Attempted Murder Of Fungus Gnats

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I'm in coco so a top layer of sand seems counter productive to my fabric pots and elevators. DE is so dusty, I really dont want to do it. I'm unaware of any products that can be watered in that actually work. I have the sticky cards I just need to end the cycle. BTI aka mosquito bits seem like my best option. What I dont know is: are the completely harmless to my plants? Could they harm my bennies? As they are intended to kill mosquitos, I cant find any info on how much to use, would a tbsp scoop do the trick for a 5 gallon pot? I appreciate any input.
 
Ponky

Ponky

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BTI is "safe". But it's restricted in Canada so thats the only barrier to getting it. DE applied with a duster bulb is the easiest way. There are liquid poisons that work. Flying Skull Nuke Em. Should kill them.
 
Arkos

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I find it funny that we can go to space but we can't get rid of some measly bugs....

Bti is a bacteria that pierces the gut ligning and enters the blood stream of the larvae killing then from the inside.
 
Trustfall

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Bti didn’t do a damn thing for me in liquid or dunks form.
Mix DEin a spray bottle. 1 lb. per gallon of water and spray the pots. Get a good thick layer on top of the pots and they will die.
 
Allegedly

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I'm in coco so a top layer of sand seems counter productive to my fabric pots and elevators. DE is so dusty, I really dont want to do it. I'm unaware of any products that can be watered in that actually work. I have the sticky cards I just need to end the cycle. BTI aka mosquito bits seem like my best option. What I dont know is: are the completely harmless to my plants? Could they harm my bennies? As they are intended to kill mosquitos, I cant find any info on how much to use, would a tbsp scoop do the trick for a 5 gallon pot? I appreciate any input.
DE doesnt work if its wet so using it personally it didnt do shit for me in coco that i noticed other than make a cake on top effectively making it a bitch to feed my plants without poking holes in the stuff. DE is jagged microscopic sea shell and works by shredding bugs and drying them out on contact BUT the DE is supposed to be dry to work. It is super dusty and I didnt like the idea of it blowing everywhere for me to breath so i stopped using it but again , it was in no way reducing the bugs for me. What did start working for me on the other hand was continuing to feed like normal but adding a dry layer of COCO to the top of the pot after feeding so the gnats have a harder time getting down in there to lay eggs. that really knocked em back for me in a big way. now completely getting rid of them is fucking haaaard but having just a couple around, no big deal at all. Good luck to you and i hope you get it licked!
 
mysticepipedon

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Beneficial nematodes might work. I don't use coco, but I don't see why they couldn't live in there, if fly larvae live there.
 
Trustfall

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DE doesnt work if its wet so using it personally it didnt do shit for me in coco that i noticed other than make a cake on top effectively making it a bitch to feed my plants without poking holes in the stuff. DE is jagged microscopic sea shell and works by shredding bugs and drying them out on contact BUT the DE is supposed to be dry to work. It is super dusty and I didnt like the idea of it blowing everywhere for me to breath so i stopped using it but again , it was in no way reducing the bugs for me. What did start working for me on the other hand was continuing to feed like normal but adding a dry layer of COCO to the top of the pot after feeding so the gnats have a harder time getting down in there to lay eggs. that really knocked em back for me in a big way. now completely getting rid of them is fucking haaaard but having just a couple around, no big deal at all. Good luck to you and i hope you get it licked!
It works just fine wet. As soon as it dries...whack! So when the gnats rise to the top of the pot they have to go through it wet or not. It’s going to be on them regardless and they will die once dry.
You should try it, I wasn’t on board at first either but now I’m kicking there little asses!
 
Allegedly

Allegedly

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It works just fine wet. As soon as it dries...whack! So when the gnats rise to the top of the pot they have to go through it wet or not. It’s going to be on them regardless and they will die once dry.
You should try it, I wasn’t on board at first either but now I’m kicking there little asses!
I did try it, its mentioned it in the first sentence I typed. My coco never dries, so the DE doesnt either, it just wasnt much of a help for me and the gnats didnt seem to be any more controlled in my case.
 
PpmOver9000

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bti worked wonders for me, put directly in my res for 1 week and poof they were gone. im in RW though, not sure if that would make a difference in the effectiveness.
 
Trustfall

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I did try it, its mentioned it in the first sentence I typed. My coco never dries, so the DE doesnt either, it just wasnt much of a help for me and the gnats didnt seem to be any more controlled in my case.
Then your not applying it enough. I’m in coco as well. When a gnats crawls through the wet de there is still pieceson his body. Once they dry they are dead.
1 lb per gallon of water in a sprayer. Shake vigorously while applying. Create a barrier across the top of the coco. Spray the outside of the pots, the trays, main stems of the plants and they will diminish quickly.
 
3 balls

3 balls

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I actually looked up spraying wet late last night. Crazy you mentioned that. I ended up spraying the piss out of everything and I mean everything minus the plants of course. I sprayed all the pots but as the stuff is supposed to be effective on mites I sprayed every inch of floor in my rooms, the carpets in my house and all. I know it worked like a miracle when my dog had fleas years ago and I dont think it takes much to kill the mofos.
 
Allegedly

Allegedly

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I actually looked up spraying wet late last night. Crazy you mentioned that. I ended up spraying the piss out of everything and I mean everything minus the plants of course. I sprayed all the pots but as the stuff is supposed to be effective on mites I sprayed every inch of floor in my rooms, the carpets in my house and all. I know it worked like a miracle when my dog had fleas years ago and I dont think it takes much to kill the mofos.
be careful. i feel like youre gonna be breathing in a whole lot of jagged seashell once that dries out.
 
Allegedly

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Then your not applying it enough. I’m in coco as well. When a gnats crawls through the wet de there is still pieceson his body. Once they dry they are dead.
1 lb per gallon of water in a sprayer. Shake vigorously while applying. Create a barrier across the top of the coco. Spray the outside of the pots, the trays, main stems of the plants and they will diminish quickly.
oh i didnt use a sprayer. i sprinkled it on the whole surface or the pots where the eggs get laid. maybe its more of a problem with fabric pots because they can get down the sides easier or something. im good now though, i found an easier fix.
 
3 balls

3 balls

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be careful. i feel like youre gonna be breathing in a whole lot of jagged seashell once that dries out.
I have my OSHA 500 so I looked into it first.

Inhalation of crystalline silica is harmful to the lungs, causing silicosis. Amorphous silica is considered to have low toxicity, but prolonged inhalation causes changes to the lungs.[40] Diatomaceous earth is mostly amorphous silica but contains some crystalline silica, especially in the saltwater forms.[41] In a study of workers, those exposed to natural diatomaceous earth for over five years had no significant lung changes while 40% of those exposed to the calcined form had developed pneumoconiosis.[42] Today's common diatomaceous earth formulations are safer to use, as they are predominantly made up of amorphous silica and contain little or no crystalline silica.[43]

The crystalline silica content of diatomaceous earth is regulated in the United States by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and there are guidelines from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health that set maximum amounts allowable in the product (1%) and in the air near the breathing zone of workers, with a recommended exposure limit at 6 mg/m3 over an 8-hour workday.[43] OSHA has set a permissible exposure limit for diatomaceous earth as 20 mppcf (80 mg/m3/%SiO2). At levels of 3,000 mg/m3, diatomaceous earth is immediately dangerous to life and health.[44]
 
Trustfall

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oh i didnt use a sprayer. i sprinkled it on the whole surface or the pots where the eggs get laid. maybe its more of a problem with fabric pots because they can get down the sides easier or something. im good now though, i found an easier fix.
I did that as well the first time and it was flying around everywhere . When you use it in a spray bottles with a couple drops of soap it sticks to everything. I use fabric pots as well and spray the crap out of them because gnats love to run up and down them.
 
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