Kill the D@#m gnats...Please!

MaxRV

MaxRV

Okay, I am going to post this question even though I am sure it has been posted numerous times in the past.  I am hoping that someone has developed a new way of dealing with gnats when growing peppers indoors.  I have scoured the internet and everyone recommends apple cider vinegar mixtures and swear by the results.  They even have videos depicting the hundreds of gnats they captured and killed in their homemade traps.  I one the other hand have built the same traps, used the same ingredients, and have not caught the first gnat.  
 
They are obviously mocking my feeble attempts to eliminate them!
 
I am open to any suggestions that won't result in burning my house down or killing my pets.
 
Max :doh:  
 
     I've heard mosquito dunks work really well. I would use those, bottom watering + top dressing pots with perlite or sand, and some sticky traps. 
     They're tricky (as I'm sure you know). IPM is the key to any difficult infestation.
 
I've never heard of using the vinegar traps for fungus gnats, usually used for fruit flies. The yellow sticky traps you can buy are supposed to be good for getting rid of the adults. watering from the bottom and using a layer of sand or perlite on top of the soil keeps infestations down as well.
 
You can get rid of the fungus gnat larvae by letting your plants dry out a bit for a few days and then watering with a hydrogen peroxide solution. Once the soil has dried a bit mix 1 part hydrogen peroxide with 4 parts water (the 3% hydrogen peroxide found at almost all drugstores). water like you normally would and make sure to wet the entire surface of soil. you can use a spray bottle to make it easier. larvae should die on contact. The peroxide won't harm your plants but the soil may fizz slightly for a few seconds which is normal. I would do this before adding the sand or perlite layer as once you add this you should then bottom water every time, that is if you decide to do this.
 
I've heard of using mosquito dunks but not sure how much or how to. I'm sure someone will chime in with that
 
All excellent guidance.  Also, thank you for the link to the prior string.  Seems like there are some very standard procedures i need to use.
 
Thanks Again,
 
Max
 
I recently had a gnat problem as well. Still a few lingering here and there. I didn't end up getting the dunks but i did vacuum out the first inch of soil then repotted in fresh soil after inducing severe dehydration. I bought a few of the fly papers at the he dollar store (ftw!) and laid them across the tops of the pots. Seems to work pretty decently. Best of luck. May hoover lead the vanguard to your glorious victory!
 
It's really pretty simple. Fly paper for the adults and mosquito dunks in the water that you water the plants with.
 
Get a few gallon jugs with lids, fill with water and drop a part of a dunk in there for a couple of days before you use it. Water the plants as usual. Bam, no more fungus gnats.
 
The best way to control a gnat population is growing a little pinguicula or drosera in your plants setup.

15431114931_8c61af75f4_b.jpg


Its a very small plant but a fierce hunter. You can see a couple gnats on the leaves.
 
Maiden said:
The best way to control a gnat population is growing a little pinguicula or drosera in your plants setup.
Click to expand...
 
I recently adopted 4 pinguiculas. Impressed with their performance already.
They're really tiny, so I guess I'm going to need more, but at least it makes it easier to place them.
 
I always like to use beneficial predators such as the fungus gnat predator for the gnat larva within the soil. I also like spiders and their webs to catch the adults. Predatory insects is usually my first line of defense prior to using other methods of extermination. Other forms include uses of home made pepper/garlic foliar sprays. Use caution when applying those foliar sprays though. You may be harming the insect you want around. 
There is a mass of info regarding them on the net and places where you can order them if need be.
 
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