[LEDNewbie]

Are u talking about this product? And you do a soil drench with it?

https://www.amazon.com/FoxFarm-FX1401...pr_product_top

[wolfhoundaddy]

I got the diamaceous earth at home depot. A little goes along way.
I have also used is on top of the soil. You just got to watch it packin down the soil.

Originally Posted by festivus

The time wasted messing around with dunks just prolongs the problem and reduces yield. Same thing with Gnatrol.

BTI/Gnatrol has a negative effect on yield?

[Iffy]

Originally Posted by indifferent

I've been trying to get rid of gnats for ages, so i hope these dunks are available in the UK!

Have you tried Gnat Off?
Available on Ebay.

[Iffy]

Originally Posted by LolaGal

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!

Yellow sticky fly papers are so cheap and so effective. You should have a couple hanging in your growroom at all times! That way you can see what's coming in to your growroom and respond accordingly. Great thread LolaGal.
Stay safe

[EclipseFour20]

Originally Posted by festivus

Sorry Lola, but dunks don't work. They only slow down the infestation. The time wasted messing around with dunks just prolongs the problem and reduces yield. Same thing with Gnatrol. You end up with a resistant gnat thats even harder to eradicate. What worked best for me was to spray the rootball directly with pyrethium (FoxFarm's Bug Be Gone). The plant pulls it up thru the roots for a systemic effect.

Death to the f'ing gnat hord!!

Let me clear up something--you are 100% correct that there have been reported incidents of critters developing a resistance to the active ingredient in Gnatrol, Mosquito Dunks/Bits--bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (BTI). But if we understand WHEN to use BTI, your rate of success in battling fungus gnats and your pocket book will both improve.

First--here is the Fungus Gnat lifecycle...



The Mode of Action for BTI is "mid-gut membrane disruptor" (no chems) and is most effective against the young first instar larvae, which at the 4 o'clock position in the above pic. The bacteria must be ingested by the larva, after which a toxic protein crystal is released into the insect's gut. Larvae stop feeding and die.

Fungus gnats life cycle is 20-28 days and as you can see, BTI is effective only 2-3 of those days. Huge draw back of Gnatrol is its short effective life of 48 hours, whereas Mosquito Bits/Dunks are constantly releasing BTI as moisture dissolves the carrier--which can take days/weeks.

Strategic use of BTI is the key to success...as there are only a few days of the gnats life when it will work!

Hope this helps.

[coxnox]

hi,
thanks for this post, but when is the best time to use it then ?

[Iffy]

Hi Folks,
Just my pennies worth. In the UK we pay £20 for small bottle of Gnat Off from Ebay, more from your hydro shop. It contains Bacillus Thuringiensis, the same active bacteria as Thuricide. Only Thuricide is £6.58 for an 8oz bottle - no brainer!

Bonide Thuricide (BT) 8oz
Bonide's Thuricide is a liquid formulation of bacteria, Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt), which is specific to leaf eating caterpillars. Controls loopers, cabbageworms, tomato hornworms, leaf rollers, gypsy moths and many others. The insects stop feeding and die within 2-3 days of ingestion. There is no residue problem, and being exempt from tolerance requirements, this product may be applied at recommended amounts up to the day of harvest. Will not harm beneficial insects. One 8 oz. bottle treats over 5,000 sq. ft.
Directions for use:
Mix 1-4 tsp. per gallon of water and apply at first sign of infestation.
Repeat at weekly intervals as needed to maintain control.
May be applied by hose or pressurized sprayers.
Apply thoroughly to upper and lower leaf surfaces, but not to the point of excessive run-off.



Stay safe

[Tyga]

Whats the usage rate on the dunks? Sprinkle ontop of the medium and then water or mix in with the watering?

[Some old dude]

Take one Mosquito dunk break in half put in bowl and crush into powder. Just put powder on top of soil (my mother plants) water in. Never seen a white fly or gnat for all the years I been using them unless one sneaks in from outside and even then they won't colonize.You can put a dunk into your hydro rez too.