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Gnats, Gnats, Gnats, how do I get rid of them?

  • Thread starter Thread starter BlueCrabGuy
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Gnats, Gnats, Gnats, how do I get rid of them?

BlueCrabGuy 47 Replies 9,497 Views
Page 2 of 3 · Replies 21–40 of 48
#21
Putthataway said:
It adds silica and has calcium. I have heard it can mess with ph. I am growing in organic soil which has buffers for the ph. I was really skeptical about it. I will probably be tossing it outside in the summer when the ants arrive.
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Ok that’s enough of an answer for me not to add it INTO the soil. I have some for other projects around the house (chicken dust baths). Not that I want gnats at all but if I got them I think the lady bugs would be hella cool to have, the kids would love them also in the veggie garden!!
 
#22
BearWater said:
Ok that’s enough of an answer for me not to add it INTO the soil. I have some for other projects around the house (chicken dust baths). Not that I want gnats at all but if I got them I think the lady bugs would be hella cool to have, the kids would love them also in the veggie garden!!
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It will kill beneficial insects so that applies to the ladybugs.
 
#27
dreamnfox said:
they are extremely hard shelled, plus they don't borrow in the soil. DE barely kills the things that are soft shells. In colorado we cant even use it outdoors, the insects have become resistant to it
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That’s interesting. It gets over 118 degrees here on the asphalt. I got to try it on an ant pile. I wanted ladybugs but don’t want dead carcasses all .
 
#28
Putthataway said:
That’s interesting. It gets over 118 degrees here on the asphalt. I got to try it on an ant pile. I wanted ladybugs but don’t want dead carcasses all .
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its hard to get them to stay put, unless you have a terrible infestation they leave pretty quickly. I have released thousands of them, green lacewings work alittle better, they stick around much better then lady bugs
 
#31
Purfict said:
I use fox farm OF and HF and they’re both attractive homes for gnats. I plan on using them for at the very least my next grow or two, so my plan is to use yellow traps and mosquito bits from the very beginning to try and prevent the issue.
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Fungus gnats are attracted to soil with wood chips, and both of those FF soils (and many others) have wood in them. There are good reasons for adding wood chips, but attracting gnats isn't one of them, of course. Over time, the wood will decompose to compost. This is an advantage of reusing such soils.
 
#32
I would say that if you are making compost for growing cannabis - it is first gonna take a year or two of good composting for it to form a soil then you'll need to freeze it for several months to make sure no parasites remains. This is long so I usually buy the soil, heat treat it and apply peroxide
 
#36
Crazy lady who keeps ladybugs as part of organic growing ..I encourage you to keep them alive. There is a nectar like beneficial bug food on Amazon, works great. There are mesh bags for laundry with a fine mesh that zip at the dollar store... Elongate life by periods of dormancy but not over 2-3 weeks, I use a mini fridge. I have little aquarium tanks I use to release since they have a door on the top. And also a pop up mesh laundry basket that zips completely closed they stay in there in the veg room. Lots of things work well to keep them contained. And then last just free open flying ladybugs....I grow plants on the side for them they always find them. Sunflowers, peas, , narstarium, marigold etc 🤭 But enough about ladybugs. To eliminate fungus gnats work on soil establishment. That's the key to a lot of issues. Soil needs to cook and be properly watered and have the right airflow. Add nematodes and h.miles and BT mosquito bits and don't skip adding myco. Water appropriately. Ensure for good areation/drainage. No pooling waters on the ground etc. won't need the sticky traps or ladybugs. Think soil defenders. Cause...otherwise it's kinda hard to get rid of those suckers. A sign to work on environment.
 
#38
Appreciate the assistance from everyone. I decided to purchase nematodes and took the following steps: applied Craft Blend to the soil surface, sprinkled some nematode pellets, and watered the top with a mixture of water and a small amount of MyGrobe Complete. I used about half a gallon on the top, considering the Earth Box's bottom-fed watering system. Noticed a slight reduction in gnats today, though I didn't anticipate an immediate change in the number of flying adults within the tent after just one day. Planning to reapply in a week. Thanks once again!
 
#39
encladd said:
It's not organic for those wondering.
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Colorado company worm castings is not screened and is full of predators and worms. It ate all mine in 2 weeks
 
#40
I have always been able to knock out gnat problems until I started using airports. I've noticed these are ideal for gnats since they can enter dirt from all sides and top. How would I go about getting rid of them since they are at bottom of pot?
 
Page 2 of 3 · Replies 21–40 of 48
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