Fungus Gnats...why so many these days ?

[mtbazz]

My first indoor grow was probably back in 1998 or so...From that point until 2005 or so I used FFOF. Never had a problem with Fungus Gnats.

SInce 2006 or so every bag of soil I get, no matter what brand FFOF, Happy Frog, Auroa, etc..all have fungus gnats.

Any ideas why I was able to go years without seeing them until '06?

 

[grow_right]

it is the quality of the bagged media. it has not been stearilized long enough to kill the gnat eggs.

you can either heat ip up yourself, or try placing an inch or so of perlite on top of the containers to prevent the gnats a place to live.

 

[PoopyTeaBags]

over watering or root aphids.... -=]


usually in soil if its let to dry out properly itll deter the fungus gnats from laying larva....

 

[mtbazz]

over watering or root aphids.... -=]


usually in soil if its let to dry out properly itll deter the fungus gnats from laying larva....

thats not what i asked.

 

[Luv-U-Long-Time]

Stop flirting with them and they'll go away.
Poopy said it,thoroughly dried medium in between waterings keeps them down.I mix my own and haven't had any in years.

 

[mtbazz]

Stop flirting with them and they'll go away.
Poopy said it,thoroughly dried medium in between waterings keeps them down.I mix my own and haven't had any in years.

lol....but seriously thats not what I asked so I will put it another way.

From 1998 to 2005 I used FFOF, and never had a problem with fungus gnats or bugs of any type.

From 2005 until now, I have had substantial issues with fungus gnats no matter what soil i use. My growing methods are the same now as they from 1998 to 2005.

Why am I seeing them now and I was not from 1998-2005? Have the soil makers cut out a sterilization process???

 

[Hammerhead]

if they store there pallets outside you will have them in any bag

 

[Luv-U-Long-Time]

^^^ I'd say that's pretty much your answer,maybe they made too much,the advent of super stores and lot buying as opposed to by piece as it were.I can attest that when I control my mediums enviro, coupled with the dry outs in between,I have zero issue with the little bastards.(as I knock on wood/my head)

 

[cyat]

the fungus gnat/rot aphid pandemic

I just get the shot at wallmart

its the new swine flu!

 

[PoopyTeaBags]

lol....but seriously thats not what I asked so I will put it another way.

From 1998 to 2005 I used FFOF, and never had a problem with fungus gnats or bugs of any type.

From 2005 until now, I have had substantial issues with fungus gnats no matter what soil i use. My growing methods are the same now as they from 1998 to 2005.

Why am I seeing them now and I was not from 1998-2005? Have the soil makers cut out a sterilization process???

maybe you water more now then you did... im not saying that this is it.. however what im trying to say is REGARDLESS of what is shipped in your medium if you water correctly theres a good chance that they will not stay around... hence the overwatering ... you may not be overwatering to cause damage... just not enough to get rid of the bugs...

i understand its not what you asked... however i am giving you another alternative that you should think about before dismissing what we are telling you because it did not fit how or why you think you have gnats...

enjoy

 

[mg75]

quarantine everything you bring into your growroom... (which might be impossible)
gnats and aphids are becoming immune to most remedies and seem survive easier these days. we have learned to live with them and just control the situation the best we can.

your hydro-store and/or distributor are the culprits.

 

[spearzy]

put up pest strips to help control them.

try a few different pestecides as long as you use them before you flower.

us them with a wetter to get a good spread it will also make the leaves wet for longer.

im slowly winning the war with them too they are a nightmare.

spearzy

 

[MacGyver420]

ok im going to share my eliminate all fungus gnats method; this method relies entirely on destroying the larva and letting the adults die off. if my memory serves me correctly a female flyer can live for around 2 weeks and lay around 300 eggs


i went from totally covered sticky traps (read: so bad my yellow sticky traps would turn black) to no fungus gnats at all. it didnt happen overnight and it is not a war that can be won in a single battle.

first of all i would recommend stocking up on mosquito dunks;
then take a cheese grater and grind up the dunks on top of your pots. i used about 1/2 a dunk for a 2 gallon pot.

this is not the end of the method, dunks are effective but not 100% effective.

look into a product called "gnatrol" its way legit. its the same stuff that is in the mosquito dunks, only it comes in a powder and dissolves into water very easily.

i would mix 1 tablespoon of gnatrol per 1 gallon of water; i would only use water that has been de-cholorinated and i would always let the gnatrol bubble in this water overnight; you get a scummy pond smell off the bucket of gnatrol water once its left out overnight -- thats what you want you want that nasty look and smell.

water you plants with the gnatrol mixture every other watering for at least 6-8 weeks.

this really works. good luck to you, fungus gnats are annoying.


some more tips and tricks for dealing with them:

slice of raw potato in your grow media will attract ALL the larva; prepare to be disgusted make sure you throw this away.

small saucer with red wine in it: the flyers will stop in to grab a drink and drown in the saucer; helpful to lower your adult population

yellow sticky traps: good for monitoring amounts of fungus gnats in your grow; leave it up for 7 days and then replace to get a good idea of numbers

last but not least:
The nematode species Steinernema feltiae is particularly effective against fungus gnat larvae.


it my opinion that fungus gnats are no more prevalent than they have been in the past; they have always been a major pest for indoor grows and greenhouses.