Fungus gnat

6178  Hi there, I live in Halifax, Nova Scotia and have found a whole lot of these flies in pretty much all of my windows this November- upstairs and in the basement. There was some condensation on some of the windows. They are usually dead or not very active, but have reappeared after spraying with raid. Should I be concerned. How do I get rid of them?   Thanks,   Rachel

This looks like a fungus gnat, possibly in the family Mycetophilidae. These basically are nuisance pests; the adult flies cause no harm, but the larvae of some species can damage roots and lower stems of tender plants, especially in greenhouses or in indoor pots. If you have indoor potted plants, check soil moisture levels – the soil should be allowed to dry out as much as practical between waterings. Ed Saugstad, retired entomologist; Sinks Grove, WV.