Bugs in super soil

I made my SS normally and cleanly, did not see any bugs. Put in brand new trash cans and on side of house (brick side yard)... even sprayed the ground with some bug spray under the trash cans.

since day 4ish ( it is now day 6) it has had a few bugs, small flying bugs and a few crawling bugs. real small like 16th of an inch... lid is snapped on, not exactly sealed... but im suprised since sub himself says that he keeps in outside and bugs never seem to bother.

how big are fungus gnats usually found in soils?

Questions,

should i do a "soil drench" before using?

should i spray currently with spinosad?

Hey bro,

sounds like ur base soil maybe had fungus gnats and possibly thrips.

ive never used spinosad as can't get in the UK, but if could I would drench the SS with it. This should sort ur problems out, just keep a eye when u pot up for any bugs, if u find some just spray the plants with spinosad, but the soil drench should kill any larvae etc.

sub uses spinosad for soil drenches, what soil are u using?

good luck bro.

edit, I'd also do the drench now, and maybe give another one a week or so before use, but I would have thought once is enough. The probable cause is that they came in your base soil and haven't just got into ur trash can as they were outside.

also bugs love bricks there are a few types that live inside and on...but everyone else is also correct use that monteray garden insect spary WITH spinosad for drench

Always good to start a soil with amendments specific for pests. Neem and Crabshell, for example. High quality vermicompost is a huge component of a plants immune response system. I also like Nematodes and BTI dunks. I just mix these items up when a soil is started. Not a mite or blight in 2+ years.

I grew for a long time in soil, but I've found little difference between soil and rockwool, for the end product... I think the reason so many people favor soil, is that the soil acts as a buffer to some extent... Where as the rockwool and other soiless mediums don't. That's the reason if you make a miscalculation with hydro, you will see the effects the next day. Soiless is much more exacting and volatile, if your good with mixing chemicals or have any type of chemistry back ground, you'll hook on pretty easy though, I think, I did ...

I suggest GH nutes (which is a 3 part mix, nothing else needed) the directions for mixing and application are right on the side of the bottles, so it's easy if you read and follow the directions. I would also suggest a dry mix for PH balance. Liquid PH seems to vary more and be harder to work with then the powder. The powder also seems to go quit a bit further then the liquid.

right... but he has soil.

Hey guys, just a tip for when you're buying Spinosad... Conserve SC has 11% spinosad whereas the Monterey has 0.5%. Get the Conserve if you can.

Rrog said:

Always good to start a soil with amendments specific for pests. Neem and Crabshell, for example. High quality vermicompost is a huge component of a plants immune response system. I also like Nematodes and BTI dunks. I just mix these items up when a soil is started. Not a mite or blight in 2+ years.

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Awesome idea man. And thank you trichomebob that is prob what ill do. I sprayed with monterey spinosad while mixing the soil so i was kind of surprised to see them. I still have a month or so to let the soil break down. I sprayed the top of the soil kinda heavily yesterday and today and moved them into garage. Ill spray again if i see more bugs or when i dump it out and reload it. But as of right now i didnt even see the occasional 1 or 2 in either can.

Hope it stays that way. It is roots base soil and i had heard they had gnats before. Oh well! Hope it all works out.

A good compost tea containing nematodes and other Benny's will take care of any soil bugs like whiteflys.
stay organic, compost teas are mother natures best defense to infested plants. Stay healthy and green!

nwilz13 said:

A good compost tea containing nematodes and other Benny's will take care of any soil bugs like whiteflys.
stay organic, compost teas are mother natures best defense to infested plants. Stay healthy and green!

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Root Aphids will laugh at nematodes and teas.

Hypo-mites?

Yes, however root aphids will laugh at almost anything. Those are the plague.