marijane29
Member
Ok this is my first grow and I have a gnat problem! How do I get rid of them?
help i got gnats!
- Thread starter marijane29
- Start date
wannaquickee
Well-Known Member
i swat them one by one...
Same here, when you cant swat a gnat then you know your smoke is ace ;]]i swat them one by one...
On a serious note, just let the soil dry up properly, sand on top of the soil is great too. I dont think the flies actually do any harm but im told the larvae can damage the roots if in huge numbers
marijane29
Member
Ok I got the sand and I am going to let them dry out before watering again. Also got some sticky tape. Thanks for the info!
Nullis
Moderator
You don't get gnats from having wet soil. Letting your soil dry out excessively probably wont solve the problem, either.
Gnats come from gnat pupa, which come from gnat larvae that come from gnat eggs laid by gnat females.
Excessive moisture gives them better conditions (and fungus too, which they eat), but I've seen swarms of gnats hovering and laying their eggs in apparently bone dry soil that's been left sitting out in the open. You have to water your plants anyways; it is best to take a few preventative measures which can also be used to achieve control of an infestation. Yellow sticky traps should be incorporated into every grow room (especially soil). I like the SAFER brand sticks that go right in the soil.
jondamon suggested other viable controls, most of those I believe are biological. Gnatrol is Bti, a strain of bacillus bacterium that is toxic to a few select species of insect larvae. If you can't find Gnatrol, you should be able to acquire some Mosquito Dunks (same ingredient), as they are sold in most Lowes/Home Depot type stores.
You can also vacuum around the pots each day to reduce the numbers of adults.
Gnats come from gnat pupa, which come from gnat larvae that come from gnat eggs laid by gnat females.
Excessive moisture gives them better conditions (and fungus too, which they eat), but I've seen swarms of gnats hovering and laying their eggs in apparently bone dry soil that's been left sitting out in the open. You have to water your plants anyways; it is best to take a few preventative measures which can also be used to achieve control of an infestation. Yellow sticky traps should be incorporated into every grow room (especially soil). I like the SAFER brand sticks that go right in the soil.
jondamon suggested other viable controls, most of those I believe are biological. Gnatrol is Bti, a strain of bacillus bacterium that is toxic to a few select species of insect larvae. If you can't find Gnatrol, you should be able to acquire some Mosquito Dunks (same ingredient), as they are sold in most Lowes/Home Depot type stores.
You can also vacuum around the pots each day to reduce the numbers of adults.
marijane29
Member
Ok I got 2 more questions. How long do I keep the sand on top of the soil and cab I water them with sand on the top or should I move the sand first? Thanks!
SimplySmokin
Well-Known Member
You can leave the layer of sand on there it hurs nothing but takes a bit longer to let the water filter through. Incedently, they come from the soil being stored outside ussually at the retail level.
333maxwell
Active Member
Seems every other time I bring in now soil I end up getting a few.. some times I have had an infestation.. I have got rid of mine the same way each time..
DO NOT DO THIS because some guy on the internet said he does.. I am just food for thought.. one guy saying what he has done for several grows that have became infested.
--
I experiment with just about everything natural before I use any chems etc..and over the years I have found this works great (for me) if you have just a few plants and need to get rid of the buggers, and it only works in soil (or I have only tried it in soil I mean).
Anyway.. just part of the disclaimer..
--
Soooo
Go to the store and get yellow stickies.. hang a few to start working the adults right away.. you wont catch em all, but you will start putting a dent in them and it is satisfying to watch them squirm (not really, I hate screwing with anything)....
From there I treat the soil.. I use my adjusted water just as if watering regularly, PH adjusted with 5 to 1 ratio (or so) over the counter 3% hydrogen peroxide. (someone is going WTF, this guy is a #$& and a #$^& and especially a #@$^%@#)
I water them well.. after doing this dozens of times over the years I no longer get all anxious as the soil bubbles up and it turns into a bubbly swamp (that just so happens to be aerating the soil... or so they say).. in fact it is kind of cool..
I make sure to drench them well enough I get plenty of drip into the bottom so as it kills any larva as well.. sometimes you can see the gnats fly out like crazy as they were just hiding in there down below.
---
Anyway.. next time the plant needs water (usually a day or so sooner as your soil becomes very loose and aerated) you do it all again, maybe a bit less peroxide this time..
In the mean time keep changing those sticky traps.. if you can break the cycle of the larva in the soil (which you can kill instantly) with the elimination of adults before they can breed (which is why it takes a few times .. a game of numbers) you can be gnat free in 7-10 days all natural..
--
Anyway, that's what I do.. I have researched the pro's and con's and will continue to do it that way.. I've yet to see a negative effect on the plant..
You can see why it wouldn't work well for more than a plant or two..
DO NOT DO THIS because some guy on the internet said he does.. I am just food for thought.. one guy saying what he has done for several grows that have became infested.
--
I experiment with just about everything natural before I use any chems etc..and over the years I have found this works great (for me) if you have just a few plants and need to get rid of the buggers, and it only works in soil (or I have only tried it in soil I mean).
Anyway.. just part of the disclaimer..
--
Soooo
Go to the store and get yellow stickies.. hang a few to start working the adults right away.. you wont catch em all, but you will start putting a dent in them and it is satisfying to watch them squirm (not really, I hate screwing with anything)....
From there I treat the soil.. I use my adjusted water just as if watering regularly, PH adjusted with 5 to 1 ratio (or so) over the counter 3% hydrogen peroxide. (someone is going WTF, this guy is a #$& and a #$^& and especially a #@$^%@#)
I water them well.. after doing this dozens of times over the years I no longer get all anxious as the soil bubbles up and it turns into a bubbly swamp (that just so happens to be aerating the soil... or so they say).. in fact it is kind of cool..
I make sure to drench them well enough I get plenty of drip into the bottom so as it kills any larva as well.. sometimes you can see the gnats fly out like crazy as they were just hiding in there down below.
---
Anyway.. next time the plant needs water (usually a day or so sooner as your soil becomes very loose and aerated) you do it all again, maybe a bit less peroxide this time..
In the mean time keep changing those sticky traps.. if you can break the cycle of the larva in the soil (which you can kill instantly) with the elimination of adults before they can breed (which is why it takes a few times .. a game of numbers) you can be gnat free in 7-10 days all natural..
--
Anyway, that's what I do.. I have researched the pro's and con's and will continue to do it that way.. I've yet to see a negative effect on the plant..
You can see why it wouldn't work well for more than a plant or two..
