Definitive fungus gnat solution for hydro

legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
Wanted to post my experience with fungus knats as I finally fist fucked those little annoying bastards.

This will work for any hydro system that has a dry top layer. The last inch or so of my hydroton and soiless mix stays dry so this worked great.

I tried azamax, mosquito dunks in Rez, and hypoasis mites with varying degrees of success. All it takes is one gnat flying around and the problem starts again.

Anyways, the cheap, nontoxic and effective solution is diatomaceous earth. This very fine powder is sprinkled on the entire surface of your pots or table. It's finer than baby powder but it actually is made of jagged, very sharp flakes. When any insect tries to crawl through it (adults, larva, whatever) they get cut all to hell. They bleed and dehydrate to death. Which is pretty damn sinister so that's an added bonus cause nobody fucks with my plants without my permission :)

A big bag is like $10. I spread it out and four days later didn't see a single gnat. I even put out new sticky traps and the only thing I caught was my arm (of coarse)

It works forever until it gets wet. Then it just clumps up and is useless.

The only hazard is inhalation so wear a mask when applying it. If you breath it in, it's similar to espesdous in soo much that it stays in your lungs forever.

I swear I fall asleep with a smile on my face knowing that any gnats are getting lacerated to death. :)

Happy growing
 
VICTORYGARDENSHYDRO

VICTORYGARDENSHYDRO

New Member
Predatory Nematode Products
Predatory nematodes commercially packaged are a very safe biological insecticide containing inert material and millions of the beneficial nematodes. Unlike the harmful rootknot nematodes which attack plants, beneficial or predatory nematodes only attack soil-dwelling insects. Nematodes are microscopic, non-segmented eel-like worms one-tenth to one-hundred-twenty-fifth of an inch in length. It is a natural product that will control a broad spectrum of soil dwelling grubs and larvae of pest insects. These naturally occurring organisms, sold by a number of different companies, are applied to the soil, then seek out and move to the target insects to kill them. Predatory nematodes will attack all the larvae and grubs found in the soil. These will usually be from the eggs of beetles and weevils. For more details see the file "Tips On Using Predatory Nematodes".
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
Nice copy and paste of some website selling nematodes. It's a bummer that the post doesn't contain any information on how well they work. Have you used the nematodes? Where they effective? How long did they take to work?

Yeah, nematodes are great in theory. As are the expensive predatory mites. In practice however, they have to stay alive in order to work. So if your PH is screwy or you use hydrogen peroxide, or your water has chlorine, or you have really high levels of phosphorous, or whatever, it may negatively affect the population. I spent $50 on 10,000 hypospis mites, bought them factory fresh from the laboratory and applied them as directed. What happened? I still had gnats 30 days later.

If you want to try them then go for it. But if your interested in wiping them out for good, I would highly recommend diatomaceous earth.
 
pazuzu420

pazuzu420

Well-Known Member
Plus for the gruesomeness of the solution! Good to know there is a safe and effective method for ridding your garden of the gnat if one ever is unfortunate enough to have to encounter them.
Let us know how it holds up for you in the long term as there still is an underlying problem of where they are originating from :)
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
hellraizer30 said:
sounds good but it also sounds like Il need a hazmat license and a MSDS you use it
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I don't know about that. Its made from dead diatoms. Just don't breathe it in. Its certainly safer than azamax or any other harsh chemical poisons. There are different forms of DE and they carry different health risks from inhalation. I don't know which form is in the garden variety, nor do I care. But yeah, if your worried about it, you should definitely avoid it and stick to smoking weed that has been grow in pesticides.

In terms of the long term, that is another reason this stuff rocks as one application will last a whole cycle as long as you don't get it wet. The gnats came from the soil of somes clones I purchased. They can't live anywhere else and they can't GET to my soil/ wet hydroton so that is the end of that. :)
 
hellraizer30

hellraizer30

Rebel From The North
pesticides yes but at least its a organic one, not saying this discovery of your doesnt work. and if it is a one time use
that is apealing, can you post a pic of it on your tron?
 
Nitegazer

Nitegazer

Well-Known Member
hellraizer30 said:
pesticides yes but at least its a organic one, not saying this discovery of your doesnt work. and if it is a one time use
that is apealing, can you post a pic of it on your tron?
Click to expand...
Diatamaceous earth is an organic solution. It is frequently used in organic vegetable gardens for ant, slugs and other crawling critters. Good call on the new-found use +Rep to Flying.

Here is a good link on the material, for those interested, and not wanting to read yet another Wiki.

http://www.safesolutionsinc.com/Diatomaceous_Earth.htm

 
zem

zem

Well-Known Member
h2o2 eliminates them at very low concentration, i yet have to know how low, i know 1/2 strength would do for never seeing one
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
hellraizer30 said:
pesticides yes but at least its a organic one, not saying this discovery of your doesnt work. and if it is a one time use
that is apealing, can you post a pic of it on your tron?
Click to expand...
Siggh. I knew I recognized your avatar.

You people and and your revolving definition of "organic" as it suites your needs get really old quick. Ok, so your product that is made from neem seeds that are mechanically processed and put in a bottle is an "organic" solution but mining calcified diatoms and crushing them and putting them in a bag is "not organic"? And just as an FYI, organic doesn't mean "safer" or "healthier" or "better". I tell you what. I'll eat a spoon full of diatoms and you eat a spoonful of azamax and we will see which one is more "hazardous"

And to Zen, H2o2 doesn't do shit to them. Tried it because I read that it would somewhere. then after it didn't work I googled around and found that its just an urban legend.

This thread is a prime example of why I'm just fucking done with this site. I'm over it. I know what the hell I'm doing in the grow room. I work as a professional biologist and have a minor in botany. I've been hanging out for like 6 months and have acquired a shit load of rep for offering up advice. But I'm sick and tired of all the trolls and douche bags and know it alls that actually don't know what they are talking about.

I simply wanted to let people know that if your struggling with gnat control in a hydro setup (which can be a trainwreck) that there is a simple, cheap, non-toxic, and effective solution. Do whatever the hell you want though. My interest was passing along good information not entering into a debate about stupid shit that doesn't have to do with the effectiveness of DE in bug control.

I'm out. Unsubscribing from my own fucking thread.
 
hellraizer30

hellraizer30

Rebel From The North
wow must be that time of the month, I was inerested in that as a option to azamax, there was no bad intetion on my part
just interest. and yes flying your right about the hole organic thing and on the H202.
as for the douche bag thing Im not and would never go of on a member that way
 
zem

zem

Well-Known Member
legallyflying said:
And to Zen, H2o2 doesn't do shit to them. Tried it because I read that it would somewhere. then after it didn't work I googled around and found that its just an urban legend.
.
Click to expand...
ummm... i won't reply to all other B.S. talk, i think you're talking about flying gnats, thats not where to look but for the fucking larvae in your res and on dirty wet surfaces decaying leaves... i don't remember any sources of info on it, too stoned right now, will check on it later, all i know, i used to have them very often, never saw them since i started h2o2, but, my room doesn't look like a pig's house either lol
 
tea tree

tea tree

Well-Known Member
The only thing that ever worked for me as definitive after months of thinking it all worked was BTI. The shit in mosuito dunks. They are 10 bucks or so at lowes or home depot. Crymple that shit up and the aerobic man made bacteria that is safe enough to drink from horse troughs (its intended use) kill all the larvae. That is the hard part. You can kill the big bugs with sprays or whatever but they will return and chew up your roots as water or soil living larvae. For soil I make a topdress and I never flinched to throw it in a bucket if I saw the blacfk flies every where.
 
VICTORYGARDENSHYDRO

VICTORYGARDENSHYDRO

New Member
legallyflying said:
Siggh. I knew I recognized your avatar.

You people and and your revolving definition of "organic" as it suites your needs get really old quick. Ok, so your product that is made from neem seeds that are mechanically processed and put in a bottle is an "organic" solution but mining calcified diatoms and crushing them and putting them in a bag is "not organic"? And just as an FYI, organic doesn't mean "safer" or "healthier" or "better". I tell you what. I'll eat a spoon full of diatoms and you eat a spoonful of azamax and we will see which one is more "hazardous"

And to Zen, H2o2 doesn't do shit to them. Tried it because I read that it would somewhere. then after it didn't work I googled around and found that its just an urban legend.

This thread is a prime example of why I'm just fucking done with this site. I'm over it. I know what the hell I'm doing in the grow room. I work as a professional biologist and have a minor in botany. I've been hanging out for like 6 months and have acquired a shit load of rep for offering up advice. But I'm sick and tired of all the trolls and douche bags and know it alls that actually don't know what they are talking about.

I simply wanted to let people know that if your struggling with gnat control in a hydro setup (which can be a trainwreck) that there is a simple, cheap, non-toxic, and effective solution. Do whatever the hell you want though. My interest was passing along good information not entering into a debate about stupid shit that doesn't have to do with the effectiveness of DE in bug control.

I'm out. Unsubscribing from my own fucking thread.
Click to expand...
I see only one douchebag here, talk about grumpy fuck. it's only the internet,step away from the keyboard.
 
zem

zem

Well-Known Member
yeah LF you turned out to be an ass after all, to top it all, you were wrong about H2O2 http://www.freeplants.com/fungus-gnats.htm
i bet that your room looks like your avatar, a shitty place full of wastes like a sewer where gnats hatch and populate then your sorry ass trying hopelessly to spray the flyers when really you need to deal with the source.
you're no where near a genius grower to tell people how they know nothing when it's obvious that you know shit. to tell me that i know nothing is crossing the line, i have been growing for years and i know that i know more than you do, cuz i'm open minded and i learn, but i never brag about it nor would i ever ridicule any grower sharing experience.
and if you're unsubscribed from the thread means shit, cuz i know you're reading this post, what a sorry ass, you might as well do us all a favor and unregister from this place altogether
 
xochilives

xochilives

Active Member
Sweet thanks for sharing the experience, I hate gnats with a passion, and yeah those predatory nematodes didnt do shit!
 
Serapis

Serapis

Well-Known Member
I'd be very wary of using that shit. Like asbestos, it doesn't go away. The trick to gnats is be aware of your grow area. If I spot a gnat even in my house, I pour a jigger of lemon juice and set it in my grow nursery. Usually in two days time, I'll have several floating gnats.. They love the stuff. If they are dead in the juice, they aren't laying eggs in my medium... I also use a No Pest Strip.
 
legallyflying

legallyflying

Well-Known Member
There are mixed reviews on weather or not h202 works to be quite honest. I have read that it works by destroying the fungus that the gnat larva feed on. The problem with h2o2 is that it kills all the bacteria and fungus in your growth medium. If you run a sterile system, constantly adding h202 (because it lasts about 2-3 days in a rez) then yeah, pump up the h2o2 and see if it works. However, if you prefer to take the "mother nature" route and reap the benefits of beneficial organisms in your growth medium, then adding h2o2 will wipe all the beneficials rather quickly. I buy my mycorhizal fungus spores from a lab so they are not terribly expensive, but they still cost money and they take time to fully propagate in the rhizosphere. So in that sense, it is not an ideal solution now is it?

My grow room is spotless and your welcome to check my grow journal if you like. While having dead leaves and what not is a source for pests, what they really need is a damp medium. I have plenty of that, it sits 1" bellow the surface of all my buckets. The problem with getting a single gnat is that the reproduce asexually and lay thousands of eggs a week. Sticky traps are great, but they don't catch everything. That's why DE seemed the perfect solution to me. They prevent them from getting into the medium and they kill them on the way out if they are hatching.

Serapis, its true that DE doesn't degrade or compost but if it gets the slightest bit wet then it turns into big clumps like wet flour. If you water it in soil, it will flush right into the soil and actually provides a source of silica to the plants.
 
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