Fox Farms Joins Roots Organic with Gnat Infestation

Hello RIU. I decided to share some information that I obtained from Fox Farms regarding recent shipments of gnat infested ocean forest.

I had to return a $500 ocean forest purchase because of heavy gnat infestations. The supplier I purchased it from was able to get a refund and a reshipment of some uninfested ocean forest. New shipment came in and

Fox Farms did'nt have any comment other than refunding my monies. I am going on some advice and making another switch to light mix by Bio-Biz

Keep your eyes open and check and recheck for gnats if you plan on purchasing ocean forest any time soon.

Stay Green

Just have to say I've been using Ocean Forest for quite a while and have never seen any fungus gnat larvae in any of the bags I have purchased. Seems like the risk is quite inherent no matter which brand of mix you buy; the product could have been stored improperly outdoors at any point before it got to you.

Like Roots they store most soil outdoors at some point or another. It may have been a concentrated batch but just a fore warning Safe over sorry

it's happened to me with two bags of happy frog. i really them god damn gnats

Hmmmm this makes me wonder since my new clones, AKs and Permafrost seem to have quite the nasty gnat infestations. I've been battling a freakin WAR with these p.o.s gnats and I'm really getting sick of them. I'm going on 4 weeks now with this war. Every time I seem to get somewhere, a few days later there's a whole new army of them. Neem Oil, Azamax, gnat sticks and gnat tape seem to kick some major ass, but I can't f'n get rid of these things!! Is there anything I can do to get rid of them for good? I'm seriously losing my mind right now over them. Been using nothing but FFOF dirt. I wonder if my bags were infested.....it only makes sense after seeing this thread.

Will these bastard gnats really harm my crop badly?

Fungus gnats can be quite small, especially the young ones/nymphs which are small enough to get through most window screens. Really though a gnat or two could have gotten in from anywhere and put eggs in the soil; perhaps already in your houseplants even, or otherwise from outside. If you keep an eye out you would be able to see fungus gnat larvae while working with the soil before you plant into it.

First step is to just grab a vacuum and suck those little fuckers to a dusty end. Vacuum around the pots, near the soil surface... where ever you see them. It is best to do this while watering. When you flood the soil surface they are going to fly up in an effort to not be drowned; but you'll be waiting there with the vacuum on and the nozzle ready to take them away.

Mosquito Dunks or Bacillus thuringiensis isreali (Bti) is a natural bacterium that produces a larvacide which is toxic only to a handful of species of insect larvae including fungus gnats and mosquitoes. It is widely available in compressed circular pucks under the brand name Mosquito Dunks, sold in most home improvement centers. They also sell Mosquito Bits, which is the same thing and other brand is Gnatrol but these products are usually less available. If you get dunks you use them by soaking in a bucket of water over night and irrigating. This should kill most of the larvae. Don't stop using Bti just because the gnats are gone, either, I would recommend applying it even if you didn't have any gnats because it will prevent them from infesting in the first place.

This and other biological controls are best. Currently I am getting some predatory mites to work for me; they'll take care of the eggs, larvae, etc. of fungus gnats and other soil dwelling insects as well.

i try to buy my soil well in advanced of having to use it. that way i can let it sit inside and completely dry out before using it.

I use a Filter Queen vacuum with hose attachment. It's designed to not emit any dust whatsoever. It's awesome and the suction is top notch. I've vacuumed probably over 200 gnats over the past 3 weeks. I got the top layer of soil (replaced with new afterwards) and any gnat I could find anywhere near the plants. I've used Azamax, Einstein Neem, Gnat sticks and tape, and I'm still battling the bastards. Tonight I ordered GoGnats. I'm hoping this does the trick once and for all. I even have the soil covered with cloth on each plant, but they are still just having a ball in my grow room. I'm pulling my hair out....

so do gnats actually do any harm to the plant or they more of a nuisance to humans?

Trian79

Mosquito dunks I hear works

Predatory nematoads perhaps?

BTW I also encountered a infested bag of ocean forrest but this can happen to any soil. Its kinda a bummer when you open the bag and plant your plants and 3 days later they hatch and there is a shitload of them.

had the same problem ,i tried every thing, soaps oils,and even b.t.,and these work well on everything else,but pyreathrin is the only thing that killed them,there are many prods. out there that aRE OMRI SAFE 24 HR. EADIBLE,,,KILL THEM BASTARDS!. BTW YOU HAVE TO SPRAY AT LEAST 3 CONSECUTIVE DAYS TO BREAK THE HATCH CYCLE

https://www.rollitup.org/general-marijuana-growing/425185-doggies-nuts-armeggedon-top-my.html take a look and subscribe need advice first grow 15 day veg so far...

I just picked up some ocean forest and light warrior. NO gnats or larvae. But soil does not hold moisture. When i water, the water just beeds off and drains out the bottom. Soil stays dry.

Every bag of OF I have bought always seems to have some moisture level. It is possible that it can entirely dry out if left somewhere warm and ventilated enough, however. The key is to use a wetting agent (yucca juice for instance) and/or mist down the potting mix prior to planting in it, and then water thoroughly. In order for there to be ideal absorbancy there must be preexisting moisture. Perhaps you remember the 'sponge experiment', which establishes that a moist sponge absorbs more water than a sponge which is completely dry.

If you plant into a mix and at any point you let the container get too dry, odds are that when you do water it will bead up and run down the sides of the container, running out of the bottom as you described. There should be some moisture in soil at all times.

just pour an inch or two inch layer of playground sand on the top of your soil and your infestation will die. it will not kill off the larva though living in the soil feeding off of your roots.

this problem stems from sunlight supply. they are storing their soils near a large landfill. also if you are on the east coast you have better chances of not being affected by this because the ffof if being produced in GA where there is no knat problem.

Gnats are easy to kill. Just put a layer of sand over your soil. At least an inch thick. That is kind of PITA though, sorry. Drenching the root with imid will kill the gnats and larva living off the roots.
^damn beat me to it lol
also
"Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies Israelensis (BTI) that kills the larvae of fungus gnats, mosquitoes, and black flies . When BTI is eaten by these larvae toxins are released into their gut which causes the larvae to stop eating. Without food the larvae die. This interrupts the life cycle of these pests and the population then dies off.

cutting a flea collar and inserting the pieces in the soils also kills the larva. When you finally get rid of them add a layer of sand over the top of the soil to make access difficult. The hanging strips are a must also. I additionally cut those strips and place a couple pieces on my sand. problem solved."
https://www.greenpassion.org/index.php?/topic/20787-how-do-i-kill-fungus-root-gnats/

Never tried that one.

if you have a gnat infestation have a spray bottle with half water half rubbing alcohol a quick spray takes them out this keeps the adult pop. down ps this works on most bugs some beetles are resistant to it but they dont like it Do not use rubbing alcohol spray around mature/flowering plants as the rubbing alcohol will dissolve resin off your plants

I heard that the Roots "707" formula was infected but not the other mixes
in the Roots Organic line.

Should I chance buying the Roots potting soil? I used that my last soil grow and had
amazing results. (just finished 2 dwc grows)

I used Roots potting soil and had no fungus gnats about 10 months. Although a friend of mine
who used the 707 formula had them. I think I remember purchasing them around
the same time. I think I want to give Rootz a call and ask if they're still
having trouble with fungus gnats in their soil.

Should I take the chance with the Roots Organic potting soil?

I use Roots PS and I have been fighting gnats for about a month. I've read all threads on this subject and have tried all kinds of stuff potato slices ,cinnamon, neem oil,Go Gnats ect. ect.this is what finally worked for me. I just didn't like the sand idea. it seems messy and I was concerned about air exchange.So what I did was I went to the fabric store and got this stuff they call backing its used to make quilts its about a half inch thick and looks kinda like the stuff they make heat/ac filters out of. I cut 5 gallon size circles out then put a cut from the middle out to the edge.I mixed up a bucket of neem oil and Go Gnats and soaked the circles then I put the circles around the bottom of each plant covering soil completly then after one day of drying I sprinkle Diatomaceous Eath over the circles this stuff kills any soft bellied insect the fine powder works like thousands of little razor blades. Finally I hit the room with a Hot Shot bomb to get the flyers I haven't seen one in two weeks and plants are vigorous .I know it seems like a pita but now that i have the circles it won't be such a hassle if I need to do this again and I'm changing who I get my medium from atleast till Roots get their shit together.

To kill gnats, spidermites, or anything that flies or crawls, use

Hot Shots No-Pest Strips
http://www.walmart.com/ip/Hot-Shot-Kills-Flying-Crawling-Insects-No-Pest-Strip-2-2.29-oz/12166874

They have killed every infestation I've ever seen in less than a week. I hang for 3-5 days then take out, put in a ziplock baggie and save in a basement in case it's ever needed. I wouldn't leave in my garden past the 3-5 days needed to kill the initial bugs and then the ones that hatch a few days later.