F*cking fungus gnats

juanitos said:
the above methods are good for controlling the infestation.
 
To actually end it you should use Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis (Bti) brand name mosquito bits / dunks.
 
Bti is bacteria which is food for fungus gnat larvae (and other Dipterans), it has a poisonous effect on them that kills the larvae after they eat it.
this ensures they do not grow up to breed, stopping the cycle of reproduction, eventually ending the infestation.
 
It is not instant, the larvae have to eat it and it gradually kills them. Adult gnats are not effected.
So as it is working there is nothing really to do or see, so some people don't appreciate it
but it is really the most effective way to end the infestation.
 
the life cycle of a fungus gnat is 3-4 weeks. so no matter which method you use, you need to be patient and keep doing your control methods for at least that long.
even if you kill every adult, there are more larvae chillin in your soil feeding on your plants roots and eggs waiting to hatch.
 
a nice thing is Bti has no effect on other organisms / plants. so you can apply it into your water or mix a bit into your soil as a preventative even if you know you're setup is prone to getting fungus gnats.
 
This is what I do. Works great. 
 
I may be imagining a connection that isn't really there, but it seems like the fungus gnats aren't a problem after my seedlings establish a certain amount of root growth.  I'll continue to see fungus gnats in a few of my dead cells, but they seem to go away from the seedlings that have grown out just a little.
 
It makes me wonder if the roots have an anti-fungal action.
 
DontPanic said:
I may be imagining a connection that isn't really there, but it seems like the fungus gnats aren't a problem after my seedlings establish a certain amount of root growth.  I'll continue to see fungus gnats in a few of my dead cells, but they seem to go away from the seedlings that have grown out just a little.
 
It makes me wonder if the roots have an anti-fungal action.
 
Fungus gnats are a pest that's blown way out of proportion.  They really aren't a threat, if proper growing conditions are met.  In nature, I very highly doubt that you'll ever see a plant succumb to fungus gnat infestations.  Most people just don't like their presence.  In fact, they're actually quite useful for healthy growing conditions.
.
Fungus gnats feed on organic matter - mainly stuff on the ground, in piles.  When they can't find that, they'll go for what's available.  For us, that means young roots.  No, they will not bother with roots once they've hardened. 
.
The very best way to keep fungus gnat problems at bay, is to plant in deep containers.  They don't favor surface dwelling, but if you've planted your seed starts in jiffy plugs, they're gonna be right where you don't want them.  Overwatering will also exacerbate the problem.
 
I noticed a couple of gnats flying around my seedlings in the garage this week. I've had them show up every year, although they never became a real problem, I just hate seeing them. I have the mosquito dips on standby, not sure if I'll use them or not. Probably better to start doing something sooner than later.

The best thing about gnats is that they aren't aphids
 
I’ve been dealing with them bastiges , mainly on my 2 OW plants, been hitting them with soapy water spray. I also top dressed with a good layer of sand on all my plants. They are not a problem at this moment , but they are probably getting their game plan ready for a big push.


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PtMD989 said:
I’ve been dealing with them bastiges , mainly on my 2 OW plants, been hitting them with soapy water spray. I also top dressed with a good layer of sand on all my plants. They are not a problem at this moment , but they are probably getting their game plan ready for a big push.


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F'ers .... I've seen a few already.  You're right, they're building for the big push.  They're waiting for my tomatoes!  
 
Last year, I found they weren't a problem, and then all of the sudden, their population exploded. Like, to the point where I could grab 15 out of the air. I repotted all of plants, and that helped, along with yellow sticky traps.

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KevinThePepperhead said:
Sorry, duplicate post
 
Don't apologize for a forum idiosyncrasy as this happens all the time....
 
 
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Simply click on the Report feature  and ask the Mods to delete the one not needed.
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I also have a bowl of ACV waiting for them F’ers , you know, for when they get tired of flying around and want to go for a swim [emoji43].


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Thanks for all the tips people! I ordered some gnatrol from the USA, hard to get that stuff in Europe. I haven't used it still.
 
I also put a fan blowing, put out some sticky traps and repotted most of the plants. It seems to have kept them at bay, which is why I haven't applied any bti. 
 
I've accepted the prescense of a few fungus gnats. I've spoken to a few plant enthusiasts that told me the same solid7 mentioned in this thread. It is much less of a problem than a nuisance. A few gnats probably won't do much harm, especially once the plants are more mature and have settled in bigger pots.
 
That fan probably helps add a little dryness and is a deterrent since they aren't strong fliers. Keep drip trays clean and dry as possible...Hang sticky tape with yellow near bright light. Might catch a few adults. They like yellow and bright light. Cheers

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Bookers said:
That fan probably helps add a little dryness and is a deterrent since they aren't strong fliers. Keep drip trays clean and dry as possible...Hang sticky tape with yellow near bright light. Might catch a few adults. They like yellow and bright light. Cheers

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Thanks for the advice, Bookers. The fan definitely helps dry the top layer of potting mix out and they really don't like the turbulence. They get blown around and they land on the wall behind (perpendicular? to the fan), so I put some sticky traps there and it caught a whole bunch of them. Let out a little diabolical laugh when I saw them, hehe.
 
Anytime we've all been there and I've received help when needed. I have just gone overboard and did more harm than good. We're good now and watch react accordingly happy grow...

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