Knats that live IN the soil>?

[skweetis]

Hey guys, thanks for all the info on the baccilus. It's a godsend cuz I've been battling the little bastards with just my wretched claws and some sticky traps for a few months now.Its slightly satisfying, but not very effective...
I'm just wondering if the mosquito dunks work as a soil drench? The instructions are just for standing water, and I'd imagine it would still work, just want to get some feedback from you guys who have used it. Gnatrol is used as a drench, but I'm not sure if its available locally.

 

[mybeans420]

Hey guys, thanks for all the info on the baccilus. It's a godsend cuz I've been battling the little bastards with just my wretched claws and some sticky traps for a few months now.Its slightly satisfying, but not very effective...
I'm just wondering if the mosquito dunks work as a soil drench? The instructions are just for standing water, and I'd imagine it would still work, just want to get some feedback from you guys who have used it. Gnatrol is used as a drench, but I'm not sure if its available locally.

They'll work fine. You just have to let them soak in the water for a while.

Also, I'd break each dunk in 4 and use 1/4 dunk per 5 gal of water. Even better would be to grind them up and let sit in water over night.

The water is what activates the bacterial culture.

I read some post where a couple inches of perlite on top of the soil is supposed to keep them from laying their eggs in the soil. They feed on the organic compost in the soil. I use orange sticky traps to attract the adults and lower the breeding population. It seems that most commercial potting soils like Miracle Grow and Kellog's Patio Plus have fungas gnat eggs in them or attract fungas gnats very soon

Hey Pops,
The only problem with perlite is that it floats and can make a big old mess.
Sand is definately a better way to go than perlite.

Peace
Beans

 

[Mad HattersWrld]

I wonder if they are root aphids

 

[dogmeat]

i jsut got some gnatrol....just put it in the water and let it cycle for 2 minutes....lets see how those bastards do.

 

[skweetis]

I ordered some dunks the other day, but got so fed up with gnats, I decided to hunt locally. My hydro store doesn't carry Gnatrol, but the owner did recommend Safer's Caterpillar Killer. The active ingredient is Bacillus thuringliensis, but its a different strain - var. Kurstaki as opposed to the Israelensis found in Gnatrol and similar. He said it cleared up his chives. I'll let you all know if it works for me. Luckily it's a watering day, so I don't have to wait long to test it. Thanks again for all the info!!

 

[stretchpuppy]

I used one dunk, broke it up/ground into little pieces, and sprinkled very lightly over the tops of my 9 pots. That was the last day I saw a fungus gnat.

 

[dogmeat]

yea....i bought gnatrol at 50 cents an ounce.....the mosquito dunks are like 8.99$ for 2 dunks....ouch.


Gnatorol - 1 to 2 TSP per gallon for light infestation...3 to 4 TSP per gallon for heavy infestations.

 

[sproutco]

I ordered some dunks the other day, but got so fed up with gnats, I decided to hunt locally. My hydro store doesn't carry Gnatrol, but the owner did recommend Safer's Caterpillar Killer. The active ingredient is Bacillus thuringliensis, but its a different strain - var. Kurstaki as opposed to the Israelensis found in Gnatrol and similar. He said it cleared up his chives. I'll let you all know if it works for me. Luckily it's a watering day, so I don't have to wait long to test it. Thanks again for all the info!!

Caterpillar killer will not kill gnat larvae.

 

[skweetis]

I'm a little skeptical myself. I'm trying it mostly in desperation, will do the mosquito dunks as soon as they arrive... however, my hydro store has never steered me wrong, and I saw no gnats on his plants, except his sticky traps. Like I said, I'm guinea pigging it.


edit: yeah, after a little research, it doesn't look like it's effective... still gonna try, but I don't have high hopes

 

[mybeans420]

yea....i bought gnatrol at 50 cents an ounce.....the mosquito dunks are like 8.99$ for 2 dunks....ouch.


Gnatorol - 1 to 2 TSP per gallon for light infestation...3 to 4 TSP per gallon for heavy infestations.

The point of the mosquito dunks is how widely available they. If you have easy access to a hydro shop then I would of course reccomend Gnatrol over the dunks. This is just more convenient for alot of folks who don't have that easy access.

edit: yeah, after a little research, it doesn't look like it's effective... still gonna try, but I don't have high hopes

works for me

Peace
Beans

 

[mybeans420]

Caterpillar killer will not kill gnat larvae.

Actually, the israelensis subspecies kills caterpillars too. To them, its an infectious disease.

 

[skweetis]

works for me

Peace
Beans

No, what I meant is I have a caterpillar killer product with active ingredient bacillus thurg. var. Kurstaki that I'm doubting. I trust the Israelensis! All the info I've found says that kurstaki will not work against gnats, except just one page that says it does... and my shop guy claiming it worked for him. Maybe he just wanted 13 bucks. Oh well, my dunks will get here sooner or later.

 

[mybeans420]

No, what I meant is I have a caterpillar killer product with active ingredient bacillus thurg. var. Kurstaki that I'm doubting. I trust the Israelensis! All the info I've found says that kurstaki will not work against gnats, except just one page that says it does... and my shop guy claiming it worked for him. Maybe he just wanted 13 bucks. Oh well, my dunks will get here sooner or later.

Ahhh, I see. My mistake.

 

[dogmeat]

Yes dunks are available....but the point should be....gnatrol over dunks......*shrug*

You can get it online....no excuses for having shops local due to the wonderful internet...

 

[skweetis]

np, mybeans, again thanks a bunch for the info!

Dunks are way cheaper than gnatrol, though. And I love the internet and all... am just afraid of online hydro shops - last one I ordered from sent my goods in a botanicare box, with all kinds of obvious stickers on it. yikes!

 

[mybeans420]

Yes dunks are available....but the point should be....gnatrol over dunks......*shrug*

You can get it online....no excuses for having shops local due to the wonderful internet...

not everyone is comfortable ordering grow supplies online.

And I love the internet and all... am just afraid of online hydro shops - last one I ordered from sent my goods in a botanicare box, with all kinds of obvious stickers on it. yikes!

see what I mean

 

[dogmeat]

thats why you look for companys that ship discretely.....thats common sense....and to that affect...local hydro shops have been under investigation by the federal government reguardless...have been for years...ESPECIALLY in states that allow medical patients to grow their own......

 

[mybeans420]

thats why you look for companys that ship discretely.....thats common sense....and to that affect...local hydro shops have been under investigation by the federal government reguardless...have been for years...ESPECIALLY in states that allow medical patients to grow their own......

Meh,... to each his own. This works well enough for enough folks.

 

[dogmeat]

Im not trying to argue..im meerly pointing out my opinions on things.....
I know that when i order somthing that i dont want to be seen...i order from someone who ships in plain boxes.....needless to say....ferts and such are 100% legal to have....so paranoia is the only thing in play here....

like i said...i dont want to argue or start a flame war.....i just found gnatorol to be far cheeper...even if i was buying a liter bottle....id beable to get more use outta 1 tsp per gallon...then the mosquito dunks.......

 

[Jahminded]

I wonder if they are root aphids

I was thinking the same thing. Root Aphids can be a bitch as well. They dont only hang out near the tops...they will hang out near the bottoms as well and they multiply very quickly. I used "Hot Shot NO Pest" strips and it worked wonders. What I did try that screw my plants up was malathion. I hear it can work wonders, but I will never use it again. Oh yea....there are these foggers that work really well and are not harmful to the plants...even during flowering....they are called PCO Foggers.....