Spinosad..

DoubleAtotheRON

Well-Known Member
I use Capt. Jacks but I've never sprayed on soil like ur application so can't speak on it's efficacy...can't hurt to try
Capt Jacks Is the same ingredient I believe. .... So, I sprayed one tray tonight and Im gonna keep some sticky traps out on that tray along with the other trays to see if there is a difference.
 

mudballs

Well-Known Member
Capt Jacks Is the same ingredient I believe. .... So, I sprayed on tray tonight and Im gonna keep some sticky traps out on that tray along with the other trays to see if there is a difference.
Have you seen me talk about a dish of apple cider vinegar with a drop of soap to break surface tension? Old trick that works. They love the stuff and cheaper than sticky traps at that scale
 

DoubleAtotheRON

Well-Known Member
Have you seen me talk about a dish of apple cider vinegar with a drop of soap to break surface tension? Old trick that works. They love the stuff and cheaper than sticky traps at that scale
Ive used dish soap to break surface tension on peat based soil, but not with apple cider vinegar. Do tell. I mix in a 55 gallon tank.
 

cobshopgrow

Well-Known Member
i second the opinion on nematodes, they always did it for me.
when i see one i normally apply first BTI tablets (as i have them stored) next i order a pack of neamtodes.
nematodes are quite effective, beeing able to attack the larvae in several stages and actively search for them.
your gnat population can only decrease then, as if they get more the nematodes get more too they multiply quicker and are more so they always win.
they dont harm the plant or you or anythng else then the gnats.
 

Bignutes

Well-Known Member
A layer of clean sand 1” thick on top of soil does the trick here, not sure you’d want that on your scale of operation. You can liquid Fertilize thru it, just make sure it’s sealed around the trunk and at the edges
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Toads for the win. They like to eat thrips and gnats.


hypoaspis miles also like to eat both.
 

PadawanWarrior

Well-Known Member
Thanks guys!... gonna give all of these methods a try!... tried of buying sticky traps, but I suppose they're good to have around as an early warning signal that you may have a problem.
I haven't seen a gnat in 3 years and all I've used is EWC. I use to bubble teas using Earth Juice, and would add EWC every time. I could see them swimming a bunch of times if I looked close.

The toads I mean.
 

Tracker

Well-Known Member
Anybody ever use this as a top soil spray for fungus gnats?, or is it just a waste of time.... I battle FG's every grow it seems. I've tried sticky traps, mosquito dunks in my mix tank (in a netted bag)... they seem to just appear out of nowhere. I rarely see one flying around, but I capture some when I lay out the sticky traps. Or maybe can I mix it in with my feed?
Best solution for fungus gnats thats worked for me is mosquito bits. Just sprinkle some on the soil. They have a bacteria that kills the larvae in the soil. The gnats will be gone after a week or so.
SUMMIT CHEMICAL CO 117-6 30OZ Mosquito Bits https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0001AUF8G/ref=cm_sw_r_apan_glt_fabc_4X9Y5MFJ9DYA0ZYZAFEM
 

cobshopgrow

Well-Known Member
problem with mosquito bits is that its passive, needs direct contact to the larvae and the attack window is much smaller, it helps for sure, just never eradicated them completly as the nematodes tend to do, they work like Alien.
 

Tracker

Well-Known Member
problem with mosquito bits is that its passive, needs direct contact to the larvae and the attack window is much smaller, it helps for sure, just never eradicated them completly as the nematodes tend to do, they work like Alien.
I have never tried nematodes, so I can't say anything about that. I've had friends say good things about them though.
 

cobshopgrow

Well-Known Member
i had to think of this when i read the descprition of how nematodes do work.
they eat the larvae from the inside and multiply, in contrary to the alien its not only one comming out of the body.
BTI is good stuff, i like it cause you can store it.
tbh, i have no clue if you have "other" BTI, as our BTI is just the excrements of the bacteria, BTI.
its what kills the larvae on contact, so thats fine, but there is no living colony of bti in our stuff, so idk.
but really can say that the nematodes always did a great job bringing the gnat population to 0.
 

Driver733

Well-Known Member
I first realized my current grow was infested with fungus gnats about three weeks ago. I used spinosad soap first, I had it on hand from the thrips infestation I suffered last summer. I mixed the spinosad soap at 5 tablespoons per gallon for the first treatment, soaked the pots at lights out with treated water, then watered with half strength nutes until runoff at lights on. I did a second treatment 5 days later. The soap did not stop the larvae from hatching, I was still getting between 10-20 new gnats per day on the yellow traps.

I researched the sand, DE and B.T. (mosquito bits) and decided the sand and/or DE was not ideal, so I decided to try mosquito netting bags with a drawstring. I tied the bags around the pots to keep a) flying gnats from laying eggs and b) to isolate the gnats hatching from each pot, hopefully killing them before they lay eggs again.




100_2660.jpg

As you can see, I am using air pots - my first time switching from fabric pots. I am pretty sure the little buggers have been crawling into the holes on the sides of each pot and laying eggs, so not using just the top layer of soil. The air holes are like a Hotel California for the gnats. I wrapped the pots with tape to try to isolate them even more.

I am now on my 2nd day after my 2nd application of Monterey LG6332 Bacillus Thuringiensis (B.t.) Worm & Caterpillar Killer Insecticide/Pesticide Treatment Concentrate, 16 oz from Amazon only $14.64 for a pint, all ready to mix (no bits to make tea).



I am happy to report that after finding at least 30 new flying gnats 2 days ago, this morning I found only 2 new flying gnats caught outside the nets (in the tent), and no new gnats in the nets (hatched from the pots). It appears the B.T. treatment is definitely the way to go.

Needless to say, the damage done to the plants has been considerable. I must admit, I had no idea how much damage they can cause in so little time. Without the yellow sticky traps, I'm not sure I would've realized the extent of the problem, because I never say more than one or two flying around when I looked in the tent.

I now realize that if one or two is flying around, there are tens or even hundreds crawling all over the leaves, hiding where you cannot see them. I have confirmed this by accident - twice in the past week, I have pruned lower branches and tossed the pruned material in the trash can (no lid) in my bathroom. Over the next couple days, I caught 4-5 gnats flying around the bathroom each time. There is really no other source than the leaves I left in the trash, and they do not appear otherwise. I am convinced they were on the leaves.

I'm not ashamed to show these pictures, but I warn you, they are not pretty! These are some of the worst looking plants I have ever grown, I still can't believe the damage done. I burned them a bit trying to deal with the deficiencies before realizing the problem was the gnat larvae feasting on my root system. The flowers are still growing, they smell like lemon pledge and they are quite sticky so I am pretty optimistic about the end result, especially considering three weeks ago I thought both plants might end up a total loss.

These pictures were two weeks ago, 3 out of the tent:
100_2631.jpg100_2638.jpg100_2645.jpg100_2622.jpg


These were taken this morning, sorry they are in the tent - I watered yesterday and they are too heavy for me to lift:
100_2658.jpg100_2661.jpg100_2662.jpg

I am week 6.5 in flower, week 7 starts on Saturday.

This is all the result of using Fox Farms Ocean Forest potting soil without letting it dry out first. I have always opened a bag and let it sit and dry out for months before using it. I forgot to leave it out this time, used a newly opened bag, and paid the price. Never again.

If you can't dry out the soil, treat the soil with boiling water and let it sit for a day before using it. I am now keeping my soil dry and protected.
100_2663.jpg

Good luck gnat hunting.
 

Kushash

Well-Known Member
Hypoaspis miles have worked for me. A key is to have them in the soil before fungus gnat populations are established. If someone has a perpetual with a heavy infestation of gnats they won't make a dent. If added to a soil before gnats get established they will survive eating organic matter in a soil rich in organic matter and if a fungus gnat shows up and lays eggs the hypoaspis miles will likely get the larvae before the cycle starts.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
Toads for the win. They like to eat thrips and gnats.


hypoaspis miles also like to eat both.
Damn, I thought were using actual toads now. I want amphibians living in my grow.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
I first realized my current grow was infested with fungus gnats about three weeks ago. I used spinosad soap first, I had it on hand from the thrips infestation I suffered last summer. I mixed the spinosad soap at 5 tablespoons per gallon for the first treatment, soaked the pots at lights out with treated water, then watered with half strength nutes until runoff at lights on. I did a second treatment 5 days later. The soap did not stop the larvae from hatching, I was still getting between 10-20 new gnats per day on the yellow traps.

I researched the sand, DE and B.T. (mosquito bits) and decided the sand and/or DE was not ideal, so I decided to try mosquito netting bags with a drawstring. I tied the bags around the pots to keep a) flying gnats from laying eggs and b) to isolate the gnats hatching from each pot, hopefully killing them before they lay eggs again.




View attachment 5046366

As you can see, I am using air pots - my first time switching from fabric pots. I am pretty sure the little buggers have been crawling into the holes on the sides of each pot and laying eggs, so not using just the top layer of soil. The air holes are like a Hotel California for the gnats. I wrapped the pots with tape to try to isolate them even more.

I am now on my 2nd day after my 2nd application of Monterey LG6332 Bacillus Thuringiensis (B.t.) Worm & Caterpillar Killer Insecticide/Pesticide Treatment Concentrate, 16 oz from Amazon only $14.64 for a pint, all ready to mix (no bits to make tea).



I am happy to report that after finding at least 30 new flying gnats 2 days ago, this morning I found only 2 new flying gnats caught outside the nets (in the tent), and no new gnats in the nets (hatched from the pots). It appears the B.T. treatment is definitely the way to go.

Needless to say, the damage done to the plants has been considerable. I must admit, I had no idea how much damage they can cause in so little time. Without the yellow sticky traps, I'm not sure I would've realized the extent of the problem, because I never say more than one or two flying around when I looked in the tent.

I now realize that if one or two is flying around, there are tens or even hundreds crawling all over the leaves, hiding where you cannot see them. I have confirmed this by accident - twice in the past week, I have pruned lower branches and tossed the pruned material in the trash can (no lid) in my bathroom. Over the next couple days, I caught 4-5 gnats flying around the bathroom each time. There is really no other source than the leaves I left in the trash, and they do not appear otherwise. I am convinced they were on the leaves.

I'm not ashamed to show these pictures, but I warn you, they are not pretty! These are some of the worst looking plants I have ever grown, I still can't believe the damage done. I burned them a bit trying to deal with the deficiencies before realizing the problem was the gnat larvae feasting on my root system. The flowers are still growing, they smell like lemon pledge and they are quite sticky so I am pretty optimistic about the end result, especially considering three weeks ago I thought both plants might end up a total loss.

These pictures were two weeks ago, 3 out of the tent:
View attachment 5046371View attachment 5046373View attachment 5046374View attachment 5046378


These were taken this morning, sorry they are in the tent - I watered yesterday and they are too heavy for me to lift:
View attachment 5046370View attachment 5046375View attachment 5046376

I am week 6.5 in flower, week 7 starts on Saturday.

This is all the result of using Fox Farms Ocean Forest potting soil without letting it dry out first. I have always opened a bag and let it sit and dry out for months before using it. I forgot to leave it out this time, used a newly opened bag, and paid the price. Never again.

If you can't dry out the soil, treat the soil with boiling water and let it sit for a day before using it. I am now keeping my soil dry and protected.
View attachment 5046380

Good luck gnat hunting.
Are you maybe overwatering your plants? I'm not sure about a commercial grow, but there's no reason to be going to those lengths to get rid of gnats.
 
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