fungas Gnats in my soil, looking for cheap control methods

mrCRC420

mrCRC420

Well-Known Member
I've had some type of gnats for about two years now. I get a fresh batch of gnats whenever I buy Fox Farm Ocean Forest or Happy Frog (which is all I use). The type of gnats that I have live around the bottom of the pot and Don't cause any negative effects other than being a nuisance and attracting/feeding spiders. Sometimes, a layer of perlite on my topsoil will knock them out. I hear sand enters the pot and cuts the roots. Also those non-toxic fly strips are just fantastic, so many dead gnats. And finally, a solo cup with apple vinegar and soap (to about 1/4) and filled to the top w/ water - the fruity death cocktail will attract dozens of nasty bugs - make sure the water is always near the top, they'll be more apt to fly in.

Good luck. Fuck FF and their delicious bug-laden and expensive soil...
 
haulinbass

haulinbass

Well-Known Member
Black or red/orange gnats?
Use misquito dunks for pools mixxed into the soil it will tear the larvae apart when they crawl through it.
 
VX420

VX420

Active Member
I use sand on all my plants, it helps keep them moist and the bugs out, you can get 50 lb of sand at Home Depo for 3.99. But there is more.. you need or should cover the drain holes too. Use old pantyhose for this( free). And if you have them bad, or medium, get some yellow sticky and lay them flat on the top of the pot to kill the fuckers and also see if they are going away. I have used Neem Oil and other stuff, but the sand works the best. They cant get into the soil from the top to lay the eggs, and if they get in threw a drain hole, the larva climbs up and cant get out.
I also put a few drops of liquid soap in my catch tray, dry is fine, when you water in will mix with water in the catch try and trap/kill them.

This work really really well.. Been there done that. again I do this no with every grow, no gnats
and none of this will harm your plants at all

Good luck
 
petlar

petlar

Well-Known Member
like the others have said let the soli dry out a bit.
don't water from the top feed and water the plants from the bottom
and that should be problem solved.
 
mouse1818

mouse1818

Well-Known Member
I just use mosquito bits and clove oil for the larvae. Don't put clove oil on the foliage though because its phytotoxic. In fact I would add the clove oil to the soil before you even plant seeds. Gnats hate clove oil so they wont be laying their eggs in it.
 
GreenThumbsMcgee

GreenThumbsMcgee

Well-Known Member
Oh shit, man, ihad to run the coarse, since i was close to finishing flowering, igot a less "organic" mix on my soil, and never ever bring yr plant outside. thats how i got them, flushing out front. BUt ya, ijust did a complete steralization, and that was that. Did you try the 1 inch of sand at the top yr pot? That will prevent them from reproducing...start there. Good luck, and i dont envy you one bit.
 
undercovergrow

undercovergrow

Well-Known Member
yeah, i'm really getting ready to shut the whole thing down if i can't get rid of them; i'm loosing out on harvest weight mostly, and my girls aren't happy like they used to be so i really need to figure it out. i run perpetual so i've got different stages in flower right now that i'm not really sure what to do anymore...
i use air-pots and even though i didn't think it would work tried sand but because of all the holes, obviously that didn't work. the nematodes seemed to have started to work, and then BAM it's almost apocalyptic in there. well, not as bad as an RIU user who recently posted some pictures, but it sure feels like it's getting close. so i've got that bayer stuff i mentioned being delivered hopefully tomorrow and i'm hitting everyone with it and i've also ordered some oils to use regularly after that but i have to get rid of the darn little buggers first. ugh!!! they're driving me nuts. #!$#@%$#!@ excuse my language! ;) the air-pots dry out super fast and even letting the girls get droopy thirsty hasn't helped. it's frustrating. i couldn't imagine dealing with the borg or anything else because these are pissing me off...
 
mouse1818

mouse1818

Well-Known Member
undercovergrow said:
yeah, i'm really getting ready to shut the whole thing down if i can't get rid of them; i'm loosing out on harvest weight mostly, and my girls aren't happy like they used to be so i really need to figure it out. i run perpetual so i've got different stages in flower right now that i'm not really sure what to do anymore...
i use air-pots and even though i didn't think it would work tried sand but because of all the holes, obviously that didn't work. the nematodes seemed to have started to work, and then BAM it's almost apocalyptic in there. well, not as bad as an RIU user who recently posted some pictures, but it sure feels like it's getting close. so i've got that bayer stuff i mentioned being delivered hopefully tomorrow and i'm hitting everyone with it and i've also ordered some oils to use regularly after that but i have to get rid of the darn little buggers first. ugh!!! they're driving me nuts. #!$#@%$#!@ excuse my language! ;) the air-pots dry out super fast and even letting the girls get droopy thirsty hasn't helped. it's frustrating. i couldn't imagine dealing with the borg or anything else because these are pissing me off...
Click to expand...
What all have you tried so far to get rid of the gnats?
 
undercovergrow

undercovergrow

Well-Known Member
mouse1818 said:
What all have you tried so far to get rid of the gnats?
Click to expand...
the sand, mosquito bits, drying out their medium significantly, new happy frog soil, and, of course, along with the yellow stickies...nothing has worked. initially i was concerned they were root aphids, but they seem to be gnats when i zoom in on the yellow stickies with a magnifier. i am really hoping the bayer stuff works. any suggestions, i'm up for trying something new. thanks!
 
Mr.Beanz

Mr.Beanz

Member
You want something that contains Bacterium Bacillus Thuringiensis.
Fungus Gnat Off Concentrate or Canadian Xpress Nil Nat (TanLin) Concentrate.
Keep an eye on the larvae if they jump about then they could be Springtails, which the above will not work some of these pests are becoming immune too...:cuss:
 
GreenThumbsMcgee

GreenThumbsMcgee

Well-Known Member
bird mcbride said:
Back in the day I always heat treated the soil before planting to prevent knats and stuff.
Click to expand...
yep. I leave my soil in the trunk of my car, & that keeps things from living. As for products...i have afriend dealing with spider mites\fungas gnats, and he swears by aproduct called "green cleaner" and its about $140 on amazon. He says it will work, and you can use it right up to harvest. He also uses it after the problem was solved as prevenitive. Just light use when used fot prevenitive measure. He aknowleged the cost, and said you get wat you pay for, ie. Bayer products.....lol....good luck mister
:spew:haha, couldnt resist adding the pukey guy!!!!!
 
undercovergrow

undercovergrow

Well-Known Member
so you've tried the bayer stuff and it didn't work? i've spent more than $140 on trying to get rid of them...i'll check that stuff out.
 
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