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flies.....gnats.....??

3/5King

3/5King

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These plants were sowed on 2/29/2012, I've been watering them with no problem (In my grow box) until today that is. I started (this morning) a 1/4 dilution of Alaska Fish Fertilizer. A little bit after I watered them with this mixture, flies or gnats started to appear......these guys--below--

If I could find out from all of you knowledgeable, kind, caring THP members, what are they? Why did they appear when I started the ferting? and How do I get rid of them? Thank you so much for your time and answers.

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pshngo is right they are fungus gnats! :( like he said bottom watering helps, You can also get yellow sticky traps and mosquito dunks to eliminate them! Good luck to you!
 
I don't think they're much of a threat to established plants. They can however decimate seeds that have and haven't germinated. A couple of people have applied used coffee grounds around the top of the soil that has seemed to work at keeping adults away.
 
Bottom water....only....they'll eventualy vanish. Gnats, white flies, aphids seem to love the fish and kelp products. If you keep the top layer of the soil dry, you'll be fine.
That also helps with moisture evaporation. There's only a few things worst than a plant in soggy soil....a molding dead plant thats been harbored by gnats. Just remember the roots of a pepper plant travel downward. Theres no real reason to top water an indoor plant. Unlike a tomato plant's rootball which will travel "round and round" upwards and out of any part of a buried stem, the pepper plant seems to thrive with less water. Keep it where the roots grow.....at the bottom.....only my opinion Greg
 
I hate these things. They are attracted to Co2 as well, and when your breathing your likely to inhale one. I had a big problem with them as they were becoming very annoying. The larvae also eat at the roots of your plant. I did a three step proceduce and finally got rid of em.
1. Let the soil dry out and place cubed (about an inch) pieces of potatoes on the soil. As there is no moisture the larvae come to the surface because the potatoes provide moisture and food. Leave the potatoes on for about a day and when you see the larve on the potatoes, take then out and throw away.

2. Now that the soil is dry and needs water, mix one part H2O2 ( Hydrogen Peroxide, that you find at any store) with 3 parts water and drench the soil. When the mixture bubbles it kills and remaining larvae and some flies, but waters and gives your plant a nice burst of oxygen to the roots.

3. Spray the soil with neem oil to kill the rest of the adults and when its time to water again, water the plant with 1/4 tsp neem oil to 1 qt. of water. That should do the job, no more gnats.
 
thanks everyone for the reply's. I have been bottom watering these since birth. I don't top water any of my plants. other than foliar feeding. I had a fungus problem on the soil surface for a little bit. I didn't have enough air flow, I fixed this and haven't had anymore green mold on my soil anymore (and I turned the other stuff underneath with a pencil)

I let my soil dry completely before my next watering, then I water until the soil looks moist again at the top. Everything was fine for the 3 weeks they've been in there (oh wait lol, it says that it takes 3 weeks for larve to become adults hahaha) then when I hit them with the Alaska Fish Fertz, they immediately came out to play (the gnats that is) whether it was a coincidence or like you said Greg, they like the fish food.

Over the coarse of the day yesterday, I killed about 15 of them and a few were already dead. So I would say there were about 20 total. Today there are none to be seen (although I am quite sure they are still there) I also recently culled some plants to thin out my cells...this could contribute to feeding them as the roots of those plants decay in the soil.

In either case I will keep an eye on it and if it gets out of control I will try out your procedure Spice 8. It sounds like a great plan. Thanks again everyone. I hope this doesn't become a problem that a little thumb smushing doesn't take care of. "I'm squishing your head" (lol, props to the person who tells me where that line comes from)
 
3/5King said:
thanks everyone for the reply's. I have been bottom watering these since birth. I don't top water any of my plants. other than foliar feeding. I had a fungus problem on the soil surface for a little bit. I didn't have enough air flow, I fixed this and haven't had anymore green mold on my soil anymore (and I turned the other stuff underneath with a pencil)

I let my soil dry completely before my next watering, then I water until the soil looks moist again at the top. Everything was fine for the 3 weeks they've been in there (oh wait lol, it says that it takes 3 weeks for larve to become adults hahaha) then when I hit them with the Alaska Fish Fertz, they immediately came out to play (the gnats that is) whether it was a coincidence or like you said Greg, they like the fish food.

Over the coarse of the day yesterday, I killed about 15 of them and a few were already dead. So I would say there were about 20 total. Today there are none to be seen (although I am quite sure they are still there) I also recently culled some plants to thin out my cells...this could contribute to feeding them as the roots of those plants decay in the soil.

In either case I will keep an eye on it and if it gets out of control I will try out your procedure Spice 8. It sounds like a great plan. Thanks again everyone. I hope this doesn't become a problem that a little thumb smushing doesn't take care of. "I'm squishing your head" (lol, props to the person who tells me where that line comes from)
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The Kids in The Hall.
 
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