Fungus Gnat Issue, am I fucked or is it still early?? Help

Username85

Well-Known Member
So this started as an outdoor plant that I eventually brought inside, sustained some heat stress/damage, which is what I thought the crunchy leaves were about, but started noticing crunchiness on new, lower growth.
I upturned some soil and laid a bunch of Crawling Insect Killer (with diatomaceous earth), but I'm not sure if that's enough for the situation.
I have not noticed any gnats flying, only detected them when digging into the soil-higher tiers of the plant don't seem to be affected like the lower. She's also been maintaining her growth, at least 4-5" a week. I want to make sure I stop whatever this is before it's too late. If these are fungus gnats does that mean I've got a bad fungus situation in the soil.
Super newbie here and all/any help is appreciated.
 

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chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
fungus gnats eat fungus on the top of the soil, where its wet for too long, or too much.
feel the weight of the dry bucket, dry to the bottom holes, but no plant wilt yet, now add 1/4 of the container volume water.
feel that weight now.
repeat when its light again. yellow sticky cards are on amazon, fungus gnats hater capt jack, neem oil, dlimonene, olive oil/soap, sand, and dry surfaces. they typically eat young roots as larvae but the adults just like to stick to your finest buds, shit, then die there.

good luck, lowes has capt jacks spray=spinosad as monteray also is fine.
 
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SouthCross

Well-Known Member
Whatever treatment you use. It'll have to be repeated a few times. Once the fungus gnat adults and larvae are dead. Any eggs will hatch about 5-7 days after being laid. The second application will kill emerging larva. The third application is to make sure.

They'll be back because they never give up. Once you see another adult, retreat.
 

Username85

Well-Known Member
fungus gnats eat fungus on the top of the soil, where its wet for too long, or too much.
feel the weight of the dry bucket, dry to the bottom holes, but no plant wilt yet, now add 1/4 of the container volume water.
feel that weight now.
repeat when its light again. yellow sticky cards are on amazon, fungus gnats hater capt jack, neem oil, dlimonene, olive oil/soap, sand, and dry surfaces. they typically eat young roots as larvae but the adults just like to stick to your finest buds, shit, then die there.

good luck, lowes has capt jacks spray=spinosad as moneray also is fine.
Yeah I read about the yellow sticky sheets, but didn't have em at my local spot. I have a feeling I'm overwatering so I'll make sure to really make sure it's bone dry. From what you may know about fungus gnats would you say I've got a bad situation if they aren't flying and I had to dig to find them?
Not sure if them being lower in the soil makes it a shittier situation for me
 

Username85

Well-Known Member
Whatever treatment you use. It'll have to be repeated a few times. Once the fungus gnat adults and larvae are dead. Any eggs will hatch about 5-7 days after being laid. The second application will kill emerging larva. The third application is to make sure.

They'll be back because they never give up. Once you see another adult, retreat.
Got ya. I've been using the powder diatomaceous earth and working it as deep into the soil as possible without hitting roots. Does that sound appropriate or is there a better method I'm not aware of lol
 

StonerCol

Well-Known Member
I used 3% Hydrgen Peroxide watered down further to a ratio of 4:1 with water and that seemed to get rid of them.
I've been told that it can harm the roots but that wasn't an issue for me. Just remember to use 3%
 

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
Got ya. I've been using the powder diatomaceous earth and working it as deep into the soil as possible without hitting roots. Does that sound appropriate or is there a better method I'm not aware of lol
I've used just about every organic concoction there is in an effort to get rid of them. Pepper, soap, neem, h2o2, and nicotine. We're talking about gnats chilling out on the soil giving me dumb looks.

What Chem wrote is popular. 'Spinosad'. A trade name for it is Trifexis. The pills you give your dog to keep him tick, worm and flea free.

I use Pyrethrin. Specifically the brand, 'Southern Ag Natural Pyrethrin'. It's a 1% concentration. I mix it at a strength of 1-1.5 ml to one liter water. To include a teaspoon of mineral oil and a couple drops of dish soap. Used in a SOLO hand sprayer. The top of the soil is moistened. I don't spray anything directly on the plant. It'll kill every stage of gnats except the eggs. By the time the eggs hatch. The Pyrethrin has already broken down. Another treatment knocks out the new larvae.
 

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
they add a real whopper =milbemycin oxime-broad spectrum antiparasitic- that we dont use in our dirt, when trying to control fleas/ticks/worms etc in dogs.

spinosad is a soil bacteria found in old sugarcane or a rum factory (?) in the 80's. Its used for head lice in people too. It specifically kills the larvae, ir approved for organic gardening too, so we got that going ......until that changes...
 

flodas

Well-Known Member
So this started as an outdoor plant that I eventually brought inside, sustained some heat stress/damage, which is what I thought the crunchy leaves were about, but started noticing crunchiness on new, lower growth.
I upturned some soil and laid a bunch of Crawling Insect Killer (with diatomaceous earth), but I'm not sure if that's enough for the situation.
I have not noticed any gnats flying, only detected them when digging into the soil-higher tiers of the plant don't seem to be affected like the lower. She's also been maintaining her growth, at least 4-5" a week. I want to make sure I stop whatever this is before it's too late. If these are fungus gnats does that mean I've got a bad fungus situation in the soil.
Super newbie here and all/any help is appreciated.
Had this problem before anoying fackers! They lifespan is around 7 days and they lay around 300 eggs in soil. When they hatch they will start munching on your roots and sucking chlorofyl. Pyrsol, wind and women netsockets is the key to get rid of them.

Put the pot in the socket net and ducktape it around the stem. Then add a small amount of pyrsol to the water mix and water the plant. This will kill the larvae and for everyday they will perish and ye they dont like strong winds either! / Flodas
 

slumper707

Active Member
I neemed the shit out of mine spraying all over the plant and on top soil. Then i waited 5 days and took a wetdry vac and vaccumed up like top 1-1-1/2 of of soil. Them i neemed again and put yellow stickies on top the soil and put a couple on the walls of the room. Been 3 weeks and not one sign of them not even on the sticky pads. I had tgem preety bad to. I knocked on the side if the pots and then you start to see the shits crawling and flying out the soil. The vaccume and neem worked awesome and no stress to the plants.
 

Username85

Well-Known Member
I neemed the shit out of mine spraying all over the plant and on top soil. Then i waited 5 days and took a wetdry vac and vaccumed up like top 1-1-1/2 of of soil. Them i neemed again and put yellow stickies on top the soil and put a couple on the walls of the room. Been 3 weeks and not one sign of them not even on the sticky pads. I had tgem preety bad to. I knocked on the side if the pots and then you start to see the shits crawling and flying out the soil. The vaccume and neem worked awesome and no stress to the plants.
I have yet to use neem oil and have always tried avoiding it-always heard it can leave a bitter taste to the buds, but if the situation persists I'll be going that route. I don't have any flying around and I had to dig to find some, I'm hoping it's not too bad a situation that can't be fixed with what I've got at home. Can fungus gnats kill an entire harvest? I imagine it's possible if the infestation is bad enough.
 

Username85

Well-Known Member
I neemed the shit out of mine spraying all over the plant and on top soil. Then i waited 5 days and took a wetdry vac and vaccumed up like top 1-1-1/2 of of soil. Them i neemed again and put yellow stickies on top the soil and put a couple on the walls of the room. Been 3 weeks and not one sign of them not even on the sticky pads. I had tgem preety bad to. I knocked on the side if the pots and then you start to see the shits crawling and flying out the soil. The vaccume and neem worked awesome and no stress to the plants.
I remembered reading they hate wind and with my ghetto "indoor" situation I've had a few fans going at her-I try to keep one pointed at the soil to keep it dry and to fight the fuckers and one pointed up at the plant (I don't have a grow setup and basically have to follow the sun around the house, so I know the soil is probably staying wetter longer than normal). I just laid down a bunch of diatomaceous earth yesterday morning, I'll give it a week and hit em again-if that doesn't work
Had this problem before anoying fackers! They lifespan is around 7 days and they lay around 300 eggs in soil. When they hatch they will start munching on your roots and sucking chlorofyl. Pyrsol, wind and women netsockets is the key to get rid of them.

Put the pot in the socket net and ducktape it around the stem. Then add a small amount of pyrsol to the water mix and water the plant. This will kill the larvae and for everyday they will perish and ye they dont like strong winds either! / Flodas
consideribg my ghetto indoor situation the winds are something I've tried to maintain-have a fan pointed at the soil to help dry her out and I try to have one pointed at the leaves, not sure if I'm hitting it hard enough, but I remember reading they hate wind-I just don't want these fuckers to somehow kill my harvest. I'm a super newbie, this being my second plant and I can't imagine how much it would suck to lose everything from a bug proboem
 

chemphlegm

Well-Known Member
I have yet to use neem oil and have always tried avoiding it-always heard it can leave a bitter taste to the buds, but if the situation persists I'll be going that route. I don't have any flying around and I had to dig to find some, I'm hoping it's not too bad a situation that can't be fixed with what I've got at home. Can fungus gnats kill an entire harvest? I imagine it's possible if the infestation is bad enough.
yes, if sprayed on buds you will taste it when smoked, but I dont see much buds so no worries, carefully apply to the stem and leaves, the ones you will never smoke anyways
 

SouthCross

Well-Known Member
I have yet to use neem oil and have always tried avoiding it-always heard it can leave a bitter taste to the buds, but if the situation persists I'll be going that route. I don't have any flying around and I had to dig to find some, I'm hoping it's not too bad a situation that can't be fixed with what I've got at home. Can fungus gnats kill an entire harvest? I imagine it's possible if the infestation is bad enough.

They're a slight problem on young sprouts and tiny seedlings. Even then, it's a minor problem. Gnats don't do anything to a strong adult plant. They're just annoying and not hygienic. They're not gonna kill your plants. They're gonna take tiny $hits all over your plants. So...you'll be smoking gnat turds with a bad enough infestation.
 

Username85

Well-Known Member
They're a slight problem on young sprouts and tiny seedlings. Even then, it's a minor problem. Gnats don't do anything to a strong adult plant. They're just annoying and not hygienic. They're not gonna kill your plants. They're gonna take tiny $hits all over your plants. So...you'll be smoking gnat turds with a bad enough infestation.
That was ultimately one of my main concerns; can it kill my harvest. I haven't seen any in the soil since using that diatomaceous earth-I'll hit it again in a few days and hope that staves them off
 

Flash63

Well-Known Member
Apply nematodes every two weeks,and keep the the medium moist or they will die..this has been the only effective way(foe me) to get rid of the larvae...fungas gnat can and will decimate your seedlings and clones,they are also responsible for root Bourne diseases.
 
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