Gooey soil substance – String of pearls

What’s this gooey substance that has appeared on the surface of the soil? I noticed it after re-potting, fortunately, my strings of pearls appear unaffected. Also, I’ve noticed gnats. Any suggestions on how to get rid of them?…

Strange growth on plant in same pot as my orchid *

The Cattleya orchid plant I purchased a number of years ago came with a small plant that that strings along with semi-circle leaves. This small plant kept on growing without any problems. But today, to my surprise, I noticed that…