Fungus gnats

What's happening

Fungus gnats are harmless to look at but signal a real problem: their larvae live in the top layer of soil and thrive only when the mix stays constantly damp. On a Chinese Evergreen they're almost always a sign you're watering a little too often or the soil holds too much moisture, which also risks the roots over time.

How to fix it

Let the top 2 inches of soil dry out fully between waterings — this alone breaks the larvae's life cycle and is the real fix. Bottom-water for a while so the surface stays dry, and consider repotting into a chunkier, faster-draining mix if the current soil stays soggy. Yellow sticky traps will catch the adults while the dried-out surface clears the larvae.

This is general guidance based on common symptoms; individual plants vary.