Fungus Gnats

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GanjaNGains

GanjaNGains

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I just ordered 1500 ladybugs and 10 million nematodes to fuck these gnats up.... battle on the ground level

Ha awsome yes I will notice a huge decline in pest within a few days I havnt seen anything beside lady bugs and a few spiders in my garden ever since I added my lady bugs over a month ago. The only drawback is it's a lil weird having all those bugs crawling on you while your working in the garden lol
 
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Tearsofshiva

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Bugs and nematodes won't be here for a week.... so I poked holes in the tops of some baby food jars and put apple cider vinegar with a drop of dish soap as a trap. Hoping this can keep the adult population down, while treating the surface of the soil for larvae.
 
jumpincactus

jumpincactus

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I definitely agree prevention>maintenance lol and that's what I was going for.... oh well.

So spinsoad is cool to drench with in veg?? Next time I'll definitely give mine a hit before I flip next time regardless just to be safe. How does spinosad affect the microbes?
The best response I can offer is I have seen some studies, none of which I can vet or verify as valid indicate that the use of fungicides, pesticides or herbicides do Not affect soil microbial populations. However some studies do show that the use of some of these agents can affect VA Mychorrizae networks.

Here is a link for 1 of the studies................. My issue with studies is this, you have to be able to source and figure out the money trail and what interests are at work with any funded studies. I mean I am less likely to believe any study results that claim a chemical doesnt harm soil microbes if the funder of the study is say Monsanto for instance.

Here is the link https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/jpa/abstracts/2/1/14
 
Organikz

Organikz

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Ha awsome yes I will notice a huge decline in pest within a few days I havnt seen anything beside lady bugs and a few spiders in my garden ever since I added my lady bugs over a month ago. The only drawback is it's a lil weird having all those bugs crawling on you while your working in the garden lol
You think that's bad...lol...my girlfriend was in the grow room making sure her cat wasn't in there because I was high as fuck and left the door open. I heard her in there start groaning. "Baby what the hell are you doing..." her "I was pulling one of these damn sticky traps out of my hair!" Priceless. She laughed thank God. They don't really stick to hair too well unless you straight just mushed one into your hair. It really is something you have to do. You want to break the cycle of 3 to 4 generations. The sticky traps.i actually set them so they're at a 45 degree angle. The side facing more down towards the soil gets covered. Try to catch them as soon as they hit adult hood and come out to explore and the first thing they find a a certain death. Im just telling you the measures I had to take. Changed traps 3 different times and by the 4th I never saw 1 gnat on it.

I just started a new bed so I have to repeat the procedure. Always keep a sticky trap somewhere because you don't physically see them until they've gotten pretty bad.

Edit...wanted to add i was also using nematodes, spinosad, and predatory mites. One last thing to look at is overwater. The gnats thrive in a saturated soil. Not watering too much but your soil needs to dry out.
 
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Tearsofshiva

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The best response I can offer is I have seen some studies, none of which I can vet or verify as valid indicate that the use of fungicides, pesticides or herbicides do Not affect soil microbial populations. However some studies do show that the use of some of these agents can affect VA Mychorrizae networks.

Here is a link for 1 of the studies................. My issue with studies is this, you have to be able to source and figure out the money trail and what interests are at work with any funded studies. I mean I am less likely to believe any study results that claim a chemical doesnt harm soil microbes if the funder of the study is say Monsanto for instance.

Here is the link https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/jpa/abstracts/2/1/14
Unfortunately you can't just have faith that people are looking to find the truth and share it. Oh well we're getting there that's why we have this forum... to get TO the real answers and not just be given them.
 
Organikz

Organikz

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Unfortunately you can't just have faith that people are looking to find the truth and share it. Oh well we're getting there that's why we have this forum... to get TO the real answers and not just be given them.
Atomizer is a mist style pump sprayer. Now I have a small secret look at this....
 
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Organikz

Organikz

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What is the white part??
That is my white plastic lol. Its the floor. Here's what I have found to be a contact killer and it's all organic. I killed a damn millipede with it.

1/4 cup crushed organic soap nuts. They sell them powdered at neem resource for uber extraction. Fill a 1 quart mason jar with hot water and soak the nuts overnight.

Now when you got to do a neem application do this.

1 quart of warm water with neem oil and aloe Vera. I add a tsp of lemon juice. Citric acid eats up the exoskeleton.

Now pour a quarter cup of your soap nut concoction in there and mix it all up in your sprayer.

The secret here is saponin. It is found in conifer sap and most nut shells bit highest concentrations are found in soap nuts. This is a trifecta. It will knock fungus gnats out of the air if they even cross the mist and either suffocate them or send them into convulsions. It acts as a nerve agent against insects.
 
jumpincactus

jumpincactus

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I simply covered my lemon tree with paint strainer bags from Home Depot. If they can't get in to lay eggs problem solved.
That is a friggn ingenious idea man. Very nice. The only downside I can see is it is a well known fact that as this industry grew we are seeing more and more infestations coming right out of the very bulk soil folks are buying. Damn eggs and critters already in the bag waiting to be let loose and create havoc in your gardens.

But again what a great idea to use strainer bags for grows that you know your source soil is clean. Props + for that idea. Thanks for sharing it!!!
 
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Tearsofshiva

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I simply covered my lemon tree with paint strainer bags from Home Depot. If they can't get in to lay eggs problem solved.
Do you have any companion crops growing? Would the strainer prevent cover crops from growing?
 
dnewsome2

dnewsome2

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I generally only grow one plant per pot. The strainer bags also work well for starting living soil outdoors in pots. Placing my pots Outdoors the prior season with good compost and watering lightly will grow biological media the strainer baskets will keep bugs from laying eggs in there.
 
jumpincactus

jumpincactus

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I generally only grow one plant per pot. The strainer bags also work well for starting living soil outdoors in pots. Placing my pots Outdoors the prior season with good compost and watering lightly will grow biological media the strainer baskets will keep bugs from laying eggs in there.
And if you really want to step up your game when your seasoning your biology outdoors with the strainer bags use a white clover or any decent cover crop and really keep that soil biology humming.
 
dnewsome2

dnewsome2

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And if you really want to step up your game when your seasoning your biology outdoors with the strainer bags use a white clover or any decent cover crop and really keep that soil biology humming.
And if you really want to step up your game when your seasoning your biology outdoors with the strainer bags use a white clover or any decent cover crop and really keep that soil biology humming.
I'm going to check that out:D
 
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