Developed tiny flies, growing in soil, what to do?

YLW DRM

New Member
Hey guys, I am on my second veg week and today I noticed that under each lamp a swarm of tine fruit like flies. I grow in soil, my humidity level is at 40-45%. What are those flies? Are they a thread to the "babies"? How do I get rid of them?
Thanks.
 

tje22

Well-Known Member
Sounds like fungus gnats to me. I usually get them if i dont let the soil dry enough between waterings.
 

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
you have fungus gnats, they eat fungus, the fungus that grows on oft watered marijuana plant soil pots.
mosquito dunks work, stay on it with each transplant. Monteray Garden works too, better, in the same way/bacteria.

you need yellow sticky cards to reduce their population quickly, let the soil dry out a bit before watering, use a fine spray of neem/water/soap on the soil surface lower leaves too. put sticks in dirt, at plant canopy, and that one spot in the corner of your space....they hide there while you spray... they kill clones.new roots, slow young veggers, they dont bother flowering roots much, and get they do get stuck in buds if left to flourish in your rooms.
 

CaliSmokes

Well-Known Member
Get yourself some DE next time and mix it in with the soil and spread it on top as well. For now go grab some neem oil.
 

Phatlewtz

Well-Known Member
there's a billion ways to get rid of gnats...yellow cards are neat to catch them...however the best product I've found is MicrobeLIFT if you have a sever infestation...Diamotam Earth is good to sprinkle on top as well, it acts like little razor blades to their bodies...generally the main reason they show up in our grows is lack of under canopy air circulation...get yourself a fan and have it blowing underneath the plants at pot level, I have mine go across the soil to prevent exactly this...proper air movement in your area will prevent MOST insects from taking root as the top of soil is rarely wet long enough for them to infest the area...some people put sand/perlite and all sorts of other things on top of their pots to prevent this also...again I've found nothing works like a fan...you can also put attractants in your room...few solo's with Apple Cider Vinegar and Dish soap works great for this...good luck with gnats!
 

DrBlaze

Well-Known Member
Keep in mind that although most people talk about the adult gnats and will give you tons of advice on how to control them, its the larvae that are the real concern. People who are soil growers don't often get to see what's going on in the rootzone. While the adults buzzing around the top of the soil are a nuisance, they don't really do any damage. Below the surface however you may have many thousands of tiny larvae eating away at your roots. A large enough population will definitely stress the plant and affect yield. Later in flower you may even see what look like signs of deficiencies and have early die-off of foliage due to the large amount of root damage below the surface.

As mentioned earlier, products containing BTI (Bacillus Thuringiensis Israeliensis), such as Mosquito Dunks (Mosquitos and fungus gnats are related) is the key to winning the war against fungus gnats. Pet owners know that the way to beat a flea infestation in the household is to destroy more than 1 link in the lifecycle of the flea, otherwise another generation is just around the corner. So put the yellow sticky traps up top to catch the adults while watering in the BTI to kill off the larvae.

Since I tend to get an infestation fairly often if I do nothing, I now treat the plants with BTI once in veg and once in flower.
 
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