how do i get rid of FUNGAS KNATS???

[GreenThumbsMcgee]

hello all, I really need a little help here, I am swatting these bastards every time I open my grow box, there is a never ending supply of these little buggers. I am so fed up with them. what is the best way to rid my grow box of these. I have already slowed on watering to the point where my dirt is very dry on top, and they still keep multiplying....
I made the simple mistake of taking my plant outside to catch some real sun for a few hours, and in that little time period one of the little fucks got in my soil and laid eggs. any help is appreciated you guys....
ideas, thoughts?

 

[GreenThumbsMcgee]

by the way, I have searched out what the internet says, but I would like to know what people who have successfully dealt with these vermin first hand have done to rid their grows of unwanted crawlers.

 

[bertaluchi]

It sounds like your dealing with pesky fungus gnats. They are fucking annoying but wont do any real damage to you plants. I had them in my grow room about a year ago and what I did was cut back on the watering (I see you have already made that move) then I got garden dust and dusted the top of my soil. I kept putting it down on the soil only for about a week and a half before I got rid of them. Old fashion sticky tape helps kill the adults that are flying around your grow and the garden dust (a.k.a. Seven Dust) will kill the eggs and small underdeveloped gnats. I hope this helps you out. Good Luck Dude

 

[waterdawg]

Contact a discreet arms dealer. Get one if those nukes that are missing from russia and set her off in your room . First you can do a search of this section, there was a great thread last week about getting rid of them with chemicals. I tried sharp sand, sticky tape, ho2o, and potatoes, finally switched to hydro lol.

 

[st0wandgrow]

Go to Home Depot and pick up a jar of mosquito bits. They contain a microorganism called bacillus thuringiensis. Sprinkle a tbsp or so on your soil then water. That will kill the gnat larvae in your soil. Place a yellow sticky trap on the surface of the soil to catch/kill the adults flying around. Problem should be resolved within a couple weeks

 

[GreenThumbsMcgee]

just a little more info...this plant only has aprx. 4 wks left until chop date...and the knats are not out of control so to speak...I kill about 5 a day or so...
I just wonder if it is worth the effort since most say they don't really harm the plant...
what would you guys do? kill em off, or let her run her coarse and start fresh...Next time I wont make the mistake of taking them outside for natural sunlight. Who can blame em for wanting to get up on this stinky ass frosted beauty! lol

 

[pinkjackyle]

spray safer soap insecticide on top of the soil and after water and feeding and put those long fly paper strips close to the pot or just stick it to the pot around the rim as thats where the adults hang out and give it a week or two. they have very short life cycles .

 

[Diabolical666]

4 wks to go ....I would go ahead and do what pinkjackyle recommended.Having their little corpses stuck to your buds suck. What kind of pesticides do you have on hand? You could use any nontoxic insecticide on your medium and even put some in your water to kill the larvae in your soil. Recommend: Safer soap, Neem or maybe even try mild dish soap since they arnt too bad...yet. You didnt neccessarily get these from outside,they can come from unpasturized soil as well. Stop treatment 2 wks before harvest

 

[pinkjackyle]

4 wks to go ....I would go ahead and do what pinkjackyle recommended.Having their little corpses stuck to your buds suck. What kind of pesticides do you have on hand? You could use any nontoxic insecticide on your medium and even put some in your water to kill the larvae in your soil. Recommend: Safer soap, Neem or maybe even try mild dish soap since they arnt too bad...yet. You didnt neccessarily get these from outside,they can come from unpasturized soil as well. Stop treatment 2 wks before harvest

no dish soap as its a degreaser and will totally fkup the plant espec. dawn , it gets grease out of your way and kills the hell out of mj

 

[AllenHaze]

Go to Home Depot and pick up a jar of mosquito bits. They contain a microorganism called bacillus thuringiensis. Sprinkle a tbsp or so on your soil then water. That will kill the gnat larvae in your soil. Place a yellow sticky trap on the surface of the soil to catch/kill the adults flying around. Problem should be resolved within a couple weeks

Agreed. This would be my preferred method as well. I've also used H2O2 in the past and that worked well for killing the maggots. I'm organic atm so that is out of the question for me. As, a preventative I mix diatomaceous earth into my recipes and thus far no larvae in my flower room. Adults are never 100% gone for me but I keep there #'s down with sticky traps and good ol' fashioned assault and battery. Good luck man.

 

[chuck estevez]

 

[mmmmbrownies]

i want to dry some of this stuff
a mechanical insecticide https://www.kelp4less.com/shop/diatomaceous-earth/
has anyone else tried this ? probably better for out side

 

[waterdawg]

If you only have a short period left I wouldnt bother. But thats me lol. I just sprayed mine wiith shower sprayer and it knocked them off, dried fine fyi.

 

[GreenThumbsMcgee]

hey thanks a lot you guys., a lot of good info.

hey chuck, this video Is a prevenitive type thing, yea? I really like that guys set up there....however I didn't really understand why he put the hydro clay rock grow medium on the top....he said it was for drip systems, well I just hand feed mine out of bottle....so I probably wouldn't need that rock medium on top would it? just the knatnix?

You didnt neccessarily get these from outside,they can come from unpasturized soil as well.

I figured that out just yesterday man, yep, I opened my bag of root organics soil, and sure as shit, there were a shitload of knats buzzin around. I called my local hydro store, and got them to take it back, and hook me up with something that wont have larva in it. they say that root organics stuff is notorious for having bugs. I know there is prevenitive things to do, but I personally would like a medium that I don't have to adjust to use....I want to open the bag, pour, plant, and grow!!!! must be too much to ask~ lol
anyway, thanks again....you guys are great.

 

[chuck estevez]

hey thanks a lot you guys., a lot of good info.

hey chuck, this video Is a prevenitive type thing, yea? I really like that guys set up there....however I didn't really understand why he put the hydro clay rock grow medium on the top....he said it was for drip systems, well I just hand feed mine out of bottle....so I probably wouldn't need that rock medium on top would it? just the knatnix?

I figured that out just yesterday man, yep, I opened my bag of root organics soil, and sure as shit, there were a shitload of knats buzzin around. I called my local hydro store, and got them to take it back, and hook me up with something that wont have larva in it. they say that root organics stuff is notorious for having bugs. I know there is prevenitive things to do, but I personally would like a medium that I don't have to adjust to use....I want to open the bag, pour, plant, and grow!!!! must be too much to ask~ lol
anyway, thanks again....you guys are great.

yeah, it prevents them from laying eggs and prevents the hatched eggs from escaping. The bigger rocks are for heavy watering to keep from messing up the gnatnix. and yes, roots is notorious for having gnats.

 

[GreenThumbsMcgee]

thanks, I will do that in the next potting I do.

 

[bertaluchi]

I like to keep my new bags of roots in the trunk of my car for a few days. I live where it is HOT. I find that a few days in the heat kills off anything living in the bag.

 

[GreenThumbsMcgee]

that's a really good idea, I am in Washington state tho, but its supposed to hit 92 today, and the next few days will be hot as fuck too....that should do it.. good idea.

 

[bertaluchi]

Yep 92 should do the trick just fine.

 

[BWG707]

Diatomaceous earth worked for me.