Gnats

[A.k.a]

A couple weeks ago I suddenly had a shit ton of gnats buzzing around. I put up sticky paper and a few vinegar traps and it was all very effective and wiped them out over a week or so.

However I’m now noticing there are a few dead ones under the leaves. It looks like they landed upside down, latched on and just never left.

Is that part of their life cycle or do they start getting stuck in trichomes??


It’s fucking gross. Luckily there were only four and I tweezered them away without knocking them into a bud.

 

[VincenzioVonHook]

Your best bet is to use a neem oil drench. The problem isn't the ones flying around, it's the larvae eating the roots. The sticky traps will only get rid of what's above the surface. A lot of places have substitute names, but look for azadirachta indica extract in organic shops if you can't find specific products at Chain shops.

I've had a few here and there (after a week I had 5 or 6 on each sticky trap, of which I had 6). A Neem oil drench has put a stop to it within a few days. They were literally vacating the tent after a few hours.

If you are in soil or potting mix with amendments, consider watering from the bottom for a while until you get the problem under control. It's usually a sign of overwatering. Not necessarily too much water, just to often. If you are in Coco with fabric pots, you might not have the option of letting the top dry out inbetween waterings though, but it sorted my problem a few times in potting mix.

Never had them stuck to leaves though, make sure they are gnats if they are messing with your leaves, as they usually stay away in my experience. I had most of my issues down the bottom near the roots in plastic pots, and only a soil drench fixes that.

 

[Kerowacked]

You can wash everything after chop. Just a gentle swish in a bucket of water before you hang it.

 

[terpiboi]

BTI (Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis) granules or dunks work great. I keep a dunk in my pitcher and water my plants and it seems to kill any gnats. Also I've heard rice hulls as a top dressing don't allow them to bury deep enough to lay eggs. The rice hulls also break down into really crucial nutrients for the plants.

 

[bam0813]

The ones flying around are the ones making the larva in soil. Dont overlook the adults. Treat both life cycles if you want to erradicate.

 

[hillbill]

Gnatrol or Biolyft will end gnat troubles quickly. Use first and save money, time and worry.

 

[goofy81]

Before you flower,
Use a bug bomb.
The bomb will create a layer on the surface of most things in the room.
Pot saucers, the floor etc..
So even if you have a gnat infestation, everywhere they land (besides the medium or any other place that is wiped of the insecticide), they'll eventually die so it never becomes a full infestation.

 

[DCcan]

The ones flying around are the ones making the larva in soil. Dont overlook the adults. Treat both life cycles if you want to erradicate.

Exactly, treat it as two problems since the flyers can start it all over gain.
Sticky traps, permethrin, neem, essential oils, a screen over the intake duct, anything to keep them from circling back. BTi should be part of your regular IPM, along with the afore mentioned.

People usually don't continue BTi long enough or put it on willy-nilly when they see more flyers.
The BTi treats the larva stage only, so it takes 30 days for that to run its course, make sure all the house plants get regular doses, with everything getting a rootball dunk/ drench to get under the root crown. Another reason treatment fails, never drenching.

 

[hillbill]

My gnats disappeared within days and never returned, mix a little Gnatrol in water from time to time prophylacticly now. Live in heavy forest in the South with FG everywhere during warm months. Had them for years, just suppressing them before that. Been gnat free for about 5 years. Dunks are not strong enough.

 

[A.k.a]

They’re definitely gnats, kinda long bodies with stripes. I used small bags of ffof my last transplant and it was so bad. All the plants had the top leaves go yellow for about a week and then gnats exploded everywhere.

I just got neem oil last night but it was because I saw tiny white dots running over the soil in one of my pots, but after researching it seems like they’re good mites and probably eating gnat larva.


Yeah them being in the leaves tripped me out. And they’re only on the bottoms hanging upside down. They just land there and die.

 

[twentyeight.threefive]

You mentioned they might be stuck in trichomes? If you're in flower I wouldn't be spraying anything on the plant.

 

[DCcan]

Dunks are not strong enough.

Dunks and Bits are definitely underwhelming, and you really have no idea what rate they leach at, when they are spent.
The other "time release" products for Canada and US are just sprayed on to sawdust or barley, low concentrations and insanely expensive.

The liquids or granules are just so much more effective and cheaper, and you can time the dosage and application rates.

 

[A.k.a]

Yeah just hit eight weeks from sprout, “harvest day” according to the package.





I was going to spray the neem oil just on the soil, but if the stuff I saw is good predatory mites then maybe I’ll wait a few days and see how things look.

 

[inth3shadowz]

First, I'd like to say that if you keep seeing gnats, it's USUALLY, but not always, a sign that you may be overwatering. To keep gnats at bay, I let my pots dry out VERY WELL. I tried all the above mentioned methods, and none worked until I let it dry out. You want to let your pot become literally like a feather before watering again.

 

[JimmiP]

Yeah just hit eight weeks from sprout, “harvest day” according to the package.


View attachment 4931048


I was going to spray the neem oil just on the soil, but if the stuff I saw is good predatory mites then maybe I’ll wait a few days and see how things look.

Yeah don't believe that package. They have got a long, long way to go... just wash them when they are finally done and everything will end up groovy.
Good friend.

 

[A.k.a]

Found another one. Hard to get a good shot but close enough.

 

[xtsho]

Before you flower,
Use a bug bomb.
The bomb will create a layer on the surface of most things in the room.
Pot saucers, the floor etc..
So even if you have a gnat infestation, everywhere they land (besides the medium or any other place that is wiped of the insecticide), they'll eventually die so it never becomes a full infestation.

Bug bombs suck. Most of them contain some really nasty crap. That's why you're supposed to air any rooms you used them in for a few hours before hanging out. Some even say that they keep killing for months. Why would you want to leave poison residue on your surfaces over some gnats which are easy to get rid of using easy non toxic methods?

People are too quick to grab some product made with toxins.

 

[curious2garden]

Exactly, treat it as two problems since the flyers can start it all over gain.
Sticky traps, permethrin, neem, essential oils, a screen over the intake duct, anything to keep them from circling back. BTi should be part of your regular IPM, along with the afore mentioned.

People usually don't continue BTi long enough or put it on willy-nilly when they see more flyers.
The BTi treats the larva stage only, so it takes 30 days for that to run its course, make sure all the house plants get regular doses, with everything getting a rootball dunk/ drench to get under the root crown. Another reason treatment fails, never drenching.

I use Permethrin as a drench, works great.

 

[goofy81]

Bug bombs suck. Most of them contain some really nasty crap. That's why you're supposed to air any rooms you used them in for a few hours before hanging out. Some even say that they keep killing for months. Why would you want to leave poison residue on your surfaces over some gnats which are easy to get rid of using easy non toxic methods?

People are too quick to grab some product made with toxins.

Do it before flowering like i mentioned. Forgot to mention i use permethrin ones, you spread them all over your body to combat scabies afterall..

"Products containing permethrin may be used in public health mosquito control programs. They may be used on food and feed crops, on ornamental lawns, on livestock and pets, in structures and buildings, and on clothing. Permethrin may also be used in places where food is handled, such as restaurants. "

 

[xtsho]

Do it before flowering like i mentioned. Forgot to mention i use permethrin ones, you spread them all over your body to combat scabies afterall..

"Products containing permethrin may be used in public health mosquito control programs. They may be used on food and feed crops, on ornamental lawns, on livestock and pets, in structures and buildings, and on clothing. Permethrin may also be used in places where food is handled, such as restaurants. "

Some are not that bad. But Combat, Hot Shot, RAID, Black Flag, etc... Those things are nasty.