Fungus Gnats or Root Aphids? (poll)

  • Thread starter Beachwalker
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Fungus Gnats or Root Aphids?

  • FUNGUS GNATS

  • ROOT APHIDS


Results are only viewable after voting.
Beachwalker

Beachwalker

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Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnats or root aphids poll


Me
Fungus gnats or root aphids poll 2

Fungus gnats or root aphids poll 4


Root Aphids
Fungus gnats or root aphids poll 3


Thank you for your help
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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See why i had so much trouble identifying?

Yours look to be fungus gnats. Shorter fatter wings I think.

If root aphids at the flier stage you would likely have tiny white insects crawling at the edge and top of the pots. Little like .5mm.

Thats when i knew for sure.
 
basscaptain

basscaptain

5,275
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See why i had so much trouble identifying?

Yours look to be fungus gnats. Shorter fatter wings I think.

If root aphids at the flier stage you would likely have tiny white insects crawling at the edge and top of the pots. Little like .5mm.

Thats when i knew for sure.
I voted for root aphids
the reason was and I was on the fence... the 1st pic looks like Fungus gnats.... But the 2nd pic those right by the lighter...... Man I'm not sure they look like root aphids....
It's really hard to tell........................................... that's way I just said sry......

ok I got to go to town all this is making me pissed off fuck

Fuck Bugs.....................
 
Beachwalker

Beachwalker

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See why i had so much trouble identifying?

Yours look to be fungus gnats. Shorter fatter wings I think.

If root aphids at the flier stage you would likely have tiny white insects crawling at the edge and top of the pots. Little like .5mm.

Thats when i knew for sure.

Doesn't seem like there's much interest, or people just don't know more likely? It is hard to tell if I'm honest

I voted fungus gnats cuz whatever it is it's the same thing that's been here for 5 years and if they were root aphids things would have gotten worse and I would have started seeing signs like mr Michigan had

Started slinging the bti mosquito bits again, not sure if that kills root aphids though?
 
the rrock

the rrock

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ive had RA,fungus gnats would be preferable, the RA were killing plant from bottom up. I used merit75 and it did the job.Still in veg cycle,wouldnt use on plants anywhere near flowering.. Do the fungus gnats chew up root system also?
 
Kanzeon

Kanzeon

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Wouldn't rule out both as a possibility, but I agree with the fungus gnat consensus.

Good thing napalm is cheap. 😄
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

17,190
438
Doesn't seem like there's much interest, or people just don't know more likely? It is hard to tell if I'm honest

I voted fungus gnats cuz whatever it is it's the same thing that's been here for 5 years and if they were root aphids things would have gotten worse and I would have started seeing signs like mr Michigan had

Started slinging the bti mosquito bits again, not sure if that kills root aphids though?


The BTi in mosquito bits only harms mosquito and gnat larvae. And if you still have them the mosquito bits may be old and not have viable spores.

botanigard contains a fungus that attacks aphids. But its expensive and doesnt colonize the medium like bti so it suggests repeating treatment a few times.

And it can be used in flower unlike merit 75 or the like which will kill them off completely according to my research.

I am going to treat my new plants with botanigard In case i have 6month lasting winterized root aphid eggs around.

The room is seriously cleaned and even double doused with h202 now.

But im sure the little suckers will make a reappearance. Even with all plants harvested or destroyed.
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

17,190
438
ive had RA,fungus gnats would be preferable, the RA were killing plant from bottom up. I used merit75 and it did the job.Still in veg cycle,wouldnt use on plants anywhere near flowering.. Do the fungus gnats chew up root system also?


I had visible fungus gnats first and during the infestation had the best yields ever from the infected soil so they dont damage much. They could vector disease though.

But the root aphids took over and they halved my yield with deficiencies for a long time. Eventually devastating plants overnight.
 
BurnzYzBudZz

BurnzYzBudZz

HOWCan.i.helPYOU?
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I see some of them with smaller more pin striped bodies and some fatter. I voted root aphids because well.. why not dive deeper and make sure it isn’t RA.
 
Beachwalker

Beachwalker

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The BTi in mosquito bits only harms mosquito and gnat larvae. And if you still have them the mosquito bits may be old and not have viable spores.

botanigard contains a fungus that attacks aphids. But its expensive and doesnt colonize the medium like bti so it suggests repeating treatment a few times.

And it can be used in flower unlike merit 75 or the like which will kill them off completely according to my research.

I am going to treat my new plants with botanigard In case i have 6month lasting winterized root aphid eggs around.

The room is seriously cleaned and even double doused with h202 now.

But im sure the little suckers will make a reappearance. Even with all plants harvested or destroyed.
Well because this happened to you and because I had that tomato plant that was infested with the Aphids earlier this year I started checking and honestly they look the same to me, which is why I made this post

While mr Kalzone could be correct that it could be both, I'm still thinking it's only fungus gnats cuz I'm not seeing any negative effect at all ..yet!?🙏🤞🙏
 
Beachwalker

Beachwalker

7,055
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ive had RA,fungus gnats would be preferable, the RA were killing plant from bottom up. I used merit75 and it did the job.Still in veg cycle,wouldnt use on plants anywhere near flowering.. Do the fungus gnats chew up root system also?
I don't know if they chew the roots? I think a heavy infestation can hurt the roots but there's so few I can have a yellow card for days without a one

but I had a tomato plant loaded with Aphids this summer so when I started seeing them again on the cards I wanted to post this thread and see what other thought

everything got and is about to get some bti in a little while and after this is gone I'm switching to microbe-lift
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

17,190
438
Well because this happened to you and because I had that tomato plant that was infested with the Aphids earlier this year I started checking and honestly they look the same to me, which is why I made this post

While mr Kalzone could be correct that it could be both, I'm still thinking it's only fungus gnats cuz I'm not seeing any negative effect at all ..yet!?🙏🤞🙏


The main symptom from root aphids is a magnesium deficiency that gets bad fast and climbs up the big leaves first from the bottom. But more nutes wont clear it up. The aphids bore into the roots and eat the nutes right out of the plant.

I got many plants to harvest but all were stunted and sick no matter what i did.

Eventually they were everywhere and my whole yellow cards were filled with the fliers.

Funny looked like the microbe lift bmt (bti) got rid of the gnats. Looked like all aphids at the end.
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

17,190
438
I don't know if they chew the roots? I think a heavy infestation can hurt the roots but there's so few I can have a yellow card for days without a one

but I had a tomato plant loaded with Aphids this summer so when I started seeing them again on the cards I wanted to post this thread and see what other thought

everything got and is about to get some bti in a little while and after this is gone I'm switching to microbe-lift


Aphids on the leaves and root aphids are different. The root aphids mostly stay hidden in the roots until they run out of room and make fliers to go to the next plants. The crawlers stick to the soil and edge of the pots mostly.
 
Beachwalker

Beachwalker

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Aphids on the leaves and root aphids are different. The root aphids mostly stay hidden in the roots until they run out of room and make fliers to go to the next plants. The crawlers stick to the soil and edge of the pots mostly.
We were talking about the fungus gnats on that one ^

I know the aphids cause havoc on the roots that's why I think this is fungus gnats because kind of looks like them and I have no damage

I have very few fliers, once in a while I'll get a small flush of fliers but the cards usually take care of it

I fed bloom the mosquito bits last night and I got to water the veg tent with the mosquito bits in a few minutes and after this I'm going to get the microbe lift that you recommended

Edit: I've also noticed I almost never get the fungus gnats in bloom I think it's because my watering habits are much tighter in there
 
Last edited:
Dirtbag

Dirtbag

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I'm only seeing fungus gnats there. Root aphid fliers are quite a bit smaller than FG's, and the wings of RA's are at least 2x the body length. But yeah it makes detection of RA fliers a nightmare. Also makes my heart skip a beat everytime I catch a couple fungus gnats lol.

Also @Beachwalker, your picture of a root aphid is actually a fungus gnat. Wings are nearly equal in length to the body.
 
Anthem

Anthem

4,155
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The Wings always mess me up. I do better looking at the body of the bug under a loop. If there is a difference between the thorax and the abdomen I know what I am dealing with. I am knocking on wood hoping I never have to deal with RA's.
 

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