Predatory Soil Mites For Fungus Gnats?

[Savage Henry]

Hypoapsis miles, the tube w/20,000 in it. 1 tube per 20 plants (roughly) 2 weeks in a row then every other week until handled. Hang a yellow sticky trap from the base of each plant for the Flyers.

Fungus gnats=done.

 

[Mr Bee]

I just got a package of nematodes,steinernema feltiae(predators for the soil against mainly fg larvea but they eat anything small enough including your wee beneficial springtails.)i just giv em twice two weeks apart.the 2nd dose is just to pick off any stragglers as usually theyl pretty much wipe out a really bad infestation in 2weeks in conjuction with sticky yellow traps.
u gotta keep ontop o those fg as they do alot more damage than most realise.its like they steal the vigor and growth rate of your plants coz they chew the roots.
these nematodes are really cheap and very very effective.if anyone in the UK needs contact details for were i got em pm me.

 

[Trixxi]

Can one apply the nematodes in soil without totally soaking the growing container?

Does ogbiowar stop fungus gnats at any point in their life cycle?

Spinosad as a drench is effective? How much for 5 gallon plants? I have tried watering with peroxide but find these gnats just keep coming back.

Last night I cleaned my tent with bronners peppermint soap and sprayed the plants down with the soap ... Lights off and a lot of the white hairs went orange and I still see flying gnats ...

Put out the apple cider vinegar caught 5 ... Have yellow traps and not many going for the traps ... I have been using the hypoaspis but I am thinking I am not using it enough / frequently?

Last question any one ever use an electric bug attract zapper in a grow tent ... Kind of a last alternative by not even sure this would b effective.

 

[Trixxi]

How are mosquito dunks used in soil and how is it similar to ogbiowar?

 

[IknowNothing]

Local hydro store told me to use go nat or something and those round dunk things. I did not trust it but after u read this I now ? That thought

 

[Seamaiden]

Spinosad as a drench is effective? How much for 5 gallon plants? I have tried watering with peroxide but find these gnats just keep coming back.

If you need to fully saturate them, then I'd make a preparation at least equivalent to the container size.

 

[CaliRay]

Mosquito dunks/ mosquito bits. Works slick as shit

How much of the mosquito bits to use per gallon of water

 

[hillbil]

I rasp off a few crumbs into a bucket of water and mix. No chlorine allowed. I also sprinkle in my mix as I make it. Dunks contain bacteria that feed on the larvae of the gnats in a cork carrier. Over 2 weeks or so, the gnats will progressively decrease to nothing or nearly so. Maintaining treatment will make you happy.

 

[CaliRay]

I rasp off a few crumbs into a bucket of water and mix. No chlorine allowed. I also sprinkle in my mix as I make it. Dunks contain bacteria that feed on the larvae of the gnats in a cork carrier. Over 2 weeks or so, the gnats will progressively decrease to nothing or nearly so. Maintaining treatment will make you happy.

Thanks alot. Happy growing

 

[Trixxi]

Thank you seamaiden I love printed magazines I will seek out Acres ... As to the how of the accidents I do not know only met people in the aftermath and also we have some sensational news stories here in the Oregon and Washington area where people start apartment complex / business / etc fires in some hash explosion.

Not trying to encourage or discourage people's personal action choices btw, just encourage others to be informed as they can.

 

[Freshone]

Acres is 1000 percent worth the subscription price

 

[MendoAdome]

Mosquito dunks/ mosquito bits. Works slick as shit

Crush them up and attempt to make a solution too!

 

[MendoAdome]

http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7448.html

A lot of people who use what they call "living soil" have soil mites.
Those people claim they are beneficial and do not harm the plant.

I find them on and off and believe they either come from the worm castings or let themselves in.

Recently I started growing lettuce under T5s for personal use (I swear it's personal and for legitimate health reasons). Well this created a haven for gnats, and since I won't spray anything on my lettuce they are just going nuts. So I located an older mother plant who I knew had these soil mites living in the container, and took samples and spread them throughout my entire plant collection to see if they would keep the gnats down and possibly prevent aphids in the coming weeks.

Any thoughts on using these guys for pest control?

Its not really the gnats that do the damage its their larvae. However, FUNGUS Gnats do bring in harmful fungus' bacteria, etc into the growing environment.

GOGnats is Amazing it is Cedar based and can be used as a root drench.

Gnatrol Powder is good too.

Insect frass (2-2-2) is amazing! (MAKE SURE YOU BREW IT, CHECK EC)

Azasol is great as well.

If you need to go in with the heavy guns use Bonie tree and shrub, Merit 75 or Orthene 97 ( Make sure you follow directions) DO NOT LEAVE in your media. Let it soak and then flush it out.

You could also get a tub of maintained 111 deg F water soak your media for 15-20 minutes and then you're good to go! Try and use a foliar spray(Heavy 16 Foliar) an hour before to help the plants out. This is also effective against Broad Mites.

 

[Dankalicious]

UPDATE: The soil mites do nothing for gnats, however they do eradicate and prevent aphids I believe.
I went nuclear in the nursery and used hot shots for a 24 hour session then removed them. No more gnats.
They will be back. I will try nematodes next.

I do believe they brought in some bad fungus that caused dampening to a handful of seedling sprouts.

I'm probably going to go back to TLO soil with all the greasy nastiness that comes with it. Pure coco is a dream for cleanliness and recycling your soil, but it brings lots of problems too. I'm a firm believer that the TLO rhizoshpere food chain keeps a lot of the bad guys in check, and prevents dampening of seedlings.

 

[hillbil]

If you are consistent with dunks, you will win the gnat war period. I have a deep suspicion that Hot Shot Strips are toxic as hell.

 

[Dankalicious]

If you are consistent with dunks, you will win the gnat war period. I have a deep suspicion that Hot Shot Strips are toxic as hell.

oh fuck yes they are. I get dizzy removing them. I seal the room off like you would for a P-Bomb, open the package and place the unit wherever they are congregating the most, leave it in there overnight and then remove it and exhaust the room for a few hours before going back in. The dunks you speak of are Nematodes correct?

 

[Seamaiden]

I'm pretty sure he means Mosquito Dunks, which are a Bt formulation mixed with what appears to be cork or something similar.

 

[hillbil]

Cork and I use a rasp to make powder which goes in water and all mixes and all grow containers. If I suspect any pests I spray with neem every 2 weeks for a while and spray the area but not plants with a pyrethrin. Lookin' into a fancy neem derivative also. DE goes on mix and plant soil surface and a little up the stem and on tent floors.

I do this as a result of eliminating all the things that failed for me and trying to be safe as possible.

Dunks are awesom!

 

[hillbil]

Everything that comes into your area is a potential pest carrier including you. I've gotten gnats from peat moss, castings, compost and topsoil. Ants from castings and peat and on and on.

Vigilance and dunks in everything always. I have large and roaming herds of gnats outside my door. Woodsy very woodsy!