Robertsanswered grow question 7 months ago Gnats eat dead plant material. They love moisture. They overall do very minimal damage if any to live plants. If you have just a few about use yellow sticky traps etc. To keep numbers down. Now if you have a massive swarm then you need to treat. Spraying the plant with anything for gnats is not needed. The larva are in the wet soil. They don't lay eggs on the foliage itself. So spraying is just hurting, and stunning the plant, messing up the leaves. You have to break the reproduction cycle by keeping the larva in check and dead.