Get Rid of Fungus Gnats For Good Using Mosquito Dunks

[LolaGal]

I think mosquitoes and fungus gnats is all it kills? Try and see?

 

[racinj37]

Hydro Application

Hydro Application

I found this information from:
http://www.4hydroponics.com/grow_room/mosquitoDunk.asp

The most effective larvae killer we've found! For outdoor use, place Mosquito Dunks in ponds or standing water and it's active ingredient, BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies israaelenses) kills mosquito, black fly and thrip larvae for 30 days or more, avoiding annoying mature insects.

While floating they slowly release a long term biological larvacide killing the larvae before they hatch into adults. Will not effect fish, plants, people or wildlife. Use in birdbaths, flowerpots, rain barrels and gutters. Use one dunk per 100 square feet of water surface.

For indoor gardening use, Mosquito Dunks are perfect for eliminating the new variety of thrips plaguing the US as this particular bacteria eats anything in a larval stage. It may take a couple of weeks, but it does work.

Hydroponics Application: Place an appropriate portion of a Mosquito Dunk into a nylon sock (helps prevent solid debris) and drop into reservoir. If your infestation is overwhelming, after 24 hours, knead the Dunk slightly to help intensify bacteria saturation - this will shorten the lifespan of the Dunk.

Soil and Soilless Plants: Put a Mosquito Dunk into a nylon sock and soak in water for a few days - Use 1/2 of the innoculated water to thoroughly water plants. Refill container with water and continue to soak same Dunk and repeat watering process. Replace Dunk after 30 days if needed.
Comes in package of 6 Mosquito Dunks. Alternate wetting and drying will not reduce it's effectiveness. Disks may be broken into smaller pieces or secured within nylon sock to avoid being washed away.

 

[LolaGal]

that is good news!

 

[Flying High]

Great work all! Excellent thread.

Last night I broke up a dunk into an old nylon I procured; then threw it into a 20 gallon reservoir under a flood table full of small vegging plants in 3.5" pots. I hope to be able to report back with good news. Now for the continuing saga of how best to pre-treat the coco I have...

Mine seemed to come prepackaged in the coco mix I was using. Unfortunately, I have several bags left that I can't bring myself to throw away. After I use the coco w/gnats, I am switching to Canna coco; which hopefully has less gnats? Until then, I have to pre-treat the ten bags I have left over.

Currently I am rinsing the coco after I fill the pot, but before transplanting. Then I apply gognats and nematodes. Then transplant= Big pain in the ass, and several extra steps.

Since I am still seeing the little shits flying around, I need a new method and feel like incorporating these mosquito dunks(or equal) into the coco as I fill the individual pots may be the only way to ensure optimal delivery. Since I flood/drain instead of top watering, I worry sprinkling the dunk on top of the pot may not allow for enough "watering in" action? Any suggestions?
I almost feel like I should switch to the dehydrated bricks of coco, which I have heard have no gnat larvae period.

thanks for the help
H

 

[Chronic777]

So just buy the discs & crumble on top of the soil?

Do you have to put enough to cover the whole soil or just about half?

How often should you add more?

Thanks!

 

[cornflake]

chronic, read the 1st post, lola did not crumble a whole block onto each plant

she said she crumbled a small corner, I think

 

[LolaGal]

So just buy the discs & crumble on top of the soil?

Do you have to put enough to cover the whole soil or just about half?

How often should you add more?

Thanks!

1/4 TEASPOON per pot, crumbled on top. Refresh every 3 months or each time you add new soil to grow.

It is OK for dunk to dry out between waterings, it won't hurt effectiveness.

 

[GanjaPharma]

i have used dunks in hydro (DWC) for years, gnats and pythium go hand in hand and i was always battling the two until i found dunks. i put a quarter dunk in each rez every three weeks or so from the start, and never had trouble again. i know people doing ebb and flow in coir who put a half dunk in their rez. word of caution though, i have seen large deposits of brown sludge at the bottom of some of those reservoirs. mebe someone with personal experience can chime in?

 

[freeganja]

Hey Lola. Where might I find these mosquito dunks? Im battling fungus gnats right now. I have been using Purespray for 2 weeks and the gnats are still flying around.

 

[LolaGal]

Dunks are at Lowe's and stuff like that, remember, this only kills the larvae, you will still see adults! Get them with pyrethin spray, or do nothing, the adults will be gone in a few weeks, never to return again... as long as you keep putting out dunks.

I would put a dunk in a stocking to keep it from going everywhere in hydro.

 

[cornflake]

Hi Lola, thanks for sharing your great find

I did a search today for Dunks in Australia, but nurseries here have never heard of them.

ebay does carry them. How much are they at Lowes? (just so I don't rip myself off hehe)

 

[LolaGal]

6 dunks for about $10 is going rate.

which is a LOT cheaper than Gnatrol, which is the same thing.

 

[cornflake]

thank you Lola

I will contact local nurseries next to see if they know of BTI Lavicide, which is what a dunk is, as they never heard of a dunk maybe BTI here is packaged differently

 

[EatMoGrass]

I have been doing this whole indoor thing for over 5 years and have never had more than a few gnats in my organic soil garden, until now. In the past I have been able keep their numbers in check with yellow sticky traps. Not now, I have hundreds and just broke down and applied the crushed dunks. I sure hope they work.

 

[LolaGal]

It WILL work, on the larvae in the soil, but it won't kill adults flying around.

It takes a while to kill all the hatching ones, but once you get this product in your grow, eventually, they won't come back... give it a few weeks...

 

[fishwater]

Lola,
I crushed up 3 dunks and mixed them into about 35-40 gallons of my lc mix. Right in with the ammendments. I let it sit for a few weeks, kept it moist, and then transplanted into 3 gallon pots. I have zero fungus gnats... been about 2 months now.

Before that, my soil had been sitting in a sealed tub inside the house. When I opened it up, there were about 900,000,000 gnats flying out of it.

I may have to add some more to the top in a month or so, but I am going to wait and see.

Thanks for this thread and the Dunks.......

 

[el clandestino]

I tried these things and they worked. Finally gnat free. I took a while but there all gone. I crumble them in my mix and any new soil I bring home. Thanks for the tip.

 

[kannubis]

BT is also a great remedy for the dreaded outdoor caterpillar, just not sure how the dunk would be broken down into the right concentration for spraying buds without burning them.

 

[medmaker420]

I am SO going to use these in my recycles FFOF. These bastards have been hanging around ever since I got a bullshit grand daddy purple clone and they never really caused me any issues UNTIL recently. I think they got up in numbers and are fuckin shit up.

mosquito dunks to the rescue AND I am going to crumble one up and toss it in my recycled soil bin and mix it around. Would it be better to mix it in or just top soil?

 

[medmaker420]

It WILL work, on the larvae in the soil, but it won't kill adults flying around.

It takes a while to kill all the hatching ones, but once you get this product in your grow, eventually, they won't come back... give it a few weeks...

I learned from a mentor many years ago how to get the flying ones.