Gnat control?

st0wandgrow said:

I was under that same impression until recently. People using blu mats tend to disagree. When growing organically you are essentially taking care of the microbes in your soil. Microbes like the soil to stay pretty consistently moist. The wet/dry cycles are more geared towards using synthetic nutes where you have already decimated the beneficial beasties in your soil by dumping chemicals in there.

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greasemonkeymann said:

I see your logic, but my advice applies specifically to organic farming, after probably around 45-60 harvests, I've found with the system I use, which is REALLY simple, I have the best results when letting the soil dry out a lil, the roots breathe better. I really have ONLY the advice that I've tried and proven to use. Very simple and I don't wanna sound arrogant but the clubs don't even compete with the results I have. You may be misunderstanding me also, I don't let it get to the point where the surface soil-tension repels the water, just dry to the second digit on my finger. I still stand by my original comment, I have bad results when the soil stays moist. I'm not saying you aren't correct, only that my 20yrs of growing, I have better results letting them dry a lil. I also water differently than most also, using a huge bucket to soak the entire smartpot.

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You're both right and in more agreement than you realize.

A noobs idea of moist and a experienced growers idea of moist are miles apart. What a noob would call moist, we would probably call soggy.

That's why all the problems with the gnats.

Wet

Whoooaa I thought you wanted organic solutions!?

Check out EZ Wet by Grow More. It is a sugar extract and a kelp extract that is used in commercial ag for strawberry farmers. This is perfect for strawberry farmers because they are grown low to the ground, where it is extremely easy to get pests or pathogens in the rhizosphere (root zone).

This is an AWESOME product because it has a long list of uses. And its cheap!

1. Wetting agent (surfactant) for making better use of foliar sprays
2. Minor Pesticide (kills soft shelled insects on contact) *especially great when used with AZA MAX
3. Improves drainage in soil, and will help soil/coco dry out more evenly
5. When fed with nutrients, it will help loosen the surface tension of the soil and allow for penetration of dry pockets
6. Because it is a sugar extract as well, it will feed the microbes and biology in the root zone
7. Absolutely wipes out all gnats and larvae

*Use up to 10 ml per gallon

This is a link of where I buy it from, they seem to have the most knowledge about any products, and it is the most inexpensive that I have found anywhere. Hope this helps

http://monstergardens.com/index.php?route=product/product&filter_name=ez wet&product_id=2075

Po boy said:

spinosad has been working well for me and it's organic. GL

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spinosad for fungus gnats? Never heard that. I need to check this out, I have a bottle I could put to use.

Edit: They are not listed on the "insects controlled" portion of the label.

Insects Conrolled
Conserve SC controls a wide variety of turfgrass and
ornamental insect pests, including:
• Bagworms
• Black cutworms
• Chilli thrips
• Eastern tent caterpillars
• Elm leaf beetles
• Fall armyworms
• Fall webworms
• Gypsy moth larvae
• Hickory tussock moth larvae
• Pod gall midges
• Sawflies
• Serpentine leafminers
• Sod webworms
• Spider mites (with an adjuvant)
• Spruce budworms
• Thrips
• Willow leaf beetles
• Yellownecked caterpillars


http://msdssearch.dow.com/PublishedLiteratureDAS/dh_08d2/0901b803808d281f.pdf?filepath=turf/pdfs/noreg/010-60273.pdf&fromPage=GetDoc

i've used it twice on fungus gnats that i caught in the early stages and both time the spinosad solved the problem. GL

I'm gonna take down my pest strips But I used those when my gnats were out of control and they cut down their population quite a bit. My natural solution was halfed solo-cups with a mixture of dish soap + vinegar + water - the gnats smell the fruity soap and fly into it and die - those lil cups work pretty damn well. I hate that FF soil has gnats all in it but I love their soil. When I can, I'm going to get some sand or whatever so they can't fly out from my pots. I've definitely got some gnat reworking to take care of before the fuckers come back. But............ gnats are harmless, just annoyances, in terms of pests, I'm glad I only have gnats and a few spiders.

DM earth mixed right into the soil blend at 1/4 cup/gal is all you need.

10 bucks at Home Depot.

Fungus gnats are not exactly harmless. The larvae do eat root hairs; infestations can indeed kill plants, especially younger seedlings and clones. They can also spread pathogens. I have dissected clones infested with fungus gnats to find larvae burrowed inside the base of the stem.

Be careful layering stuff on top of your soil, including sand and DE. I have done the diatomaceous earth thing in the past and wasn't particularly pleased with the result; it turned into a mess. Again, the DE needs to be dry in order to be effective. I wouldn't layer it on the soil surface unless perhaps you aren't watering frequently or from the top. When I used the DE in this manner it quickly became wet, mucked up and seemed to impede the flow of water. It is best used in areas that are going to stay dry, where you see adult gnats flying, such as on the floor, in corners and crevices or worked into carpeting.

If you're going to use any sand, make sure it is quality washed sand and not builders or construction sand. Instead, I would try a layer of mulch, coir or perlite.

If the bags of potting soil you buy consistently have fungus gnats, they probably infested the bags of soil after they left the production facility/warehouse. Most soil mixing operations take plant in sealed facilities and they take other precautions such as using predator mites. The bags need to breathe, so there are little holes in the bags to allow for air exchange. If the pallets of potting soil are stored improperly, i.e. outside, there are opportunities for gnats to enter.

greasemonkeymann said:

if you let your soil go through a dry phase it'll help. A common mistake is keeping the soil damp all the time. MJ likes dry soil. Most plants in general like a lil dry phase. Obviously i'm not saying to the point that they droop, but drying the soil out will help keep the fungus gnats' larvae from hatching. Sand or DM does work too, a fan pointed at the soil is a good idea also, keeps the gnats from landing.

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Having constantly wet\overwatered soil sure can exacerbate issues with fungus gnats, but even if you water properly you can certainly still get them. A single fungus gnat can lay hundreds of eggs at one time. The real issue is that the gnats have no predators in your grow room. Best solution is to introduce some: beneficial nematodes or Hypoaspis/predator mites.

this is some great info!

i have one of those sticky fly trap things hanging from the ceiling and i used the mosquito dunks so hopefully that takes care of it.im mostly worried about the larva.

brownEs said:

i picked up one of these and put it near my cab's intake and about 4-5 they were all dead!!

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That stuff releases pretty harmful chemicals that can not only have a negative impact on your plant, but your own health as well. It's not recommended to use it anywhere, where people actually live in a daily basis as far as I know. They recommend using it in garages, sheds, boats when you store them, or in rooms that are not used often. From my understanding the chemicals used in those strips are being studied by the Canadian government for a possible ban. I would be very careful.

http://forum.grasscity.com/sick-plants-problems/640084-caution-when-useing-hot-shot-no-pest-strips.html

Nullis said:

DO NOT FUCKIN USE NO PEST STRIPS, EVER.

Active ingredient is Dichlorvos. The fact of the matter is that those things are not supposed to be used where food is prepared of served, or even where people\animals actually reside for more than brief periods of time. It is for use in "non-living" areas. Those things emit toxic vapors... the package explicitly states that "This product contains a chemical known to the state of California to cause cancer" but is actually more likely to contribute to symptoms of ADHD in children.

Dichlorvos is a biologically active compound in humans, an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and therefore has a tendency to be quite toxic.

Pyrethrins would be preferred big time over that crap. Pyrethrins are botanically derived, not generally toxic to people or pets and they break down into harmless byproducts.
Pyrethrin spray will kill adult fungus gnats.

In soil organics biological controls are best. These include the Bti, beneficial nematodes and predator mites. My soil is crawling with Hypoaspis mites, they eat fungus gnats and various other potential soil-dwelling pests, as well as spring tails.

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Can you please provide a direct link to a product for reference? I've been using strips man and I'm about to finish this cycle in about 1-2 weeks, so looking at fresh methods of dealing with gnats the next time around. Do you mix the BTI in the soil? Can you provide me with specifics? Thanks alot.

Maphyr said:

Can you please provide a direct link to a product for reference? I've been using strips man and I'm about to finish this cycle in about 1-2 weeks, so looking at fresh methods of dealing with gnats the next time around. Do you mix the BTI in the soil? Can you provide me with specifics? Thanks alot.

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Mosquito dunk granules (BTI) can be purchased at any Home Depot/Lowes. You sprinkle a layer on top of your soil prior to watering which will release the beneficial bacteria in to your soil where the fungus gnat larvae will feed on them .... and die. Place some sticky traps on the surface of your soil to catch the adults that are flying/hopping around and your problem should be solved within a week or so. If not, apply another layer of the granules and repeat the same process.

Here is a link: http://www.statelinetack.com/item/summit-mosquito-bits/E002332/?srccode=GPSLT&gclid=COSxzdWym7gCFfE7MgodkFUAMQ

Mosquito dunks, DE, Azamax drench, & Go Gnats all worked for me. Switched to Pro-Mix and no probs anymore.

bignam said:

i have one of those sticky fly trap things hanging from the ceiling and i used the mosquito dunks so hopefully that takes care of it.im mostly worried about the larva.

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The BTi dunks should be enough to take care of the larvae. The flies are not much of a problem really, you'll get rid of them by keeping your top 2 inches of substrate on the drier side, nothing to attract them to lay eggs. If you don't over-water you hardly ever get gnats.

After treating with the dunks, simply wait a bit longer between waterings, prevention is better than cure! They don't lay eggs in dry soil, and larvae only populate about the first two inches max so letting it dry breaks their life-cycle pretty effectively. They have a 7-10 day cycle to give you an idea, including larvae, pupae and flies.

A good way to see if you have gotten rid of them is to put a potato slice in your substrate. Larvae will migrate onto the potato and stay stuck on it when you pull it back out, they're EASY to spot that way.

Best of luck, they're little bastards.

iv been battling them over here. had a heat wave and theyve been chilling ever since! sticky cards do help a ton, i need some dunks

I agree with Hamish I try to bottom feed to keep the top dry. Or use half inch of perlite or white sand. I also use cinnamon for natural pesticide.

You can also get stuff similar to the dunks but in granular form if you want it to be superfast, look for 'biological caterpillar insecticide' like Gnatrol, it waters in real nice... Yup we also have tons of the little bastards in summer. Between them and spider mites a man can keep quite busy come the hot spells. Bastard bugs, so vicious yet so teeeeeny...

tarantula from AN has some Bti in it, im about to try that and see if it works at all...

also great white has 269000 ceu per cc of bti, good dose? lol