How to get rid of nats?

[Leelandgrow3]

So I have three plants each in five gallons bucks plant tops are 18 inch from light temp is 77 80 daytime 72 69 night water every 3 to 5 to days I have good drainage and I am removing excess water from drainage tray I put sand on top like a inch but when I water it mixes in with the soil oh and I'm using fox farm ocean blend and does have perlite in it and I put a bowl of apple cider vinegar and it doesn't seem huge have a fly sticky trap in there for a week and both have only caught like 4 each so 8 all together

 

[RedSea]

hello I had nats to before I have used backstrap molasses ethier a foliar spray or you can mix it in with warm water if that doesnt work you can cover the top layer with Damascus earth and another layer of clay balls that should keep them away because the top soil isnt so easy exposed to the nats if that dont work you can buy Smite Banish its about 55$ for 4oz which would do the job I never used it before because the molasses worked for me but I would give that a try first

 

[Leelandgrow3]

I have neem oil spray

 

[m8ty]

You get gnats from over watering because the small plants are in huge buckets so the soil doesn't get a dryer period the soil stays saturated and the tiny plants get over watered.

Small plants in small pots like a solo cup, once you have to water more than once a week you repot to a gallon pot, etc.

You don't have to water but once a week if you're in the right size container.

In that 5 gallon container with tiny plants like that you water once a month!

 

[Leelandgrow3]

And I blocked my drain holes I had a inch up the side so just ones underneath

 

[Leelandgrow3]

What to do there

 

[Leelandgrow3]

Not watering for awhile and probably a lot less water

 

[RedSea]

I

Not watering for awhile and probably a lot less water

I would get a moisture meter just to be safe so you dont got to keep wondering when to water

 

[webeblzr]

I just keep a mosquito dunk or a tea strainer filled with mosquito bits in my water and tea totes. I also make my own sticky traps with Tanglefoot, and discarded cardboard. Neem works a treat also.

 

[Leelandgrow3]

I have a moisture meter but I don't trust it imma not water for awhile let it dry out cause it does hold moisture well

 

[Leelandgrow3]

After like a day of watering or two says dry and I know damn when not dry that fast

 

[Sunday687]

Mosquito dunks, beneficial nematodes

 

[az2000]

IMO, gnats aren't necessarily bad. They're a sign your soil is healthy. You just want to control their numbers. I use:

- Spray with rosemary, peppermint clove oils. (Captain Jacks, Bonide & EcoSmart have this product). Spray around the soil surface and drain holes. It's pungent and knocks the gnats down. I spray each feeding (when I have gnats.). Just a couple spritz. It's strong. Gnats hate it.
- When I have a really bad problem I cut round disks out of white posterboard. Cut a slot from the edge to center (for the stalk). Cut two disks per container so you can cover the slot of one disk with the other. This isn't a perfect fit. It just makes it harder for a gnat to get in/out. Another benefit: it reflects light up into the lower leaves. (The way your plants are recessed into buckets, you can't do this.).
- Put the bottoms of the containers in panty hose. Besides looking *hot* -- gnats can't use the drain holes to get into the soil.
- The sticky fly paper/tape helps too.

 

[Edinburgh]

Food grade de earth , let your topsoil dry, a must, sprinkle around your plants, leave 72 hours, flush lightly, organic, a good soil conditioner, and will kill those fuckers dead.

 

[Seraphine]

In addition to the above, add a fan blowing across the soil. If all the above fail, do an Azamax soil drench.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Anytime i see gnats it is because i am overwatering. Even with the very infested soil i used recently and a massive invasion lettng the pots dry out an extra day and keeping a better dry cycle has eliminated them again.

Covered yellow sticky cards 2 weeks ago. None showing on the new cards this week.

I did see a flyer yesterday but none when watering tonight.

 

[MIMedGrower]

Oh and the mosquito dunks i tried for a month did nothing to stop them. I had to harvest the most infected plants amd then run drier for results. I would recomend a better product like microbe lift as was suggested to me here or azamax or equivalent like said above if they dont quit.

 

[Beachwalker]

I use yellow stickies and a 9" high velocity floor fan or two set on low to break their cycle, all gone in maybe two weeks and a floor fan offers other benefits as well

 

[Leelandgrow3]

Thanks for the info guys alot of good info

 

[Leelandgrow3]

Is it okay it says hydroponics does it matter since I'm using soil based