Tiny little black flies?

HailTheLeaf

HailTheLeaf

Well-Known Member
I've got tiny little black flies all over the top of the soil in my pots, at least 5 in each one. They are not fruit flies, but I have no idea what they are. They are very small, (about the size of fruit flies) and don't get any bigger. They don't seem to be harming the plants, they are more interested in the soil, (probably the various bird poop in the soil). I'm wondering if anyone knows what they are, and if they are harmful, beneficial, or neutral to my grow.
 
BadDog40

BadDog40

Well-Known Member
They are probably gnats. Pretty harmless but they won't go away on their own and will get worse. Pest strips work well.
 
ststepen420

ststepen420

Well-Known Member
probably gnats man, try and get them away....get one of those things with the sticky stuff that hangs from the ceiling
 
Baz

Baz

Well-Known Member
No worries at all, i got the exact same problem, love hanging in the soil and also in the driptrays

Ive had these in my growroom for 2 months now, don't seem to harm anything just get on yer nerves a bit, i have thrown a decent sized spider in there, and the numbers have dropped a little, prob when i harvest and clean my room out ima find this big fat fukin spider lol
 
F

frmrboi

Well-Known Member
HailTheLeaf said:
I've got tiny little black flies all over the top of the soil in my pots, at least 5 in each one. They are not fruit flies, but I have no idea what they are. They are very small, (about the size of fruit flies) and don't get any bigger. They don't seem to be harming the plants, they are more interested in the soil, (probably the various bird poop in the soil). I'm wondering if anyone knows what they are, and if they are harmful, beneficial, or neutral to my grow.
Click to expand...
They're fungus gnat's, they aren't your problem their babies are. They'll eat your roots :cry: Depending on how organic you want to grow will determine your method of attack.
 
Krypt

Krypt

Well-Known Member
Decrease the amount of times per week you water. Fungus gnats love moist soil, and keeping your soil dry will get most of them out. Along with cedar chips.
 
JJD

JJD

Well-Known Member
They are fungus gnats,

I have the same problem, all you have to do it place slices of potato on top of the soil.

Don't let people tell you they are harmless, they lay larva in your soil and these larva will feed off your plants root system.

If they get really bad get neem oil.

By using the potato slice the adult flys will lay their eggs inside the potato as opposed to the soil, just throw away the potato after like 4 hours and replace with a new slice. Repeat until they are gone.

Adult gnats will die in 5 days, they key is to kill the next generation.
 
waylive

waylive

Active Member
i had the same problem i tried everything what worked for me is the nicatine pestacide you make it from ciggaretes (homemade you can look up how to make it on this site go to the growfaq) I sprayed 2 times a week for a month the havent came back. goodluck:mrgreen:
 
A

asherahpole

Active Member
You can kill the gnats that are flying around with a spray bottle of 1:1 water/rubbing alcohol. You have to do a few applications, but it gets rid of them and does not harm the plant. If mine come back, I'll use the potato trick also.
 
HailTheLeaf

HailTheLeaf

Well-Known Member
I just read somewhere that they drown in apple cider vinegar...trying apple cider to see if that works, since I actually have some...they are all over the potato slices already.
 
johnMcClould

johnMcClould

Well-Known Member
i killed my bugs wit rose spray just light spray on soil every couple of days week and half they were gone i had same bug
 
C

ckydmk

Active Member
I had them in my plants for a while, I got rid of them by drying out my soil. BONE DRY, water, bone dry, and you're golden.
 
OregonMeds

OregonMeds

Well-Known Member
Except you can't always go a whole day bone dry, truly dry enough all the way around to kill them.

Aside from the potato trick another way to get rid of them forever is putting 1" or so of sand on top of your soil. If the sand if not sterile from a pet store or something then you should throw it in the oven to sterilize if before exposing your grow to any new unsanitary shit.

I'm liking the sand now more and more because even if more gnats come in the grow after you kill all you have they just can't get established any more.
 
HailTheLeaf

HailTheLeaf

Well-Known Member
Apple cider has been doing the trick, they can't resist it, and after a few hours it's so sticky it won't come off the plate without scraping it off. I think they are almost gone. I'm going to look into the sand idea because I don't want them coming back.
 
K

KmKay

Member
I've got the same problem and someone told me to use ground cinnamon. Just tried it let ya know how it works in a few days.
 
P

peak 19

Member
A lot of these methods work. Try a combo of these and you'll get rid of them. I once put a frying pan full of bacon grease on the floor near my plants.It didn't take long for them to find it,and get stuck in the grease. Once they get in it,they can't get out.And you can use it for a long time.And,no-it didn't make my weed taste like bacon.
 
OopsCake

OopsCake

Active Member
I just noticed these things in the soil of one of my plants in the vegging chamber but not anywhere else. I'm gonna try a small dish with some rice wine vinegar and if that doesn't work I'm going to try bacon grease
 
Fazer1rlg

Fazer1rlg

Active Member
Better hope they aren't winged root aphids they look similar to gnats but are way harder to get rid of.
 
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