I put a strong dose of Microbe Lift (1/2 ml in a gallon of water) and poured about 1/2 quart on each gallon pot. This morning I have only seen 2 adult gnats as I stirred up the soil on the tops of the pots. Before application there were probably 40-50 adults. Would the microbe lift kill the adults? Or drive them out of the room? Any one have experience with this?
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Fungus Gnats and Microbe Lift
- Thread starter stucrew
- Start date
ya I have used microbelift bmc (active ingredient is bacillus thuringenisis, BTI) to drastically essentially populations of flying insects in my soil before. didn't kill them entirely in one dose, but just like you said, reduces their numbers pretty quick with repeated doses, ime.
seems like it knocked the adults out, the day i treated there were fliers (adults) all over the place if i disturbed the surface of the soil. next day many many fewer, after a couple/few weeks of treating my soil with the microbelift bmc there were no fliers.
i hadn't experienced any real noticeable damage to the plants from the larvae; worst part was having a few fliers stuck to nearly finished nugs.
i hadn't experienced any real noticeable damage to the plants from the larvae; worst part was having a few fliers stuck to nearly finished nugs.
Avinash.miles I am surprised that the adult fliers are basically gone. I will keep and eye open and apply doses every 2 days. I dosed my reservoirs this morning and flooded my table to make sure the bottoms of plants don't have any untreated larvae or adults. I sure hope this eliminates these pests. I am afraid that they have hurt my plants already but if I can get rid of them my next crop will be better.
I make up my pots before hand and they sit outside.
Being I use organic matter and nutrients this invites all kinds of bugs to lay eggs and whatnot.
I also use BTI to water in my pots and this helps much.
I also have taken to using Neem meal to top dress my pots this also takes its toll on the gnats.
Last to take down any fliers especially at the holes in the bottom of the pots I'll use neem oil.
I opine that the neem oil also takes its toll on the microbe life if your concerned about organics so I avoid spraying it in the soil.
Know that neem oil most killing power is in it's suffocating abilities.
Neem oil is systemic meaning if sprayed on the plants or in the soil it affects everything, roots and all the whole works.
Neem seed meal does not affect the plants or the beasties like the oil does.
Ratz
that's civilisation, not neem oil. the word you are looking for is "azadirachtin"
While knowing that neem oil is a insecticide I don't use it in that manor.
I use it for it suffocating ability to spray the walking , flying insect.
Neem oil suffocates insects
Many gardeners use white oil (plain mineral oil) or even olive oil to combat soft bodied insects like aphids, thrips or whitefly. The oil coats the bugs and they suffocate. Neem oil insecticide does that as well. But it's more like a little bonus on top of everything else it does.
It can be a hazard, though. Of course there is no difference between suffocating good or bad bugs. Oil suffocates anything. So this aspect can harm beneficial insects!
Ratz
JayTrinity
Member
how much of this Microbe Lift do I need if I want to water in 500 gallons?
Directions are pretty bad! I have the
"use 2.5 mil for 1000 gallons" some shit directions.
2.5 mil cant be correct at all for 1000 gallons.
Directions are pretty bad! I have the
"use 2.5 mil for 1000 gallons" some shit directions.
2.5 mil cant be correct at all for 1000 gallons.
fwiw diatomaceous earth topcoat really knocked them out for me
JayTrinity
Member
thanks, ill try that. i called The phone number on their website, I called and they said its a GALLON for my 500 gallon mix tank. I was getting depressed with out any real answers!
JayTrinity
Member
did you apply diatomaceaous earth dry? did it remain dry for several days, did you cover the surface of your soil?
you should see a quick decline in population using DE, let soil dry out a lil bit more than normal, water again, reapply DE. that knocked them out for me in everything from 1 gallon pots to 65 gallon beds
the root damage should take some time to recover from....
you should see a quick decline in population using DE, let soil dry out a lil bit more than normal, water again, reapply DE. that knocked them out for me in everything from 1 gallon pots to 65 gallon beds
the root damage should take some time to recover from....
JayTrinity
Member
14 hours and man there no adults on my traps, about 3 or 4.
Im easiley seeing larva as big as Dune Sandworms darting in and over the chicken compost.
I got the duster and the Dia earth.
Can i just go nuts with avid into the soil?
Two doses of microbe lift did nothing, in fact the worms actually look cleaner then before I sprayed!
Im easiley seeing larva as big as Dune Sandworms darting in and over the chicken compost.
I got the duster and the Dia earth.
Can i just go nuts with avid into the soil?
Two doses of microbe lift did nothing, in fact the worms actually look cleaner then before I sprayed!
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JayTrinity
Member
wont be purchasing this product again.
if you are using it for BTi, it's a great product (better than mosquito dunks/bits imo), if yo uare using it to try to eradicate an existing population of fliers... not going to work as well imo.
i would't dump avid into my soil, just my2cents
JayTrinity
Member
outside container pots 300 gallons. I dont have any huge damage as of yet just the worms in the soil. My sticky yellow traps are near empty from flyers. The plants are loaded with systemic sprays so there nothing alive on the plant. The flyers are on the grounds but not plants.
doing a huge head scratch!
doing a huge head scratch!
