Fungus gnats or WINGED ROOT APHIDS???

[sammyz2646]

I can however give you 3 items to obtain that WILL HELP you get them gone

These items are no big secret, but people see too many options and freak out.

Then there is the toxicity topic that fires up so many, and I understand 100%! The health and safety argument needs to be at the front of the discussion line. I have and always will support the smartest choices based on the conditions and abilities of the grower.

 

[sammyz2646]

Ridding your self of these bastards even with all the best tools is NOT easy and will take a combination of smart choices, hard work, and due diligence in your routines

 

[sammyz2646]

GO GET THESE 3 THINGS-

1- PCO CHOICE CEDARCIDE - AS AN AREA SPRAY ONLY! , IMO

This is a very effective and SAFE way to spray around your grow room and near the plants. Also safe for the kids and pets, not to mention it is a great pest control spray for anywhere around your home. Think its like $75 or so for the quart size. You'll need it! Now don't spray it IN the plants, just use everywhere near or around the the plant and room, and they will DIE once this stuff touches them.

Even H202 and bleach will not always kill them, but the cedarcide will

Granger preaches about the benefits of this and with his help, I learned just how great this product is. I personally didn't have good luck using it as a root drench, as it damaged and killed a few experiments

 

[BlazinPurps]

\

Anyone else who has these don't forget to say where you think they came from, soil or a clone from someone else.

I am the only person who goes in my garden and I have never taken in a clone everything I have is from seed. I am very cautious about picking up pests on myself and will change and shower if I had any contact with other plants yard work etc. The only consistent thing I have had with every infestation was Fox Farm Ocean Forest Soil. I cannot say 100% for sure that is where they came from but it is my opinion that is where mine originated from. I grew hydro for 2 years with 0 RA's, then switched back to soil using Happy Frog for a year and 0 RA's, then I switched to a Happy Frog/ Ocean Forest mix and boom I am infested. I will never use Fox Farm Ocean forest again and I will be sterilizing all of my soil in the oven from now on.

 

[sammyz2646]

2- Spectracide Triazicide- AKA (Gamma-Cyhalothrin)

I know, I know, it's a big scary word. And this method needs to be respected and ONLY used in younger teens. Not ever to be used in flower, we will get to that next

I read earlier where people have had luck with it and others have not

I can tell you that there is some mis-information in earlier post with the discussion about damage caused by this substance. Used properly it WILL NOT HURT YOUR PLANT!!!!

Now, it is essential that you don't sniff or smell this stuff as it has properties that don't mix well with us. I went to Home Depot and spent $40 on a mask that is suitable for protecting my face and lungs. WEAR THICK RUBBER GLOVES TOO

During my RA outbreak, I did EVERYTHING in the world to avoid the chemical route, but as many of you will see, it may , eventually be your only choice

Mix up a large bucket of water, maybe 6 or 8 gallons and add an air diffuser to keep things stirred around. Next, put on your mask and add your Spec/Tri. Now I had a stupid outbreak of flyers and nymphs of all types and colors, so I went with a heavy dose at first. Heavier than in previous discussions here.. I used 1.5 fl oz. per gallon without any plant damage

Soak your root mass under this concoction for around 2 minutes then remove it and DO NOTHING ELSE!!!!!
No nutes, not flush, NOTHING

Feed your regular feeding next 1/2 day or day

 

[sammyz2646]

3- SNS-203!!!!

OOOKKKAAAAYYY, so this stuff's effectiveness is under debate, but I can tell you people that it is the only reason I haven't launched myself from the cliff battling these guys. Now you just have to know when and where to apply it and how much to use.

I will tell you......

So it is not cheap to buy this stuff, but after my $600 purchase of Met 52 that did almost nothing for me, the SNS is cheap in comparison. Super cheap if its saving your flowering plants!!!!!!!!

Now please , lets be clear, SNS 203 will not rid you of a bad out break if that's ALL you use. Here is the key IMO,

Use SNS 203 in veg following the SPEC/TRI treatments as a tool to keep the population down, and if you don't have the guts or the time to use the SPEC/TRI, repeated treatments of the SNS
will keep them held back


USE SNS 203 ALL THE WAY THROUGH FLOWER!!!

UP to 3 days before harvest!

This stuff is safe and smells fine too, its made from rosemary and clove oil

BUT, YOU MUST USE ALMOST DOUBLE what they tell you to.. For me, the trick is a lemonade or juice container held in your hand, (1quart)ish , and use 1.5 fl oz PER QUART of the SNS-203

You may use this all the way through flower until 3 DAYS before harvest.


And me personally, I mix up the same strength 203 mixture as in root zone treatment, ( 1.5oz per quart) and use it as an area spray cause if you want you CAN just spray it everywhere including the root mass and smart pot

 

[sammyz2646]

UHGGG yes, I did actually buy a $600 bag of fungus injected rice

 

[BlazinPurps]

On another note I am about a month into veg in soil amended with DE and have watered with a small amount of emulsified neem 2 times and sprayed a few flyers with azamax. I transplanted 4 plants into 3 Gallon smart pots last night and could only find 1 single bug it was a flyer. I have not been able to find any crabs at all since I started over using the DE amended soil.

 

[sammyz2646]

RA's will come from 3 places that I know,

#1 dumbest move is clone trading

#2 is soil reclamation and reselling contaminated material

#3 your yard in certain places (aka nearby vineyards , etc)

 

[sammyz2646]

On another note I am about a month into veg in soil amended with DE and have watered with a small amount of emulsified neem 2 times and sprayed a few flyers with azamax. I transplanted 4 plants into 3 Gallon smart pots last night and could only find 1 single bug it was a flyer. I have not been able to find any crabs at all since I started over using the DE amended soil.

Dude, it won't work, trust me, they will be back

They hate the neem but it only is a temporary fix..

They laugh at DE

Smartpots don't help either.. Just wait until your roots poke through

Dont get me wrong, I use smart pots too, but not to avoid RA's

 

[Hmong]

Was spraying them with nukeum when they are crawling in the saucer but was thinking if you place sticky tape around the stem if it might stop some of the crawlers heading into the leaves and buds

get some tanglefoot instead. tape will fall off, loose stickyness when it gets wet or binds the stem if you wrp it to tight. instect glue stuff on the other hand is waterproof.
I tried tape, it was off in less than 1 week.


cheerz Hmong

 

[sammyz2646]

EVEN DOING ALL 3 steps here ISN'T A GUARANTEE!!!!!

This takes religious planning and work to avoid improper travel and improper times

Always visit the less infected rooms first and finish in the most infected and STICK to this habit even after you THINK you've beaten them

Next, wherever it is that you harvest, make sure its not anywhere near your veg or flower room and always throw infected root masses away asap.. FAR AWAY!!! Not in the garbage can right outside your back door!!!!

Never leave any pruning debris or leaves in the grow rooms, EVER!!

I always spray the garbage cans (post prune) with my area sprays religiously

I never re-use my geo-pots or smart pots
BUY NEW ONES

 

[sammyz2646]

OK then get lots of sticky cards, the YELLOW ones for RA's

I cut them in half at the fold, creating 2 out of one, them put some double stick tape on the back and stick these traps everywhere, but not in your way!!! I like them just off the floor on the walls and obviously, during an active outbreak, near the plant stems.

This is NOT a method to rid yourself of these it simply prevents them from traveling and reproducing and every one you get, is a big victory
More importantly these sticky cards act as a PERFECT TOOL to understand how bad your outbreak or RA population really is and which plants are the most active with RA's

This is key to winning the battle, understanding where the worst micro herds exist and placing these cards near the stems will answer that question, generally speaking

 

[sammyz2646]

I keep seeing people using Orthene/Riptide and burning their plants.. I personally never tried it, but from what i see here , it can cause some damage, obviously

I see where some folks claim they had damage using as little as 10-15 ML/ gal using SPECTRACIDE TRIAZICIDE.. NOT true, as I have used more than that without any real repercussions

AGAIN---- VEG ONLY ON THE SPEC/TRI!!!!

 

[sammyz2646]

I am sure that there are folks that will not agree completely with these methods for various and numerous reasons, and I respect everyones opinion. I am prepared for some skeptics, but doing these things will make your life easier and save you a crap load of money.

Having said that, there is so much garbage in this forum that will lead you on a wild goose chase and I simply wanted to give my hard earned 2 cents in hopes to help my fellow cannabis lovers out there will beat this pest

I also will say this, as far as the chemicals go, this is NOT intended to be a permanent regiment by ANY means, just a way to boot them out the door, if you will. As far as the SNS goes, I love it and since I can use it a lll the way throughout the plant s life, I will continue to have it on hand and won't hesitate to use it at the sight of ANY new pests of any kind near my plants

 

[Shoots]

I went ahead and did a orthene dunk over two weeks ago and the plants didn't like it much but neither did anything else in the soil. Im aphid free right now and getting back on track. It was a trying time for me. Lost some patients as I won't have any untreated medicine for awhile. I only used the nasty stuff since I just wanted the things gone and i could start putting plants through flower agin without them being attacked in the first week being introduced to my bloom room.

 

[sammyz2646]

AND>>>>> If you are just now finding out that you have RA's and have never had them before, Prepare to start a new relationship with you garden. A different, closer and more intimate relationship. Now, I know this sounds corny, cause we all would like to think that we have ALWAYS been attentive to fine details. NO we haven't..
I had learned about spider mites many years ago. Now, even them can be illusive, but they are fairy easy to spot and certainly much easier to eradicate then RA's, even in flower.
Root aphids in an indoor environment without natural predators is a natural and logistical nightmare, so to speak. They never stop reproducing and their populations, assuming they have food, (roots), will get to unbelievable levels and stopping that, once they pass a certain stage in #'s is almost impossible.. ALMOST

SO- Like I was saying earlier, about our relationships with our gardens, learning about the behaviors of these buggers by reading but most importantly, WATCHING THEM

Nymphs? Flier's? Microherd?



Ok so the last one is tough to observe, but, the nymphs and the fliers, from my observations have taught me how to get them.
I like to keep trays and other items near the plant white colored so I can see any anomalies moving about. The nymphs are very small but move quickly so if you are thinking your latest treatment is working and you see movement anywhere (unless they are hypoapsis miles and your running organic), back to square 1. RE-TREAT!!!


I thought the h. miles were RA's!! They look like juvenile nymphs but smaller and NOTHING kills them seemingly. This happened when I tried nematodes and fungus's and all that stuff.
Now it's H202 and a sterile environment that works best for me

ALWAYS monitor the space ( VERY CAREFULLY) near and around your root mass during your eradication process. Even if you have to stare for a while, just be aware of little travelers

The fliers are easy to see of course and if they are not in the flower, spray their asses every chance you get. Don't let them crawl up the stems and lay eggs up in your flower area. In the badly infected plants that have developed to a certain stage , the upper canopy may have hundreds of fliers that aren't flying anywhere at all. Just sitting there waiting to reproduce

I vacuum them off/ and I also created "MOATS" around my plane bases so any crawling nymphs can not come or go from plant to plant.. DO THIS IF POSSIBLE
ALSO MONITOR THIS MOAT YOUVE MADE TO SEE IF IT HAS ANY NYMPHS DEAD OR ALIVE IN IT AFTER EACH WATERING

It seems to me that IF you can prevent them from getting too far into nymph stage, the fliers will never come out. This is why I stress the monitoring of this water to not let them get going and therefore, not becoming MOBILE. This would be bad

I use watertight dollies and shop vac them out daily, but I hand water daily and this is not applicable for some



If you are at this stage of pest chasing of course, go back and start at the beginning to get to a workable population to contain.. SNS-203 (USE THROUGHOUT EXCEPT LAST # DAYS BEFORE HARVEST) or SPECTRACIDE TRIAZICIDE (USE ONLY ON CLONES AND TEEN PLANTS)

I HOPE THIS HELPS

 

[sammyz2646]

This is what I use that works here , for me, to monitor pests. Once again it may not work for your garden watering system but for me its perfect

Create a moat as seen here:



Obviously this is only effective assuming you've kept the population held back to nymphs, but once you do, monitoring this water area via reflected light is a perfect way to prevent the uprise.

I recently went to a friends and I noticed a water rez full of dead aphids. I had only been there only seconds . He didn't even notice it until I pointed it out. I told him to go inspect his root zone and I assured him he was infested. He had the velcro geo-pots so he opened it up and sure enough he saw nymphs munching away. HE NEVER EVEN KNEW HE HAD THEM!???!!!
This is why we can't just float on auto-pilot. He had no choice but a total kill on what he thought were healthy large vegetative plants, right before the 12/12 switch PAINFUL


One final thought in regards to ALL this mumbo jumbo-- IMPORTANT

Once again, todes, teas, and all the natural ways to keep aphids away will only work if your overall population is at a CERTAIN manageable stage

Once you have them beaten back with ANY chemical treatment, you must not become complacent.

Let me be very clear- SNS-203 will NOT destroy a bad outbreak. It is the tool you use after your overall population is under control. And it does work!!!

Honestly the cedar oil is great, but I like the 203 mixture in my spray bottle at all times is key.

 

[Hmong]

well done sam! you are a big insporation for me.
just hilarious to see how far they pushed you.
guys in my forum are joking about me not being serious with this plest and just using them as an excuse for poor skills.
This picture makes a good expample for seriousness.
would you mind if i used it on some occation?

recently I got myself a sidekick. let me introduce you to Mr Mosquito
Maybe I will be able to breed a self defending MJ strain one day.
just kidding. Fuckers were all over him afer spending 1 weeks with the girls. I am coursious if he is affected by them too?

 

[BlazinPurps]

Dude, it won't work, trust me, they will be back

They hate the neem but it only is a temporary fix..

They laugh at DE

Smartpots don't help either.. Just wait until your roots poke through

Dont get me wrong, I use smart pots too, but not to avoid RA's

I am not trying to get rid of them and they never went away they have been here the whole time. What would it matter about the roots poking through (my first round with smart pots but do they not air prune?) the RA's are already in the soil on the roots. I realize none of this will stop them I am just getting in a quick grow before I start over again. I was simply saying at the moment I am managing them which has never been possible in the past. I have been dealing with these guys for a minute I know exactly what they are capable of. I did not start using smart pots to avoid RA's I already have them, I am using smart pots in combination with other things to manage them and reporting back my results. I plan on wiping everything out again after this grow which is going very well.