Identify TINY WORMS IN COCO Seedlings?

[Weedhound]

One of it's active ingredients is chloramine......that's why it kill fungus gnats I'm told by my hydro man. I did the exact same thing you did.....took the bottle home and read it thoroughly. Doesn't say ANYWHERE on the bottle about bug control. l'm told it should NOT be used with the dunks (as inreply mentioned) because the chloramine in it kills off the benefical bacteria. Does it kill gnats? You bet. I washed out a BOATLOAD sitting in one of my hydro mediums and I didn't even know it. But brand new babi\y seedlings always need special treatment imo than an established plant. I did personally use it on the new seedlings in my veg area photos; you can see how they look. And not a gnat anywhere (knock on wood......)

All that said I'm just now germing some feminized Ice babies and I'll try your treatment if you think it's safer. Even my hydro man is careful with the Zone and don't want to fry them.

(hey i'm just the parrot remember? )

 

[HeadyPete]

Thanx for the info...I'd be worried to. We are supposed to bubble tap water to vent off the chlorine, and use RO if the tap contains chloamine...but you can put that in you plants? I wouldn't use that.........but I do see how it will kill fungus gnats...although it will also oxidize (bleach) roots and kill microbes....

 

[Weedhound]

yes, you have that right; that's why he said to be so careful with it. I always use DM's products on the lighter side (like the humboldt products....they dont' fool around) but that is why I am thinking your pyrethrin solution would be safer. I was taught that a small amount of chlorine (or chloramine) is ok for your plants and roots.......but does a real number on the beneficial bacteria in your soil or res. And of course, too much will burn your roots. That's one of the reasons I'm thinking of trying the pyrethrin......safer.

 

[inreplyavalon]

Interesting discussion. I dont have any results to report from my mosquito dunks. I believe it will take a little while for the bacteria to be digested by the larvae, and then the resulting death.
None of the 5 C99's i germed ever broke the surface.
All five of my G13diesels did.
then 2 of them were worm food

anyhow i am wondering if ya'll have any idea for treating the all the coco i have laying around? I have a few large rubbermades filled with it, and a fresh bag that i first discovered the larvae in. I am hesitant to dispose of it, as i know all it takes is a gnat to lay an egg and i will have them again. At the same time i am scared to crack the other 7 C99's i have.

My idea was to just drench them all with a mosquito dunk solution, maybe twice. Then the coco will be wet, and i am not sure i should store it wet.
do you?

 

[Weedhound]

I'm afraid I don't inreply. VERY sorry to hear you lost your expensive seedlings.

 

[Weedninja]

I don't even want to mention the seedlings I've lost to gnats, or I may start weeping uncontrollably. That's definitely where they do the most damage.

I would try to use heat to sterilize the unused coco. I would use my heat gun, but if you wet it and spread it on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at 200 degrees F for an hour, that would kill anything there. You couldn't do that with soil because it would destroy the nutrients.

 

[Weedhound]

This is my first go round with them.....and hopefully the last.

Heat never occurred to me. Good idea. I tried to rep both you and Pete for all the great info but it says I have to spread things around first. Like I'm not already a pro at spreading things ....unfortunately usually NOT the stuff I WANT to spread. ...

 

[HeadyPete]

If you completely dry the coco out it should kill the gnat larvae. They need moisture to survive.

As I said 2 days ago, you need to use a pyrethin drench to kill those larvae fast. Did you do this? Do it today.

Keep a dunk in the rez to prevent future outbreaks.

If you store the coco wet you will need to turn it regularly or the water at the bottom will stagnate and it will start to stink. I have used this stinky coco after flushing with no ill effects....

 

[Pirate]

What is the frequency or percentage of these worms occurring in a coco grow?

I grow my mothers in Coco and have had them but not since I ran a few mills of Spinosad in the rez and or use quality coco. When I bought cheaper coco I got em. After I went back to Bcuzz coco..........No more bugs.

I've had mosquito dunks sitting around for 2 years now. Never worked for me. Did nothing expect make a mess in the rez.

 

[inreplyavalon]

Heady all i have used is the BTi dunks. I have only seen one flying gnat and i killed the little bastard. The Larvae are a different story. My G13xD are not growing and i suspect they have no more roots. Bummer.
I have a spray bottle of FF Don't Bug Me, but there are not directions for a drench, i dont think. Can this be used for this purpose?
I was planning on just going with the original suggestion of the Dunks, but it seems i am being advised against that.

Pirate- I believe my fresh bag of B'cuzz is the culprit, but will never know for
sure.

Ninja- I like that idea. Its a serious pain in the rear, but sounds like it will work, and give me some piece of mind, or at least the bravery to plant the rest of my seeds that i just lost. still scared though.

 

[Weedhound]

I'm not sure I would use Don't Bug me as a drench.....especially on babies. I remember spraying on the SOIL for the gnats (this was a while back when I used some old soil that had been sitting around) and the seedlings did poorly after that. Couldn't tell if it was the drench or the gnats but I lost the plant.

 

[inreplyavalon]

Enough said. Thanks Hound. I will skip that. I'll check out the store for a more suitable pyrethin drench. At this point it looks like the ten total seedlings are not going to make it, but the many more cuts look pretty strong after two weeks. Not seeing roots, but they are in 8 ounces of coco and still a nice lush green. Also started to stand a bit more upright after removing the dome.
can't believe i lost my seedlings after all the fuss of mail-order and the anticipation to grow some of H3Ads fine gear. Just another stepping stone on this road of discovery

 

[Weedhound]

One of the steps you'd rather skip right? I hear you; keep up the good fight.

 

[SDbudz]

I have had good luck with SM 90 and Ed Rosenthals Zero tolerance,added to my reservoir for gnat control,I used pyrethium once and it brought out the herms in some of my strains,also I have been using the house and garden root stimulator the roots grow so fast and big the gnat larvae can't even come close to keeping up eating them

 

[aasin527]

i noticed these larvae in my rockwool seedling cubes a while back. i didn't know what they were until they started flying around. anyway, i put 2 capfuls of hydrogen peroxide in 1 liter of water in a spray bottle then hit the soil surface very very lightly. it takes a few weeks, but it nukes 'em. and should leave some colonies of bacteria alone. (some) also the roots like a little added oxygen.