fungus gnats finally solved - to easy

I am SO very much relieved. I have struggled with fungus gnats for a while, multiple grows. a grow ago they were so bad they were impacting my plants. I had sticky traps, fly traps, dissolved dunks and granulars in every watering to no help. I didn't add a layer of sand... That is where I was going next as much as I didn't want to do it.

Finished the grow, shut it all down. Gave it a some time before I emotionally recovered from the battle.

This time around I watched for a fresh delivery of FFOF soil and picked it up right away, hoping to reduce my changes of bringing them home. It worked. Mid grow I needed more soil... Stress... Tried the same. A few days later, I saw them, Just one or two. Sigh.

Well just before that I had accidentally overwatered a few plants, worse timing ever. So I lowered tent pole fan to be blowing on the soil. The gnats disappeared. the plants were back to normal moisture levels, fan went back to blowing mid to high. Gnats came back. It clicked in my mind, I lowered the fan. Gnats gone.. I typically keep some other plants around in there too, now i have some raddish, lettuce and mustards. I overwatered them for days, weeks.. I saw a few gnats, keep the fan on them and nothing.


So thats it huh? After all that fuss, money and frustrations I finally figured it out. The fix is too easy, For whatever reason, I never stumbled onto that information in all my reading.. BUT here I am gnat free and so glad to be over that shit.

this post for you might be like, well duh, this might help someone. whatever i have no gnats.

Mr. Bakerton said:

I am SO very much relieved. I have struggled with fungus gnats for a while, multiple grows. a grow ago they were so bad they were impacting my plants. I had sticky traps, fly traps, dissolved dunks and granulars in every watering to no help. I didn't add a layer of sand... That is where I was going next as much as I didn't want to do it.

Finished the grow, shut it all down. Gave it a some time before I emotionally recovered from the battle.

This time around I watched for a fresh delivery of FFOF soil and picked it up right away, hoping to reduce my changes of bringing them home. It worked. Mid grow I needed more soil... Stress... Tried the same. A few days later, I saw them, Just one or two. Sigh.

Well just before that I had accidentally overwatered a few plants, worse timing ever. So I lowered tent pole fan to be blowing on the soil. The gnats disappeared. the plants were back to normal moisture levels, fan went back to blowing mid to high. Gnats came back. It clicked in my mind, I lowered the fan. Gnats gone.. I typically keep some other plants around in there too, now i have some raddish, lettuce and mustards. I overwatered them for days, weeks.. I saw a few gnats, keep the fan on them and nothing.


So thats it huh? After all that fuss, money and frustrations I finally figured it out. The fix is too easy, For whatever reason, I never stumbled onto that information in all my reading.. BUT here I am gnat free and so glad to be over that shit.

this post for you might be like, well duh, this might help someone. whatever i have no gnats.

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If you're on the east coast those fungus cunts are most likely coming from the fox farm soil anyway microbe lift bmc 3 drop to a gallon of water use every time you water in till there gone worked for me 100% of the time!

I get these even in the winter in midwest. A fool proof way to keep them at bay is taint every possible water container, pipe etc and root drench per/directions with a Spinosad Solution (Bonide, Captain Jacks Dead Bug Brew etc.). It's a beautiful bacteria that is safe to us but kills the fungus gnats and their larvae, which eat your roots.

Spinosad isn't recommended in Michigan or most states for medical cannabis cultivation, just a heads up. I don't know if root drenching results in it going in the flowers.. Spraying Spinosad certainly would cause you to fail any state testing.

I recycle my living soil and the best decision I ever made was to load my soil up with beneficial nematodes. Couldn't tell you the last time I saw a fungus gnat.

Stratiolaelaps Scimitus get rid of them super quick. Blowing a fan over them helps bring down the numbers but they are still there. You just don't see them flying around. If you stop the fans, they will be back. The fan helps dry out the top layer quicker which helps keep numbers lower. There used to be this product that looked and felt like perlite but it killed the gnats as they pass through it to get to the medium. I think it was called gnatx or something like that. Don't see it around anymore though. Nematodes help take them out too as stated above. Diatomaceous earth...

My favorite solution is nematodes ! Glad you figured it out bud.

Paddletail said:

I recycle my living soil and the best decision I ever made was to load my soil up with beneficial nematodes. Couldn't tell you the last time I saw a fungus gnat.

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Don't know much about nematodes personally but I've been reading that they make weaker plants. They also eat at plant roots. Have u noticed a trade off in stem/branch thickness or strength? They sounded awesome til I read that. Or is there certain nematodes that will or won't attack plants?

Op the fan trick works for awhile but unfortunately they will be back. U gotta be proactive with the other methods as well to get rid of em long term. Fan doesn't kill em or larvae they're just hiding and staying away. When I see 1 or 2 I know they got friends and family. Feels gd to not see em and making it uncomfortable with the wind is gd too but while u got em away treat the soil and/or other things and places they might populate.

Jjgrow420 said:

Diatomaceous earth...

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Id personally be careful with this. It can have high levels are arsenic.

Grow Monster said:

Don't know much about nematodes personally but I've been reading that they make weaker plants. They also eat at plant roots. Have u noticed a trade off in stem/branch thickness or strength? They sounded awesome til I read that. Or is there certain nematodes that will or won't attack plants?

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There are many types that eat and attack different things including roots and such but I use 1 single type that only feed on the larvae of select pest and are classified as "beneficial" nematodes like posted above.

Nope_49595933949 said:

Id personally be careful with this. It can have high levels are arsenic.

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Yolo

Jjgrow420 said:

Yolo

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More like WHOA-LOL

Nope_49595933949 said:

More like WHOA-LOL

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Lol ya ....
Little arsenic never killed anyone...wait

Cinnamon.. It really can't be easier or safer. Turn fans off, sprinkle Cinnamon and scratch into the first inch or two of soil, then a lite sprinkle on top, water lightly (so the cinnamon doesn't blow away when you turn fans back on.

No more gnats, healthier roots, repeat as needed.

Adults can't land to lay eggs, if they do they die. Larvae die in the soil and any eggs that do make it in the soil die was hatched

Diatomaceous earth works well when needed, cuts up the little buggers when they work through that top layer

Neem meal top dress will help too.

Here is another - Hydrogen Peroxide water / sprayer mix. Misting the topsoil can kill larvae and eggs.

Originally was gonna mention Pee but that attracts them.

Wind, wind, wind

Increase your wind below the canopy. Having air blowing at pot level is an almost sure-fire way to keep them away

Gnatrol is great stuff

Derbud420 said:

Gnatrol is great stuff

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I had those buggers years ago and one medium dose of gnatrol wiped them right out. When I first bought this place I couldn't get rid of the little f'ers then found out they were breeding in the sump that was open to the grow room. The sump is under the stairs that go down into the basement and with a sticky trap in each pot I noticed the one closest to the sump was loading up with adults much faster so got a flashlight and there were lots in the hole in the cement where the pump was.

So I made a sealed cover for the space out of plywood, put a plastic window in it so I could see in there and put intake vents on it with a double layer of cheesecloth behind them. Some of that sponge strip with tape on it to seal your doors all around the edge to seal that up and once the source was eliminated I managed to get rid of them with lots of sticky traps and a peroxide drench that damn near killed the plants but they got better quick.

This first set of filters was anti-static wipes but when they got dirty I couldn't find any more so used cheesecloth and have for over 10 years now. Needs a change maybe once a year depending on how much the exhaust fan runs to pull air thru them. Since this pic I added 3 more vents for better air flow.





I came up with a good way to test for them both in the pots or bags of soil/soilless mixes. Just put a tsp sample in a shotglass then fill to the top with water. Then lay a piece of paper towel over the top to pickup anything floating on the top after a good stir. Lay that out and take a look with a magnifying glass or scope. I just had an old Radio Shack 30x lighted scope and that was plenty good enough to see the larva. Clear little translucent worms with two black dots for eyes. Checked my bale of ProMix HP and found them in there too. It was the last bale they had and it was torn on the corner with about a litre missing so I got $5 off. I won't buy a damaged bale now because they'll get in at the store while sitting around outside. Keep all bags far away from the grow room but if infected you'll start each plant with them.

Gnatrol for the win! After you've eliminated sources.