest of them. I have my house full of Nepenthes, which are far more efficient than Venuses, and I still get loads of thrips in winter.
John.
19 Jan, 2009
Previous question
« Can I add used cat litter to my compost heap having removed all solids first?
Probably just thrips. I get them on my A. veras and other plants brought inside for the winter. They hide under the soil. A light spraying with a standard pesticide keeps them down. I just use a household flyspray once in a while. But don't overdo it.
John.
18 Jan, 2009