Fungus Gnats

[CanadianGrower]

Saw a couple bugs flying around really small and look like fruit flys, checked the median and saw one crawling on the bucket, so im going to cover the median with some sand but first i want to get some neem oil in soil to slow them down.
I have had a sticky strip hanging since i started the grow, its caught some of the ones flying around.
How much neem oil should i use in my mix for the top soil?
Im also going out and getting a bigger fan to stop them from flying around. And some strips for the top soil.
Also going to put potato slices to get um eating that

 

[habeeb]

fungus gnats :


perlite or sand or DE on top
mosquito dunks / gnatrol
neem oil or neem seed meal on top
sticky paper
nematodes


remember the bottom as they will go to the bottom to lay eggs in the moist soil

 

[CanadianGrower]

remember the bottom as they will go to the bottom to lay eggs in the moist soil

i thought they went up to fly around.
I cant get access to the bottom of my pot

 

[habeeb]

^ they will breed anyway possible.. and if you cut off the top they will try any way to lay the eggs. you could have the top covered and be screwed from the bottom

you can't access the bottom, but can the mini mini bug get access to it?

I suggest some nematodes and or gnatrol, and some sticky paper

these guys are pests and can be hard to get rid of as they can lay 75-200 ( obviously not that many make it ) but you want to wipe them out as quicka s possible as the babies feed on your roots..

 

[jonezin]

just read this today...

How do I get rid of them?

Getting rid of the adults is a snap: simply give them a sticky yellow surface to land on, and within a few days you'll have enough dead adults to make a tasty dinner of gnat casserole (YMMV). The larvae are a bit trickier. The first step toward getting rid of them is to starve your plant of water for a few days, letting the top layers of soil dry completely. Larvae cannot develop in dry soil, though they can survive a drought by suspending their development. Don't worry about killing your plant; it takes serious dedication to kill most houseplants from underwatering, while overwatering a plant can kill it very quickly.

Once the soil is dry, mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution with 4 parts water. Use 3% solution, which you can find in any drug store or in the hygiene/medicine aisle of a chain grocery store. You can use a stronger solution if you change the water mixture appropriately, and don't be too concerned with proportions; it would take a very high concentration of H2O2 to hurt your plants. Just make sure you buy pure H2O2 with no chemical additives! Hydrogen peroxide is often sold as a topical disinfectant, and things that are good for your wounds may not be so healthy for your plants.

Water your plants as you normally would, using the hydrogen peroxide solution and taking care to get good coverage of the entire top layer of soil. Use a spray bottle if desired. The soil will fizz for a few minutes after application; this is natural. The gnat larvae die on contact with the H2O2. After a few minutes the fizzing stops and the H2O2 breaks down into oxygen molecules (which your plants don't mind) and water molecules (which your plants love).

Congratulations! You've just successfully treated your fungus gnat infestation. Monitor the gnat population for a few days with sticky cards, in order to make sure you've got them all. Make sure not to overwater, and consider sometimes adding a little hydrogen peroxide to your daily waterings--in my experience, the plants react well to this little treat. Watch your plants grow big and strong and enjoy the fruits of your labors, whether they be flowers, vegetables, literal fruits, or big sticky nugs of homegrown chronic.

 

[CanadianGrower]

just read this today...

How do I get rid of them?

Getting rid of the adults is a snap: simply give them a sticky yellow surface to land on, and within a few days you'll have enough dead adults to make a tasty dinner of gnat casserole (YMMV). The larvae are a bit trickier. The first step toward getting rid of them is to starve your plant of water for a few days, letting the top layers of soil dry completely. Larvae cannot develop in dry soil, though they can survive a drought by suspending their development. Don't worry about killing your plant; it takes serious dedication to kill most houseplants from underwatering, while overwatering a plant can kill it very quickly.

Once the soil is dry, mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) solution with 4 parts water. Use 3% solution, which you can find in any drug store or in the hygiene/medicine aisle of a chain grocery store. You can use a stronger solution if you change the water mixture appropriately, and don't be too concerned with proportions; it would take a very high concentration of H2O2 to hurt your plants. Just make sure you buy pure H2O2 with no chemical additives! Hydrogen peroxide is often sold as a topical disinfectant, and things that are good for your wounds may not be so healthy for your plants.

Water your plants as you normally would, using the hydrogen peroxide solution and taking care to get good coverage of the entire top layer of soil. Use a spray bottle if desired. The soil will fizz for a few minutes after application; this is natural. The gnat larvae die on contact with the H2O2. After a few minutes the fizzing stops and the H2O2 breaks down into oxygen molecules (which your plants don't mind) and water molecules (which your plants love).

Congratulations! You've just successfully treated your fungus gnat infestation. Monitor the gnat population for a few days with sticky cards, in order to make sure you've got them all. Make sure not to overwater, and consider sometimes adding a little hydrogen peroxide to your daily waterings--in my experience, the plants react well to this little treat. Watch your plants grow big and strong and enjoy the fruits of your labors, whether they be flowers, vegetables, literal fruits, or big sticky nugs of homegrown chronic.

So a have to dry the soil before using the H202, using H202 on moist soil wont work? or does the dry soil just absorb the H202 and get right in to the soiless mix

 

[touchofgrey]

I've got an infestation going too, and the sticky strips don't get enough to slow them down. I read on a gardening website that simply adding a 3/4" cap of sand will stop them - theory being they can't dig into it to lay the eggs and the larvae can't get out once they hatch. Has anyone had luck with that method. Just went to the beach and got a bucket full of sand and was going to give it a try.

 

[crippled1]

hooooooooooooold up there folks. before you go battling fungal gnats, make sure they are not root aphids. gnat babies are larvae worm like. aphid babies have 8 legs like the adults.
they both grow up to fly.

 

[touchofgrey]

mine definately match the photos of gnats I've found on the web - little flys.

 

[CanadianGrower]

Im going dry out the soil, then run hydrogen peroxide on my next water, i heard potato slices work to use a bait then throw out every 2 days before they get bigger.

 

[touchofgrey]

FWIW, I put down a layer of sand today. I'll see how that works. They're flying around but not down at the soil level now. The little f-kers look lost.....

 

[otherwhitemeat]

What kind of soil are you growing in? Some major manufacturers seem to have problems with fungus gnats. Once you lick them, they can come back next cycle.

-I use Mosquito dunks (crumble up 1/4 of a dunk into pea-sized pieces and till into soil at each transplant) then cover with 1/2" of fresh soil. You want the dunk pieces to stay mostly wet so the BTI can survive.
-Neem oil surface spray. 1-2x a week for 2-3 weeks
-Sticky traps, NOT Hot Shot No Pest Strips, the standard yellow sticky kind. Change every 2-3 weeks.

Never had much luck with sand, potatoes, beer or other home remedies. Problem with peroxide is you'll kill some beneficials too. With the above controls I am able to keep them in check, though I always seem to have a few darting around, without controls I'd have 100's. A buddy suggested alternating between Neem and Pyrethrin every week, haven't tried this yet

 

[xinsanewickedx]

I too have some gnats and I need to know what kinda sand do I need

 

[StrainCollector]

Unfortunately for CanadianGrower, due to bureaucratic reasons. mosquito dunks aren't available in Canada, believe it or not.. It really drives me nuts considering they are among the most effective treatment for gnats I've come across.

Aside from the Mosquito Dunks/BTI, and a layer of pebbles or perlite on top of soil to prevent moist landing surface, I also suggest the DISH SOAP METHOD! Mix your nutes the same way you usually do, but add a couple of drops of dish soap per litre and foam it up before you water. Don't worry, it won't harm your plants at all. Unfortunately the soap WON'T kill the adults, but it will fuck up the larve. After 3 consecutive waterings using dish soap, you should see a substantial decline in their population, if not completely decimated.

Good luck bro.

 

[CanadianGrower]

Unfortunately for CanadianGrower, due to bureaucratic reasons. mosquito dunks aren't available in Canada, believe it or not.. It really drives me nuts considering they are among the most effective treatment for gnats I've come across.

Aside from the Mosquito Dunks/BTI, and a layer of pebbles or perlite on top of soil to prevent moist landing surface, I also suggest the DISH SOAP METHOD! Mix your nutes the same way you usually do, but add a couple of drops of dish soap per litre and foam it up before you water. Don't worry, it won't harm your plants at all. Unfortunately the soap WON'T kill the adults, but it will fuck up the larve. After 3 consecutive waterings using dish soap, you should see a substantial decline in their population, if not completely decimated.

Good luck bro.

REALLY!!!!! THIS IS FLAWLESS. As long as you get the unscented it helps the soil hold water,

But i just did a dry out top soil, potato slices then removed 2 days later, 1/4 hydrogen peroxide on top soil, Dryed again, then sand then flushed pot with a splash of hydrogen peroxide in tank.

 

[touchofgrey]

I too have some gnats and I need to know what kinda sand do I need

Just regular old sand. If you get from natural source, be sure to wash it

 

[LolaGal]

Crumbling the dry Mosquito Dunks, and placing some on each pot will work. About 1 tablespoon per pot of crumbled dunk is enough.

The dunks do not have to stay moist, and can dry out between waterings without damage.

This method alone is a little slower, but all you really need to get RID of them.

 

[xinsanewickedx]

thanks lola and touchofgrey ,i am getting the stuff today

 

[thinman]

don't use sand from the beach. get your sand at lowes or home depot: the same sand that would be used to build a child's sandbox....

diatomaceous earth used instead of sand will work well also. a 1/4" layer of DE on the top of your medium will kill them. eggs are laid on stems, leaves, and on top of soil. when the eggs hatch, the tiny larvae are directed by gravity to move down into the root zone where they find plenty to eat and plenty of moisture. as they mature, juveniles will again be directed by gravity to the top of the medium. DE will slice them up in both directions as they try to pass through it. and DE is good for your plants.

 

[LolaGal]

my favorite part about the dunks is how it works... Mwahahahaa

the dunks bacteria stuff gets in the soil and the larvae go YUM YUM get me some!

Then it swells up their itty bitty guts and they can't poop. Then they die a slow death, unable to eat or poo.... Mwahahahahahahaha

DIE FUNGUS GNATS DIE!