Fungus Gnats

[dejayou30]

I have a fungus gnat infestation starting. I need to end it ASAP. I've searched for Bacillus Thuringiensis Var. Israelensis and products that contain it and haven't found much. Can anyone hook me up with some experience here? What product should I use and where can I get it? My hydro store is pretty small so I don't know if they would carry it or not.

Also I am using a No Pest Strip currently.

dejayou30 Reviewed by dejayou30 on 01-28-2008. Fungus Gnats I have a fungus gnat infestation starting. I need to end it ASAP. I've searched for Bacillus Thuringiensis Var. Israelensis and products that contain it and haven't found much. Can anyone hook me up with some experience here? What product should I use and where can I get it? My hydro store is pretty small so I don't know if they would carry it or not. Also I am using a No Pest Strip currently. Rating: 5

[gainesvillegreen]

My buddy had the same problem in a DWC reservoir. He used hydrogen peroxide dosing with sticky traps to get tid of a large problem in about a week and a half.

[PharmaCan]

Another problem most likely related to your tub not draining all the way... You need to do something about that for your next go-round.

You might want to get some of those yellow sticky traps from Lowe's or Home dePot. They won't cure your problem, but they sure nab a lot of gnats.

PC :smokin:

[dejayou30]

Yeah, my plan is to drill several holes in the bottom of the 1/4" exposed nozzle so the bins will drain all the way when I take everything apart to clean before final flush in 3 days. Until then, I don't want these things getting out of hand. I read that they stick to buds like fly paper, so I'll have to get some real fly paper tomorrow to give them a better option to stick to. In the mean time, I'll continue with the H2O2. Thanks guys.

[Mr. Clandestine]

The adult gnats are clumsy fliers, and will usually land on foliage pretty quickly after being disturbed. They're easy to catch, so mash those little bastards when you see them. It won't go a long way towards eradicating the infestation, but it'll make you feel a lot better about the whole issue!

[hybridlove420]

You might want to get some of those yellow sticky traps from Lowe's or Home dePot. They won't cure your problem, but they sure nab a lot of gnats.

PC :smokin:

i went to homedepot the weekend, and the woman had sticky traps, but told me to get some green earth spray stuff instead. was that a better choice?

[BobBong]

Larvicide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Check your local hydro shop for VectoBac. Make sure it's stored in a cooler place.. preferably dark.

It's a live bacteria... keep it in a cool dark place..

Generally the bottle doesn't come with proper applications for a Hydro or soil setup as it's used more for agriculture in controlling mosquito and black fly populations.

5-8 mL per Litre of H2o Apply once a week until infestation is gone. This shouldn't take more than 2 or 3 applications...

It's a naturally occurring larvicide... It's damn thick consistance and may make a grower question whether they should be putting something so thick into their Res. But it's a sure fire way to rid yourself of any soil based bug.

Hope this helps.
Bob.

[stinkyattic]

If there's a way to prop up the end of your catch-tray and tilt it so that it drains fully, without cracking the tray, do it. And if you can get in there and manually run a fishtank cleaning brush around the crevices to dislodge any eggs or larvae, that would be a good idea too. You might have to support the underside with a sheet of plywood if it is not strong enough, but most commercial plastic should be.

[Weedhound]

I'm just seeing these little bastards myself.....what about bug spray on the soil or I just read something by Zandor about neem oil mixed with water into your soil. My seedling is only a week old.....are either one of those safe to do and/or would they work?

[stinkyattic]

I would really hold off on soil drenches of any sort until the seedling is into its veg stage and not so vulnerable to stressors.
Fungus gnats are luckily not one of the more damaging pests that you will find in your garden- an annoyance for sure, and a vector for disease, but not as damaging directly as mites or thrips.
They like it wet, and depend upon standing water or sodden soil (mud) to breed, so eliminating these from your grow area is the place to start treating them. This includes any trays underneath pots- lift and clean these regularly. Scrub them down with a stiff brush to get caked dirt off, and then spray with foaming bathroom cleanser, allow to sit ~15 minutes, and rinse before returning to the grow area.
Gnat infestation comes with poor attention to growroom cleanliness or leaks... no standing water! No mud! No buckets of used dirt in the corner just sitting there waiting for bugs! It's like a neon sign outside a cheap motel off the Strip that says 'hourly rates! king size beds!'