troyboyington
Active Member
looking to pour neem oil onto my soil and soak pots in it at 1tbsp per gallon to get rid of fungus gnats. plants are 3 weeks into 12/12. anything i should be careful of here or am i good to go? not doing any foliar spray
fungus gnats/neem oil
- Thread starter troyboyington
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troyboyington
Active Member
first time using neem oil...
My Name is Mike
Well-Known Member
Allow the top few inches of soil to dry for few days. Gnat larvae like moist soil but they typically are within the first few inches of soil. Not required but should help.
If you're going neem oil route, use as directed on bottle and water plants as you normally would with the mixed solution. Neem oil typically requires dish soap to allow oil and water to mix. I have no comment whether that is harmful to plants. Make sure you get cold pressed pure neem oil, not extract. The extract won't work. I've read before hydrogen peroxide 3% at 1:4 with water also is effective without harming your plants and will kill gnat at contact.
If you're going neem oil route, use as directed on bottle and water plants as you normally would with the mixed solution. Neem oil typically requires dish soap to allow oil and water to mix. I have no comment whether that is harmful to plants. Make sure you get cold pressed pure neem oil, not extract. The extract won't work. I've read before hydrogen peroxide 3% at 1:4 with water also is effective without harming your plants and will kill gnat at contact.
WintersBones
Well-Known Member
Mosquito dunks. They are these donuts, break it up a bit a bury just under the top 1-2". Its a slow release of beneficial bacteria whenever you water that kills the larvae. Works like a charm when other things failed for me. The neem oil helps but it never got rid of them for me. I did this before trying the peroxide flush. Good luck.
Yeah use biologic dunks (BMC) or Nematodes, because neem oil will ultimately end up being in or on the plant and those trace amounts of neem oil left on or in the plant can cause all kinds of problems for people that have diabetes, it can even cause seizures, strokes and even death to some people that have type 1 diabetes! And as a side note that I feel is important for me to include... because of the extended research done by the State of Oregon, the State of Oregon and 23 other states have banned the use of Neem Oil in the commercial production of Cannabis and Hemp!
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Richard Drysift
Well-Known Member
I stopped using neem and now opt for diatomaceous earth. Just sprinkle it on the top layer of soil every so often to prevent gnats. Kills them if they land and their larvae/eggs. I get them mostly coming from inside my worm bin. Mosquito dunks/bits didn’t work so well for me because of this and I’m also not sure they are safe for living soil. DE also provides a good source of silica; so its a win win.
troyboyington
Active Member
mosquito dunks have failed me greatly
87Jerseydevil87
Active Member
Outside of letting the top layer of soil dry up, I mix neem meal into the soil, and add a little to the sprayer with some dish soap. I spray every so often, the neem meal really does wonders.
becasueracecar09
Active Member
Dont get the dunks, need to get the BITS. Mosquito Bits
I put them into the water im going to water with the night before to let them soak. then stir it up and water. (you can even put the bits in the water only 5 min before watering, but i like to let it sit over night, makes me feel like im getting more bang for my buck)
I had a particularly bad infestation and after a couple days they were greatly reduced, and a couple weeks they were completely gone. I still water with the Bits once a week or so as a preventative measure.
TintEastwood
Well-Known Member
What many said already.
Dunks do it for me.
If a single gnat is sighted in my grow...
Top dress my coco with ground up bits and chunks of the dunk donut dealios. No skimping!
Top feed.
Poof.
If infested it will take up to 2 weeks for zero gnats.
Dunks do it for me.
If a single gnat is sighted in my grow...
Top dress my coco with ground up bits and chunks of the dunk donut dealios. No skimping!
Top feed.
Poof.
If infested it will take up to 2 weeks for zero gnats.
troyboyington
Active Member
I've used the bits and the dunks in combination but they never seem to truly eradicate the problem. they do help a bit tho
troyboyington
Active Member
still wondering if the bits and dunks are totally safe for living soil?
becasueracecar09
Active Member
I am running living soil, and I haven't noticed any issues. The only ingredient in the bits is corn cob and BTI. I will typically strain the bits out of the water before i water the plants, so all my plants are seeing is the bti leached off of the corn cob.
ThaMagnificent
Well-Known Member
dunks + plant therapy
setitandforgetit
Active Member
I top dress w neem meal and ewc for the larvae. Mix apple cider vinegar with a couple drops of soap in a jar and leave it out for the adults
colocowboy
Well-Known Member
Dunks, bits, anything with bacillus thuringiensis often sold as caterpillar defense. I like gnatrol as it’s a powder and has a really high population that’s long term storable. Dunks/bits are similar and some form should be available to you if there’s even Lowe’s or Home Depot. This also handles other pests!
I have a product called BMC Microbe lift which is essentially just BTI. I have a pretty bad infestation going on which has me not enjoying being in my room because it make me itchy (I have posted about this) It is an ingredient in my tea (but have not watered with it much as I am only in the second week of them being in this brand new soil) and I have been using it in a spray to coat the soil in a 1/8t per gallon...it is strong stuff. I called the company and got this recommendation for the fungus gnats. Hoping this will deal with problem but it certainly has not worked yet, been 3 days of spraying with the BMI mixture, alternated with Big time exterminator or flying skull nuke 'em (I use these on leaves and soil a bit now as a preventative) Been like 7-9 days this problem has been with me now---Wondering if I keep on keeping on with just BMI or utilize some more measures. Plants are mostly looking great, some are not and could be several reasons.
My friends grow in soil as do I and have been using BMI as a component of their tea for 25 years with fabulous results. I have talked to a guy at the company of the product I have and he told me I could even put like 5 times the amount of the 1/8t to a gallon he told me and really it is only beneficial to your soil. I hope that helps a bit. Not sure if it is going to eradicate my situation but it should be safe at the very least.
Mountainfarmer
Well-Known Member
I use this same product. I have had great success using around 15 drops per gallon of nutrient feed and watering it in. This product works by the fungus gnat larvae eating the organic matter in the medium and therefore eating the BT. I don't see how spraying the surface of the soil/coco or whatever would be effectual. Good luck
becasueracecar09
Active Member
Jimmy,
While I haven't heard of the product your using, if it has bti, it will get rid of your fungus gnats. But, like Mountainfarmer said above, you must drench the soil in the bti solution for it to be effective. The larvae need to eat the bti for it to kill them. Only using it as a folar spray for your plants will not be effective in killing the gnats.