Fruit fly on organic soil

C

cannaisok

• Jul 26, 2016

• #1

Have dozends of little fruit flys in and on my organic soil, indoor.
Do you guys know how to get rid of them?
I tried neem several times and it didnt helt at all.
i Plaved plates filled with applevinegar and soap but 10-20 die and 100s still there...

 

moses wellfleet

Well-known member

Moderator

Veteran

• Jul 26, 2016

• #2

Do an internet search for fungus gnats and see if you recognize them?

 

Dropped Cat

Six Gummi Bears and Some Scotch

Veteran

• Jul 27, 2016

• #3

Attractant sticky tape, stat.

 

A

Aphotic

Member

• Jul 27, 2016

• #4

Use mosquito bits in your water res, you can also apply to your soil. They come in bits, and pucks. Pucks for res, and bits for soil, or bit or pucks for both if u can only find one. You can also let the top of your soil dry out, this removes their habitat, if you don't have mulch on top of your soil you can apply a sand cap, just cover your soil with an inch or so of sand. I use silica sand in my soil mix, its white, and can add some light reflection too. The prob with drying out the top layer of soil is that's the most productive microbe and root zone, so don't leave it dry for too long. Also get fly cards, and keep them hung in your room, they have squares marked on them and can give you an estimation of your infection level. I hang them and fold them into boxes and place them on top of my soil if things get really bad. Its best to deal with pests imeadiatly before things get out of control, so I'd do these things ASAP

Good luck!

 

A

Aphotic

Member

• Jul 27, 2016

• #5

If all else fails, take a gallon of bleach, mix it with a gallon of ammonia, this will create a poisonous gas, so be careful. Next take your mixture and apply it equally among your containers. After that, grab 5 gallons of diesel fuel and dump about a gallon in the ininfected room, then make a trail of fuel from the gallon puddle through the house, to a safe distance outside, then light and walk away. You can use regular gas, but it burns faster and the fumes can build up and cause an explosion.

This also works for spidermites.

 

Team Microbe

Active member

Veteran

• Jul 27, 2016

• #6

Mix neem meal (sometimes called cake) in with some earth worm castings and top dress your containers with this. I usually use about 2 tbsp neem meal per container.

This will work every time, if you used neem already you didn't use enough or you didn't mix it with ewc. It takes a few weeks to break their life cycle down but this will happen, and the gnats will be confused into not eating or mating any longer - resulting in an extinct species.

 

C

cannaisok

• Aug 8, 2016

• #7

Great information, thanks a lot to everybody!

@ Aphotic: XD i wont let it come that far!!

relly good tips, no idea whats the best i used a couple and its better now!

 

S

smokehog

Member

• May 13, 2017

• #8

compressed need, put in a spray and a drench, it works wonders if used correct.

 

T

truck

Member

• May 17, 2017

• #9

black flies are ok. Its a sign of rich organic material in your soil. The flies and their larva are feeding on the excess nutes and organic matter. its ok. the only thing you should ever freak out about in your soil as far as bugs go, as long as you are watering correctly and all organic, is root aphids. other than that you should have a host of beneficial bugs including fungus nats, spring tails, maybe a couple thrips and white flies. As long as its not just one bug present you are fine. Get use to it if you are doing true living organics.

 

K

KIS

Active member

• May 23, 2017

• #10

This might be helpful, though most of these concepts were already covered in the discussion:
https://www.kisorganics.com/blogs/news/97755777-fungus-gnat-treatment

 

Crusader Rabbit

Active member

Veteran

• May 23, 2017

• #11

Fungus Gnats are not OK. Larvae can feed upon and damage plant roots, and leave them more susceptible to opportunistic fungal infections.

Adult fungus gnats don’t damage plants or bite people; their presence is primarily considered a nuisance. Larvae, however, when present in large numbers, can damage roots and stunt plant growth, particularly in seedlings and young plants. Significant root damage and even plant death have been observed in interior plantscapes and in houseplants when high populations were associated with moist, organically-rich soil. Thus, a houseplant that is wilting may not indicate a lack of water, but rather root damage by fungus gnat larvae or (more commonly) other causes of unhealthy roots. However, too much or too little water, root decay fungi, and improper soil conditions (e.g., poor drainage, or waterlogging) are much more common causes of wilted plants.

Serious fungus gnat damage is more common in greenhouses, nurseries, and sod farms. Although larvae also feed on plant roots outdoors, they don’t usually cause serious damage.

http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7448.html

Click to expand...

 

Dog Star

Active member

Veteran

• May 23, 2017

• #12

But a best unbeatable cure for fungus gnats are cinnamon...

sprinkle a bit on soil and water plants and they will gone fast.