massive fungus gnat problem in soil

A

AdvancedUser

Member
the plants were looking healthy till I started getting brown spotted leaves(either Botrytis fungus or Phoma Cannabis fungus). Been removing one leaf per day because of reappearing spots
Fly paper seemed to work at first, but eventually, in the peat moss, it looked like too many to handle.
These bugs carry fungus spores. Been fine misting a solution of 2 cups water and half teaspoon bleach once a day for past four days
So I sliced all the branches into cuttings. lined the bottom of a planter tray with one inch peat moss(had no perlite on hand)and saturated it with 90% water 10% bleach then covered that with boxboard to prevent bleach from going into the styrofoam cups yet to keep the planter humid for the clones. Used all purpose potting soil in the cups.
The old planters, to destroy the massive amount of bugs right away, I had sprayed Scrubbing Bubbles bathroom cleaner mildew stain remover with bleach. Bugs in planter now gone.
Planning on reusing bleached peat moss by flushing with water, Ph testing after adding nutrients.
Any recommended nutrients? quantities?(bloodmeal, fish emulsion, urine, worm castings, bat guano,etc.)
 
A

AdvancedUser

Member
how can I stop/repell fungus gnats from re-infesting peat moss/potting soil? Any particular type of bleach? Hydrogen Peroxide to water ratio? 91% iso Propyl alcohol in misting bottle? Mighty Wash? Mighty Wash in misting bottle?
It's just that the fungus gnats are patrolling my room. But I think they are avoiding the planting tray with dome because of the bleach smell coming from it(10% bleach on bottom 1" of tray). Clones looking healthy so far.
 
A

AdvancedUser

Member
Just read in "Grizzly's Guide to Pulverizing Pests" in "Bugs" forum to use:
Neem oil
Insecticidal soap(applied as soil drench)
every 5-10 days
 
hoss12781

hoss12781

Well-Known Member
put a layer of perlite over the top of the soil. The gnats, as they hatch have to climb out of the soil and through the perlite, they get mauled and die. This will dramatically decrease the gnat population
 
kang420

kang420

Well-Known Member
neem oil works but i dont need to use it anymore cause now i put a good 2 inches of white sand around my plant and any gnats die before they can escape. it also reflects a little light, prevention is better than the cure
 
nixusr

nixusr

Member
Bless the net! I've been trying to get some solutions to a gnat infestation that has been brewing for a month. At first I was only seeing just a few flying around when watering but then more and more started showing up. I got some dyna-gro neem oil and applied with water, mild dish soap and sprayed the plants.

After that I got some white fly paper and then realized I need to get my a%% in gear and find a better / quicker stop. The fly paper is littered with gnats! I'm still trying to figure out how they even showed up. Hoping to get the veg room sealed and the intake / exhaust filtering working asap.

@AdvancedUser - Curious to know your progress on this.
@ VICTORYGARDENSHYDRO - I'm gonna look in on Azamax immediately.
 
A

AdvancedUser

Member
clones still looking beautiful. Going to try the 1" of white sand on top to block gnat movement read that it is effective elsewhere. Gnats feed on roots which is probably why I lost 5 plants about a month ago. Peat moss probably needed to be airated with 20% perlite too. Switching to all purpose potting soil anyway. Gnats still patrolling room but not as many.
 
A

AdvancedUser

Member
4 leaves infected with fungus sterilized scissors with lighter and removed leaves a few or more gnats got in the dome soil drenched with insecticidal soap and sprayed neem oil on leaves. No clones completely dead yet.
 
dirtysnowball

dirtysnowball

Well-Known Member
fatfarmer said how to kill em, I will add another simple easy one here: add 1" layer of sand on top of the soil.... all done hahaha:twisted:
 
TwooDeff425

TwooDeff425

Well-Known Member
Forget using chemicals and expensive products

go to your local friendly lowes, in the garden section, ask for:

diatomaceous earth

8$ a bag it will solve your gnat problem....I guarantee it, with ZERO chance of harming ur plants as it's an organic material ;)
 
cranker

cranker

Legal Moderator, Esq.
in the future, grow some sundews and pitcher plants in your grow room. They've been great for me.

[video=youtube;Abk8TBgf8Ac]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Abk8TBgf8Ac&feature=results_video&playnext=1[/video]
 
A

AdvancedUser

Member
Thanks a whole lot Cranker. My peat moss came with fungus gnats, all purpuse potting soil with whitefly, and my region is loaded with mosquitos and fruit flies. I'm going to start by ordering a few carniverous sundew plants. I'll have to make sure they don't get too much direct light. Do they like spider mites?
 
BeaverHuntr

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
I;m battling fungus gnats in my garden too they seem to really like the coco chips/ Larry OG and I have used Azamax ( expensive) and that killed a lot of adults but they still are comming back so I figure it didnt kill the larvae. Everyone stands by gnatrol its a powder I picked up at the grow store only one in Phoenix carried it. Seriously take a look at gnatrol or buying some nematoads.
 
CPmass

CPmass

Active Member
dirtysnowball said:
add 1" layer of sand on top of the soil.... all done hahaha:twisted:
Click to expand...
I decided to go this route, just because I had a big bucket of course silica sand in the shed.
But after putting a THICK layer down (probably 2" of sand), I began to wonder..
how do I know when to water now?

Just realized how old this thread was..
 
CPmass

CPmass

Active Member
Not to troll and old thread back to life, but I feel this page can be useful to many. Since I found it on google..

One day after adding 2" of course silica sand to buckets, all bug life is gone.
Thanks you dirtysnowball.. where ever you may be.
 
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