Is it Fungus gnats or Aphids?

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urijah710420

urijah710420

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Really appreciate all the advice. I decided to top dress all the pots with crushed mosquito dunks and picked up a bottle of microbe life bmc that I will be watering with every water. The wife also came up with a brilliant solution. We had some 3 gallon smart pots sitting around, decided to cut out the bottoms out, made a slit to the center and came up with a smart pot top. No way in or out. Check it out:
 
Gnat control
urijah710420

urijah710420

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**Update**
I'm finding these goldish balls on every plant. Mostly on leaf stems. What are these? They basically just crumble when i remove them off the plant. They are not sticky. I've looked for hours for bugs on my plants can't find any crawling on leaves. I've been watering w/ microbe lift and did top dress w/ crushed dunks not sure if that's related to this. New growth on most of my plants is looking twisted and just not so good. I'm stumped. I went through each pot about 1.5 inches deep and didn't see any more fungus gnats, I didn't see any more springtails either. I didn't see anybugs. Should I pull a plant out of its smartpot and examine the bottom roots for bugs? Are these even bug related Thanks dudes!
Goldish balls
 
GNick55

GNick55

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eewww some sort caterpillar thingy maggot?
geez your eyes are like magnifying glasses!
someone will know
 
urijah710420

urijah710420

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Here it is on the tip of my finger and when squished it just crumbles. It's not sticky I was thinking honeydew from aphids or some insect but it's not sticky.
 
Golden balls
Cumbled balls
Effendi

Effendi

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I decided to top dress all the pots with crushed mosquito dunks and picked up a bottle of microbe life bmc that I will be watering with every water.
Neither of these items will work with gnats. Despite what the bottle says.

Your best defensive weapon is non chemical, it is an inch of sand over the pot. Instant death as their wings are cut as they enter and egress your top layer.

Or....
The wife also came up with a brilliant solution. We had some 3 gallon smart pots sitting around, decided to cut out the bottoms out, made a slit to the center and came up with a smart pot top. No way in or out. Check it out:
Brilliant. This should absolutely work. She has created a breathable barrier that they can't fly through. Thumbs up to the Wifey
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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Neither of these items will work with gnats. Despite what the bottle says.

Your best defensive weapon is non chemical, it is an inch of sand over the pot. Instant death as their wings are cut as they enter and egress your top layer.

Or....

Brilliant. This should absolutely work. She has created a breathable barrier that they can't fly through. Thumbs up to the Wifey


microbe lift at 4 drops per gallon of water/feed killed all my gnat larvae. But mosquito dunks and bits may be old and out of date and ineffective.

But crowded rooms and too much watering is usually why they appear. Just stop all that and they go away.
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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Success report, Thank you.

Crowding will bring a host of issues, fungus gnats is not one of them. Overwatering is 100% the cause. Use less water and they go away.
Many growers recommend microbe lift.

And funny I get them if I have too many plants. I dont overwater. Many plants equals a wetter garden with more humidity. Of course this can be managed some. I am not a defoliator. I dont like to strip my plants much.
 
GrowHobo

GrowHobo

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I have gone through hundreds of bags of of OF and never saw any evidence of pests from them.

if you got gnats they are from the grow shop or your own doing. They only can live in wet soil.
I live out in the boonies in the Midwest and was at the local farm store and saw OF and was shocked because they don’t carry that kinda stuff. 12 bucks a bag so I’m like dang that’s a steal. Used it to do my first run back here. 4 plants in a 4x4 and bang gnats almost immediately. Ff stopped being top quality when they became ultra popular just like with everything else. 10 years ago in Cali it was ultra clean now it’s full of sticks and bark and sometimes it’s super hot. It’s certainly not consistent.
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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I live out in the boonies in the Midwest and was at the local farm store and saw OF and was shocked because they don’t carry that kinda stuff. 12 bucks a bag so I’m like dang that’s a steal. Used it to do my first run back here. 4 plants in a 4x4 and bang gnats almost immediately. Ff stopped being top quality when they became ultra popular just like with everything else. 10 years ago in Cali it was ultra clean now it’s full of sticks and bark and sometimes it’s super hot. It’s certainly not consistent.


Mines still fine. Just got bags again yesterday even. Overwatering is the main thing growers for wrong that think OF is hot or buggy.
 
Effendi

Effendi

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I have gone through hundreds of bags of of OF and never saw any evidence of pests from them.
another great success story from Michigan, and thank you for your story.
if you got gnats they are from the grow shop or your own doing. They only can live in wet soil.
OK, have you ever used FF? it's a wet mix from the word go, and as a VERY long defender/user of both FF and OF, I would not besmudge their product without solid evidence.

This isn't a bandwagon to jump on, I confirm that this product definitely has come with unwanted guests.
 
MIMedGrower

MIMedGrower

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another great success story from Michigan, and thank you for your story.

OK, have you ever used FF? it's a wet mix from the word go, and as a VERY long defender/user of both FF and OF, I would not besmudge their product without solid evidence.

This isn't a bandwagon to jump on, I confirm that this product definitely has come with unwanted guests.


what is FF?
 
dextr0

dextr0

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mosquito dunks work for me all I use is coco. Which is what he’s using. Same way he’s using it too sprinkled on top. Coco should stay hydrated it keeps from salt build up and keeps your plant happy by providing oxygen and nutrients to your plant. You should not let your coco dry out.

FF or fox farm sure does come with bugs. You can properly pasteurize tho and it would be fine.

I specifically use md in coir because 80% of the time gnats come around because of the water factor.
 
Effendi

Effendi

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what is FF?
Its the company FoxFarms that makes that Ocean Forest you have used hundreds of bags of. You know, the moist soil you were not aware was wet. The one you insisted was clean and that if any grower experienced problems with it, it was only due to the sloppy procedures of the grower or the store. lol

They make froggy as well.

Happy Growing
 
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