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baccas125
whats the best way to get rid of these gnats that keep flying out my dirt.
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chemicalburn
New member
1. Allow your soil to dry out a lot before your next watering.
2. Put a 1/2" layer of perlite or hydroton over the soil to keep them from laying eggs in the soil
3. Hang a sticky trap or two in your grow space to get the gnats still flying around..
Leave the door(s) to the space open for a couple hours, and they will most likely fly out...
If all else fails, use a hair dryer to heat up the top soil (this will get messy, blowing some dirt off the top....) and that should kill any eggs/larvae..
while you are vacuuming up the dirt from the blow dryer use the hose (if your vacuum has one) and hunt any remailing gnats...
2. Put a 1/2" layer of perlite or hydroton over the soil to keep them from laying eggs in the soil
3. Hang a sticky trap or two in your grow space to get the gnats still flying around..
Leave the door(s) to the space open for a couple hours, and they will most likely fly out...
If all else fails, use a hair dryer to heat up the top soil (this will get messy, blowing some dirt off the top....) and that should kill any eggs/larvae..
while you are vacuuming up the dirt from the blow dryer use the hose (if your vacuum has one) and hunt any remailing gnats...
DrJay2001
now at peace
We've been driven half crazy from these fungus gnats. We added predator nematodes to the soil, used Mycostop in new soil, hung tons of stickys and sprayed the top of the soil with pyrethrin (useless).
What worked best for us is to really let the plants dry out between feedings. That and we put our stickies face down on the soil to catch (and monitor) any of these devils trying to escape.
Fungus gnats do their damage not so much from flying around but from their larval stage in the soil where they go after the plants nutrients. I hate them! And they fly up your nose! And you get your hair stuck on the stickies!
Yours,
Dr. jay
What worked best for us is to really let the plants dry out between feedings. That and we put our stickies face down on the soil to catch (and monitor) any of these devils trying to escape.
Fungus gnats do their damage not so much from flying around but from their larval stage in the soil where they go after the plants nutrients. I hate them! And they fly up your nose! And you get your hair stuck on the stickies!
Yours,
Dr. jay
Pactivist
Active member
gnats stick to buds too!
gnats stick to buds too!
I really hate it when i'm trimming along happily and find a gnat stuck to one of my nugs, it makes me wonder how many i have missed already.
I don't want to be smoking the little bastards. I have used a neem oil drench with some success, spraying the plant and drenching the soil really knocked their numbers down. Hey Dr Jay here is a novel idea to save your hair, I use small bright yellow plastic bowls, which i bought at the crocery store, and i fill them with a little bit of my runoff after watering. I add a couple drops of dishsoap to the runoff water, and leave them sitting around my room, between plants. the gnats seem to flock to this and get stuck. no sticky! could be messy with water spills and all but it works for me. peAce
gnats stick to buds too!
I really hate it when i'm trimming along happily and find a gnat stuck to one of my nugs, it makes me wonder how many i have missed already.
I don't want to be smoking the little bastards. I have used a neem oil drench with some success, spraying the plant and drenching the soil really knocked their numbers down. Hey Dr Jay here is a novel idea to save your hair, I use small bright yellow plastic bowls, which i bought at the crocery store, and i fill them with a little bit of my runoff after watering. I add a couple drops of dishsoap to the runoff water, and leave them sitting around my room, between plants. the gnats seem to flock to this and get stuck. no sticky! could be messy with water spills and all but it works for me. peAce
:tup:
New member
DrJay2001 said:
Up your nose, you say?
Thats gotta suck. I had these a few rounds ago. They surely did some damage but all was not lost. I have since added Sevin®dust to the grow room in very very liberal amounts and have yet to see a gnat elsewhere. Once they make it to the pots, let them dry out, do all of the above and I have also heard & seen a layer of sand about an inch or so on top of the soil. Good luck and happy growing!!!!
B
baccas125
thanks
thanks
bought nemitodes today lets see how that work along with dryer pots
thanks
bought nemitodes today lets see how that work along with dryer pots
B
baccas125
gnats
gnats
Just wondering if these gnats are more annoying or detremental to plants they definately get on my nerves but are they doing harm to my plants?
gnats
Just wondering if these gnats are more annoying or detremental to plants they definately get on my nerves but are they doing harm to my plants?
chemicalburn
New member
baccas125 - in answer to your last question:
DrJay2001 said:
gnats
gnats
i water from the bottom so the top 1"or1.5"is always dry and it stopped the gnats they are a pain in the ass don't taste very good either.
peace burn a fatty
gnats
i water from the bottom so the top 1"or1.5"is always dry and it stopped the gnats they are a pain in the ass don't taste very good either.
peace burn a fatty
KRS Juan
Member
Just to second the good doc, pyrethrins are absolutley useless against gnats, unless you hit them directly with tons. You will never get the eggs or larvae.
Venus Flytraps are also useless as the gnats are not attracted to them whatsoever. As an experiment I put 4 of them in my grow room, and while they loved the hps, they didnt eat a single gnat.
Layer of perlite: This probably works well as a preventative, but once your infested this doesnt help. Believe me I have tried up to an inch on each bucket.
Drying out: All my plants need water on different days, there is always gonna be wet soil for them to move to.
I tried Pactivist's dish method last night to no avail. Sure each dish had a gnat or 2 in them but I didnt hurt the population much.
Sevin®dust you say? Is this something i can find at home depot, or only hyro shops and such?
I live within sight of the pacific ocean and in the middle of an estuary (SP?) and I am starting to think my only recourse is to go hydro, since the gnats are a part of the ecosystem here. Anyone know if ladybugs like gnats too, maybe I'll pick some of them up.
-KRS Juan-
Venus Flytraps are also useless as the gnats are not attracted to them whatsoever. As an experiment I put 4 of them in my grow room, and while they loved the hps, they didnt eat a single gnat.
Layer of perlite: This probably works well as a preventative, but once your infested this doesnt help. Believe me I have tried up to an inch on each bucket.
Drying out: All my plants need water on different days, there is always gonna be wet soil for them to move to.
I tried Pactivist's dish method last night to no avail. Sure each dish had a gnat or 2 in them but I didnt hurt the population much.
Sevin®dust you say? Is this something i can find at home depot, or only hyro shops and such?
I live within sight of the pacific ocean and in the middle of an estuary (SP?) and I am starting to think my only recourse is to go hydro, since the gnats are a part of the ecosystem here. Anyone know if ladybugs like gnats too, maybe I'll pick some of them up.
-KRS Juan-
DrJay2001
now at peace
Boy, these suggestions have REALLY helped! CB, your idea of using a layer (boundry) of perlite appealed to me. We used vermiculite instead cause it was handy but it has cut our gnat infestation by at least 50%. That in combination with closer water monitoring seems to be the key.
The predator nematodes also work (if they are fresh) but they are WAY expensive.
Yours,
Dr. jay
The predator nematodes also work (if they are fresh) but they are WAY expensive.
Yours,
Dr. jay
G
Guest
Yeah, believe me, the perlite is by far the easiest solution. I use a 1" layer. At watering time, I scoop it off, water, and reapply. Use it for two weeks and the gnats will be gone like magic.
All Miracle Grow soil users should know this since that stuff is always infested.
All Miracle Grow soil users should know this since that stuff is always infested.
Boogity Boo
New member
I've had best results against gnats using mosquito dunks. (I don't have much by way of gardening/hydro stores in my area)
Crumble a 1/4 of a dunk and soak in a gallon of water 24 hrs.....then water. Also use sticky traps to get the adults.
I've had gnats a few times and this method has taken care of them. Pretty quick too. Within a week or so there were no more gnats flying around.
Good luck
BB
Crumble a 1/4 of a dunk and soak in a gallon of water 24 hrs.....then water. Also use sticky traps to get the adults.
I've had gnats a few times and this method has taken care of them. Pretty quick too. Within a week or so there were no more gnats flying around.
Good luck
BB
I am Told
I am Told
I am told by a gardening guy at a local nursery that those little gnats really don't do any damage to the plants. They live off the nutrients in the soil, and are more of a nuisance than anything else. Just keep adding what the soil needs, and don't keep it too moist , best thing.
I am Told
I am told by a gardening guy at a local nursery that those little gnats really don't do any damage to the plants. They live off the nutrients in the soil, and are more of a nuisance than anything else. Just keep adding what the soil needs, and don't keep it too moist , best thing.
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baccas125
update
update
Thought I would give you guys and gals an update on my fungas nats. I used a bit of everbody's suggestion and the nat population is diving down. First off I bought nematoad from my local grow store 45 min drive. second I reduced the amount of water in my soil. the population has been reduced to approx 75% of what it use to be. all things are good and the remaining nats that are left are tolerable.
update
Thought I would give you guys and gals an update on my fungas nats. I used a bit of everbody's suggestion and the nat population is diving down. First off I bought nematoad from my local grow store 45 min drive. second I reduced the amount of water in my soil. the population has been reduced to approx 75% of what it use to be. all things are good and the remaining nats that are left are tolerable.
Satans pal
Member
How big of problem are you guys talking about?
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baccas125
problem size
problem size
it was consideralbe only really got to me when I was watering plants or disterbing. I have a larger garden and It felt like all I was doing was swatting at nats whebn I was in my flower room. Size is aprox. 9 x 17 filled with two gallon containers. thats what made it a problem. they were not destroying plants but making like difficult.
problem size
it was consideralbe only really got to me when I was watering plants or disterbing. I have a larger garden and It felt like all I was doing was swatting at nats whebn I was in my flower room. Size is aprox. 9 x 17 filled with two gallon containers. thats what made it a problem. they were not destroying plants but making like difficult.
B
baccas125
neem?
neem?
you mean soak the soil with neem oil will this affect my plants in any way. Will the oil slow oxegen uptake in my root system??
neem?
you mean soak the soil with neem oil will this affect my plants in any way. Will the oil slow oxegen uptake in my root system??
