Fungus Gnats

ISK

ISK

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I started seeing a few tiny flies in my kitchen and grow room over the last 2 weeks

I thought they were fruit flies (very common here) so I set up a few traps with fruit & apple cider vinegar but it wasn't working....as they were not fruit flies

I found a dead one, so put it under the loupe and could clearly see it was a gnat...so I know now my enemy and can focus my killing campaign to eliminate them.

Anyhow, today I bought some yellow sticky traps and just set them up about an hour ago (no victims yet)

I'm growing hempy style (perlite/vermiculite) with soil cap (an inch of soil on the top), so I removed most of the top soil and replaced with perlite.

The yellow sticky traps obviously can only catch adults, but it's the larvae that feeds on the roots which impacts our plants.

I've read you can use "Beneficial Nematodes" to attack the larvae...I'm hoping I don't have to resort to this chemical warfare.....I see the major garden shops sell large bags of it for outdoor lawn applications, so not sure if that's applicable for MJ or not.

Anyhow....I would appreciate any feedback and/or helpful hints to fast-track the genocide of these pesky bastards

cheers
ISK
 
Chunky Stool

Chunky Stool

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I'm trying gnat nix for the first time and it seems to be working.
I grow in a corner of my garage, so bugs get in every time the door is opened. I see them on my sticky traps, but never flying or crawling so I guess it's working. Anything that smothers the soil will keep them from breeding.
 
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ISK

ISK

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Chunky Stool said:
I'm trying gnat nix for the first time and it seems to be working.
I grow in a corner of my garage, so bugs get in every time the door is opened. I see them on my sticky traps, but never flying or crawling so I guess it's working. Anything that smothers the soil will keep them from breeding.
Click to expand...
so like maybe a layer of plastic wrap over the top...or would sand be better?
 
Hammerhead571

Hammerhead571

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Top soil is staying wet for to long. If eggs have access to wet medium all the time u will have gnats. You don't need anything just keep the top few inches dry. Fungus gnats do not go deep into any medium. Root aphids will big difference . If ur using perlite u shouldn't see Gnats. coco or soil is perfect breeding grounds for Gnats. If u use these just fluff the top layer after u water. It will dry quick preventing gnat eggs from hatching.
 
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ISK

ISK

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Hammerhead571 said:
Top soil is staying wet for to long. If eggs have access to wet medium all the time u will have gnats. You don't need anything just keep the top few inches dry. Fungus gnats do not go deep into any medium. Root aphids will big difference .
Click to expand...
There was only about an inch of top soil, as underneath is perlite/vermiculite, as it's a hempy grow.

by removing most of the top soil, I'm hoping this inhibits their reproduction
 
Dynamo626

Dynamo626

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Hammerhead571 said:
Top soil is staying wet for to long. If eggs have access to wet medium all the time u will have gnats. You don't need anything just keep the top few inches dry. Fungus gnats do not go deep into any medium. Root aphids will big difference . If ur using perlite u shouldn't see Gnats. coco or soil is perfect breeding grounds for Gnats. If u use these just fluff the top layer after u water. It will dry quick preventing gnat eggs from hatching.
Click to expand...
Hard to dry out a hempy. Try sm 90
Its organic a root stimulater and imolsifier
 
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ISK

ISK

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Dynamo626 said:
Hard to dry out a hempy. Try sm 90
Its organic a root stimulater and imolsifier
Click to expand...
exactly....got to feed/water the 3 gallon hempy's every third day..... but the 2L pop bottle needs daily feeding, which is why it has the worst infestation, as the little bastards like the moist conditions

thanks for the feedback...I'm going to see how things go but if necessary weapons of mass destruction will be most certainly be considered
 
ISK

ISK

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Kingrow1

Kingrow1

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I live with fungus gnarts in my growroom, if populations stay small they are harmless. Mainly if they are outside you cant stop them coming in.

Fresh garlic and onion will drive the adults away better than those hanging yellow sticky strips.

Hard to stop them coming back once erradicated as travel in from outside on clothes and hair and can hunt down your grow room like ninjas.

Think you can fill the tent with co2 and that will kill all adults without harming plants.

Some of us find it easier to live with them than without and plants grow too quick for small amounts to do any damage.
 
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Dynamo626

Dynamo626

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Have a few gnats now just showed up the end of this coco grow. Never have them in soil. Not worried abought just a few. They only eat live roots if there is no dead organics left. Guessing after 2 months there is enough dead roots after 4 months to keep the few i have happy
 
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