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Get Rid of Fungus Gnats For Good Using Mosquito Dunks

Indecent

Member
How (if any) should these be treated differently in a recirculating hydroton bucket setup? I'm guessing breaking them up and sprinkling on top would work fine, but just wanted to ask for clarification. Thanks!
 
L

LolaGal

One dunk treats like 10,000 gallons or some ungodly amount of water.

I don't do hydro, but I am sure it would work the same. Maybe put a little piece in the reservoir and let it hang out in the water?
 

gardenlover

Member
indecent-I am going to try and put them in my rdwc tonight, I will let ya know how they work ! I am having some plant problems and would like to rule out the gnats.

What kind of damage could gnats cause?
 
L

LolaGal

They eat root hairs, and if bad enough, they will plumb eat a seed before it can grow. Plus they can cause stunting of the plant.
 

funkybud

Member
go on ebay. punch up Mosquito Dunks,6 for like 10 bucks.don't know if they ship international but its worth a try.
 

DIGITALHIPPY

Active member
Veteran
F
Hope this helps ya'll out.


***** wow.... im speachless..
are you kidding? really? gnatts are insideouse in the growroom
ive had terrable luck with dunks.
soil use? its a bacteria colony of basillis somthing your colonizing spacific to the larva...

no hydro help?
should get gnatrol for hydro works way better,
 

ghostly

Member
funny how Jah Jah provides...
i noticed a significant infestation just the other day, i thought they were harmless, but my mentor school'd me on the root damage they can do, i open icmag today, and a solution.
I love this place, thanks gypsy and all the people big and small who make this such a valuable resource for growers.
watch out gnat, here comes the dunks.
 
L

LolaGal

funny how Jah Jah provides...
i noticed a significant infestation just the other day, i thought they were harmless, but my mentor school'd me on the root damage they can do, i open icmag today, and a solution.
I love this place, thanks gypsy and all the people big and small who make this such a valuable resource for growers.
watch out gnat, here comes the dunks.

The Dunks work great! They don't kill off the adults though! In about 3-4 weeks though, you won't see any more adults. It takes time to eradicate them.

The Dunks break the breeding cycle by killing off the grubs in the roots.

Adults can be zapped with a little pyrethrin spray in the air. Also yellow sticky fly paper is good to catch adults.

But ONLY using dunks, my grow was fungus gnat free in 3-4 weeks. AND it has stayed FREE of gnats for a year, by adding a little dunk to new soil as it is brought in.


DIE FUNGUS GNATS DIE! :biglaugh:
 

grapeman

Active member
Veteran
wow - I have a 50 gal drum/rez set up in my room. I have problems with FG off and on so I started using Mosquito dunks. They work sometimes and sometimes they don't. I have a whole dunk floating in my rez (which is overkill since you measure square feet of surface area) and the other day I lifted the plastic flap to the rez and there are FG's living in a plastic drum with MD's floating in there. I doubled the dunks and the FG's laughed at me.

I'm getting pissed now.
 
L

LolaGal

Grape: I have heard several people say this and I am beginning to think your dunks were made in China or something and are FAKE dunks! (You can't trust them Chinese.. lol)

I wonder if there is also a shelf life on them?

What brand did you use? I am curious! No gnats here for me. I like doing research on this subject. thanks
 

Nova2000

New member
Hi there guys! I’m new to “Tomato” Cough! Growing and this is my first post.
I have had a bad time with Fungus Gnats too. I’m sure they came in the compost bought from a local garden centre and exploded into life in the veg room, weakening plants and making it hard to take cuttings.

Thanks LolaGal I like the Idea of the Mosquito dunks crushed and sprinkled over the soil and watered in. If only I had heard of these and Gnatrol a few months ago.

I did a fair bit of research on FG’s and hope this helps you guys.
The adults live 7 to 10 days and lay their eggs on moist soil surface. Females lay up to 100 to 300 eggs in batches of 2 to 30 each in decaying organic matter. Eggs hatch in 4 to 6 days; larvae feed for 12 to 14 days. The pupa stage is about 5 to 6 days. 28/36 days from egg to dead.

Plant damage symptoms appear as unexpected wilting, low vigour, poor growth, leaves yellowing and defoliation.

They can be controlled by the Predatory mite, Hypoaspis miles. The H. miles, is a voracious predator of mites and insects that spend most part of their life cycle in the soil, including Gnat larvae and pupae of thrips. Once introduced, H. miles usually can reproduce and establish.

First, prevention should be your goal, and this is to avoid over watering, especially in high organic soils.

Adults are attracted to bright lights, mainly in the blue spectrum like PL’s and fluorescent,
If you are having problem with FG’s in a hydro set up? Then I would suggest looking elsewhere for any infestation. House plants or mothers if in compost, hydro and compost grow in the same room, or even areas in the garden which might be a breeding ground.

Fungus Gnats need a damp soil/compost medium to lay their eggs. It’s the hot, humid and bright condition attracting the adults to a hydro only set up. Using Mosquito dunks in a hydro set up is ineffective at best for killing Gnat larvae.

I managed to wipe out my infestation by covering my pots with clingfilm which can be lifted for watering, but stop the females from getting to the soil to lay their eggs, and thus break’s the life cycle. I also microwave any new compost before using it. This seems to have worked for me, not seem a gnat for a few weeks now... fingers crossed.

If... or when I get them again I’ll give the Gnatrol or Mosquito dunks ago.
 
Last edited:
L

LolaGal

Hi there guys! I’m new to “Tomato” Cough! Growing and this is my first post.
I have had a bad time with Fungus Gnats too. I’m sure they came in the compost bought from a local garden centre and exploded into life in the veg room, weakening plants and making it hard to take cuttings.
Thanks LolaGal I like the Idea of the Mosquito dunks crushed and sprinkled over the soil and watered in. If only I had heard of these and Gnatrol a few months ago.
I did a fair bit of research on FG’s and hope this helps you guys.
The adults live 7 to 10 days and lay their eggs on moist soil surface. Females lay up to 100 to 300 eggs in batches of 2 to 30 each in decaying organic matter. Eggs hatch in 4 to 6 days; larvae feed for 12 to 14 days. The pupa stage is about 5 to 6 days. 35 days from egg to dead.
Plant damage symptoms appear as unexpected wilting, low vigour, poor growth, leaves yellowing and defoliation.
They can be controlled by the Predatory mite, Hypoaspis miles. The H. miles, is a voracious predator of mites and insects that spend most part of their life cycle in the soil, including Gnat larvae and pupae of thrips. Once introduced, H. miles usually can reproduce and establish.
First, prevention should be your goal, and this is to avoid over watering, especially in high organic soils.
Adults are attracted to bright lights, mainly in the blue spectrum like PL’s and fluorescent,
If you are having problem with FG’s in a hydro set up? Then I would suggest looking elsewhere for any infestation. House plants or mothers if in compost, hydro and compost grow in the same room, or even areas in the garden which might be a breeding ground. Fungus Gnats need a damp soil/compost medium to lay their eggs. It’s the hot, humid and bright condition attracting the adults to a hydro only set up. Using Mosquito dunks in a hydro set up is ineffective at best for killing Gnat lava.
I managed to wipe out my infestation by covering my pots with clingfilm which can be lifted for watering, but stop the females from getting to the soil to lay their eggs, and thus break’s the life cycle. I also microwave any new compost before using it. This seems to have worked, not seem a gnat for a few weeks now... fingers crossed.
If... or when I get them again I’ll give the Gnatrol or Mosquito dunks ago.


Good first post! Welcome to ICMag!

I am way to lazy to microwave my dirt, but good idea.

I just throw a little dunk on top of all new dirt, as a preventative measure, no gnats here! (or mosquitoes lol)
 

grapeman

Active member
Veteran
Grape: I have heard several people say this and I am beginning to think your dunks were made in China or something and are FAKE dunks! (You can't trust them Chinese.. lol)

I wonder if there is also a shelf life on them?

What brand did you use? I am curious! No gnats here for me. I like doing research on this subject. thanks

This brand from Lowe's. Is it the right one?
Thanks Lola

 
L

LolaGal

Yup, that is the same one I used! Thanks for posting. I was curious.
 

MagniKhan

Active member
Veteran
I crumbled some up on my soil plants, I only found one gnat ( which I promptly dispatched), so I'll be looking out for larva. I'll put down a little potato after I've watered once or twice.
I'll keep you posted on how they work!
 

Nova2000

New member
Thanks LolaGal for the welcome
I Just nuke a small amount to top up, and for fresh cuttings now, so it's no longer hard work :clover:
Good first post! Welcome to ICMag!

I am way to lazy to microwave my dirt, but good idea.

I just throw a little dunk on top of all new dirt, as a preventative measure, no gnats here! (or mosquitoes lol)
 
L

LolaGal

IMO, putting out a piece of potato is just making good breeding ground? Are the larva supposed to suck on it? or what?

oh, I get it, the adults are gonna lay eggs on the tater? sounds messy and time consuming. I would not want to encourage molds to grow in my grow?? just my 2 cents.

I use Miracle Grow soil, and it has free fungus gnats in every bag!! But I left it in the trunk of the car and let it get really really cold. But that is all I am willing to do. I am just plain lazy.

That's why I like the dunks. EZ to use, low maintenance method. It will kill all the larva so eventually no more adults.
 

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