Fungus gnat experiment #569
- Thread starter Samwiseman420
- Start date
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
I picked up one of these bad boys 
I've had one similar that worked it was the uv bulb type this is led but i expect it'll work fine, I'll keep you all updated they're only like $10/12
I found a picture showing the extent of my gnat problem.
Hopefully they're the last gnats I ever have to deal with.
I've had one similar that worked it was the uv bulb type this is led but i expect it'll work fine, I'll keep you all updated they're only like $10/12
I found a picture showing the extent of my gnat problem.
Hopefully they're the last gnats I ever have to deal with.
skink#1
Well-Known Member
Microbe lift is not 100% effective for me but I can definitely control them with it. I keep zymes around to spray anything I see that moves.
skink#1
Well-Known Member
I miss Gnatnix and thought about making my own. There may be alternatives like crushed volcanic glass.
skink#1
Well-Known Member
I did not see a single gnat in my tent tonight. There's not much in there at all really.
I saw one flying around outside and a couple of new hatched crawlers I sprayed with Zymes. I love that stuff for knocking down flyers and anything on soil surface.
I use BTi every watering. At first I wondered if it was going bad. I thought maybe the gnats are becoming resistant.Then I realized that the soil is filtering the bacteria and the larvae are burrowing deep which they can do. So thorough watering as much as possible. Being vigilant and spraying pot tops with Zymes is important. Stickys. And if I had the dough I'd use nematodes too. I've used nematodes before and wiped out the gnats. And I've wiped them out as well 100% with Gnatnix which is illegal now and something I would not use because it kills worms and in a horrible fashion.
I can say I have the gnats under control. But somehow the tenacious fuckers survive.
I saw one flying around outside and a couple of new hatched crawlers I sprayed with Zymes. I love that stuff for knocking down flyers and anything on soil surface.
I use BTi every watering. At first I wondered if it was going bad. I thought maybe the gnats are becoming resistant.Then I realized that the soil is filtering the bacteria and the larvae are burrowing deep which they can do. So thorough watering as much as possible. Being vigilant and spraying pot tops with Zymes is important. Stickys. And if I had the dough I'd use nematodes too. I've used nematodes before and wiped out the gnats. And I've wiped them out as well 100% with Gnatnix which is illegal now and something I would not use because it kills worms and in a horrible fashion.
I can say I have the gnats under control. But somehow the tenacious fuckers survive.
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CarolinaPotheadsNew
Well-Known Member
I've used BTi and it is not 100% effective. Maybe if somebody only has a couple of plants it would be fine, but I tried ALL the listed methods last run and just barely made it to harvest. BTi has to be reapplied every 5 days or so and I used a bunch of crushed Mosquito dunk( bti dunks) tea. It helped, but they came back. The best thing I used was bottom watering in fabric pots and spraying the top inch of soil with peroxide solution. I've yet to find any 1 and done treatment. Predatory nematodes are next up. This year the gnats are T-1000 gnats. Gotta hit em hard and often.
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CarolinaPotheadsNew
Well-Known Member
Well, some of yall beat me to it lol. I had the fkrs beat down, but, as some of yall know, They return.... I failed to sterilize 1 fkn clone. The others I bathed the roots and everything with a BTi wash. I ran out and figured, " Theyre dead so.... they weren't, so ? I have been joking about the pantyhose for awhile. These are some high class ladies now I reckon. They're wearing their nylon lol. I tried everything else on them and gnats still triumphed. Next up are some frigging leotards lol. I got water everywhere till I realized I had to make em touch the soil where watering. Well, we shall see, but I think it's gonna work. Now I just gotta fix the autos...
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medidedicated
Well-Known Member
Gotta make sure its not in the soil or coco or else it wont fully work but it helps. They wont fly out and breed somewhere else or annoy people in the home no more sticky traps needed. I use bug jell trap for the drippers being dtw coco.
Drop That Sound
Well-Known Member
CarolinaPotheadsNew
Well-Known Member
I have it sealed up tight. I figure after a BTi wash and care I hope to have em whooped. I've heard they won't lay eggs unless they can fly away. I don't know if that's true but I'm not scared to hit the soil area with a shot of pyrethrins. Just enough to down any fliers. Peroxide sprayed on top in solution every couple days for a week or 2 helps alot too. I just couldn't keep new adults from coming in and laying eggs. It's sealed now. Eventually they'll die. I need a scrog net. Without being able to use stakes I am forced back to tying. Net would be easier and better
Samwiseman420
Well-Known Member
That's why I made this thread. They keep coming back and there is no real solution on killing them 100%.
Paint bags to cover the bottoms or panty hose to cover the whole pot really works and keep them from spreading.
skink#1
Well-Known Member
You have to use BTi every watering. It kills most of them and that's a start. I also add mosquito bits to the soil surface when I can afford them. A double whammy. I'm close to eradication in my small space. At least once a day I spray the pot tops to get any crawlers.
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medidedicated
Well-Known Member
Idk about not laying eggs if they cant fly away. My veg tent in basement is cold so they dont breed as fast. To where I thought it would work because I saw no gnats but theyll creep back up especially if temps are right. The clones I planted with gnat free coco and panty hosed it right away still dont see any gnats.
CarolinaPotheadsNew
Well-Known Member
Yeah, that was some anecdotal stuff I read somewhere. I didn't plan on trusting that anyways. I'm hoping to kill any hatchlings before they get to laying eggs. If I have to bottom water or spray the top with Hot Shot once a day. I really do believe the pantyhose is the best solution for me right now. I'm glad to see it's working for yall.
medidedicated
Well-Known Member
Oh yea, I should be using athena ipm to kill them to see if that stops them but Ive been lazy. And not so optimistic but if yall are watching it kill them then thats good. Hopefully its treatable I just suspect those things can withstand anything if h202 didnt kill on contact or bti working. Or clorox.
Just lucky to be in dtw coco so it shouldnt be there to begin with just soaking it now on just in case. If it really kills them hell Im missing out. They seem to be in lower numbers like well idk what to speculate but difference is no more plastic root bound over watered plants with a way in from above and below.
No restriction to go anywhere else or at least not very easily through the drip system. I only have 2 plants max per tent one tent only has one plant. Was 5x a day fed but the box fan for mold with fabric pots Im back to 8x a day fed. Maybe the less bound root ball and dry back may be helping.
Just lucky to be in dtw coco so it shouldnt be there to begin with just soaking it now on just in case. If it really kills them hell Im missing out. They seem to be in lower numbers like well idk what to speculate but difference is no more plastic root bound over watered plants with a way in from above and below.
No restriction to go anywhere else or at least not very easily through the drip system. I only have 2 plants max per tent one tent only has one plant. Was 5x a day fed but the box fan for mold with fabric pots Im back to 8x a day fed. Maybe the less bound root ball and dry back may be helping.
Having read through all 8 pages of this thread, I'm still considering starting my grow.
As a few have mentioned, the larvae are present in the soil when we buy the bags. They eat the organic material. Once moisture is added, they go nuts.
An adult female fungus gnat can lay up to 300 eggs which hatch in 4-5 days. Their whole life cycle last about 25 days.
I ended up with an infestation that was so bad, I trashed my entire setup. Tent, light, bags, everything.
That's why I joined RIU, to try to prevent this from happening again. But it's not looking too good from what you guys have been posting here.
How common are fungus gnat infestations with hydro set ups? Maybe this is not the best thread to ask that.
Considering a Bubble Bros. setup from HTG. Yeah, I know, hydro has it's own problems.. Maybe NFT?
I dread spending $500.00-$600.00 on a set up and having to trash it all, again, because of these bastards.
www.orkin.com
Wishing y'all the best with your situations.
As a few have mentioned, the larvae are present in the soil when we buy the bags. They eat the organic material. Once moisture is added, they go nuts.
An adult female fungus gnat can lay up to 300 eggs which hatch in 4-5 days. Their whole life cycle last about 25 days.
I ended up with an infestation that was so bad, I trashed my entire setup. Tent, light, bags, everything.
That's why I joined RIU, to try to prevent this from happening again. But it's not looking too good from what you guys have been posting here.
How common are fungus gnat infestations with hydro set ups? Maybe this is not the best thread to ask that.
Considering a Bubble Bros. setup from HTG. Yeah, I know, hydro has it's own problems.. Maybe NFT?
I dread spending $500.00-$600.00 on a set up and having to trash it all, again, because of these bastards.
Fungus Gnat Life Cycle | Orkin
Each part of the four-stage Fungus gnat life cycle takes only a handful of days to complete. The four stages include egg, larva, pupa, and adult. These pests do the majority of their damage in the larval form.
Wishing y'all the best with your situations.
skink#1
Well-Known Member
Yo Homey...Hot Shot? Like pyrethrins or Hot Shot Bug Killer? I must be missing something. I spray Zymes lightly it's citric acid and enzymes or something benign I hope. I don't see it affecting taste or plant health. Some things you don't want to spray on your soil. When I see Hotshot I think cockroaches, bedbugs, wasps,ants and such.
Star Dog
Well-Known Member
I've read about fungus gnats forever but I never had problems indoors/hydro with coco until now tbh I think I introduced them fkrs myself on clones.
Now they're gone I don't feel there's a imminent threat, I mean I know one could wander in and destroy my work given the chance but it never happened before and I used to leave the tent open when I left the room temporarily and i didn't ever have problems, that said it's much easier and cheaper to keep my vegging plants in paint bags or similar.
In flower is a different prospect to do so I'm going to continue using these.
I'm going to pick up some of that bug gel @medidedicated has that would be perfect for any that aren't totally sealed, over time they can get out of shape tbf they weren't intended as a barrier.
Now they're gone I don't feel there's a imminent threat, I mean I know one could wander in and destroy my work given the chance but it never happened before and I used to leave the tent open when I left the room temporarily and i didn't ever have problems, that said it's much easier and cheaper to keep my vegging plants in paint bags or similar.
In flower is a different prospect to do so I'm going to continue using these.
I'm going to pick up some of that bug gel @medidedicated has that would be perfect for any that aren't totally sealed, over time they can get out of shape tbf they weren't intended as a barrier.