I know that there is at least one thread already started on fungas gnats, but it's long & I've used up this month's quota of patience, so thought I'd start a new one.
Brugie said on the other thread to use mosquito dunks to kill the larva. Thanks, Shirley! I knew that there was something, but couldn't remember what. I bought a package of granules called prestrike. It says to use 20 granules for each gallon of water. Perfect! I keep gallon jugs of water & dilute fertilizer to water the seedlings, & use water bottles with squirt tops for the watering.
Now for the questions. Do the little granules dissolve, or do they just leach the chemical out? How long should I let it sit before I start watering with it?
fungas gnats again
The ones I use don't disolve, I guess the chemicals just leach out. I use gallon jugs, and when I pour the water out, some of the granuels end up in the pot sitting on the surface. I have about 20 jugs in the gh and fill them all at once then use until they're all gone and start over. Inside, I use liquid Gnatrol because I don't leave the water sitting around, just mix a gal and use it (then repeat).
You wouldn't want to mix up Gnatrol and leave it sitting very long. That stuff gets really bad. It's bad enough just mixed fresh. LOL!
I used gnatrol in the spray bottle, took awhile but I got rid of them all
fungas gnats are there more then one kind of gnat. Can they really do damage to my Brugs and Hibiscus, I am intested in knowing cause I have gnats bad, I mean really bad.
Brugie thanks a bunch.
This message was edited Mar 29, 2005 9:47 AM
Linda, do you have fungus gnats or white flies (looks like a gnat but it's white and lays it's eggs on the underside of the leaf? Fungus gnats lay their eggs in the soil and the larvae hatches out and eats roots and seeds, they it leaves the soil, that's when you see them flying and it starts all over again.
Linda
I bet it is the fungus gnats, cause I do see them flying around the soil a lot. I thought they just ate seeds didn't realize they ate the roots. They aren't white because they will come to my computer screen and land on it then I will kill them, and they are dark could be black. I am noticing I am loosing a lot of leaves off my brugs and my new hibiscus plants that I have started. I spray all the time with the alcohol and soap spray even got some of the neem oil and used. But the way it sounds I better get some other stuff to put in the soil or whatever it takes to get rid of them before my plants all die off.
This year all winter I used the new Moisture Control potting soil mix, for planted everything in it, and never sterilized any of it. So now I am wondering if my potting soil could of had it already in it. I am learning a lot this year. Next year all my soil will be sterilized from the get go. I have even had a few unexpected things growing along with my brugs.
This message was edited Mar 29, 2005 8:55 AM
You could try laying some sand on the top of the soil and do all the watering from the bottom. Fungus gnats like the moist soil and tho it might not take care of the whole problem, it could help. I don't sterilize the soil I use in my big pots. That would take forever. I only sterilize for planting seed.
I have a 50lb bag of fine sand that I got to have around for planting I am going outside and get it and do just as you suggest Brugie, what does the sand do.
I use the sand too. It keeps the top surface dry and supposedly the gnats don't like to crawl down through the sand and it breaks the life cycle. I use the coarse 'construction' sand, not play box sand. It helps, but I didn't get rid of them until I started with Scan Mask and Gnatrol. I have started 'baking' my soil mix for 1 hr at 350 degrees. I am convinced they are in the soil.
That's why I'm so ticked off about it! I baked the soil for 2 hours @ 400 degrees AND poured boiling water over it after that. I hadn't seen any fungas gnats in any of my established plants, and the seedlings are in (ok, have taken over) the spare bathroom, away from any other plants. If they were in the soil, they should have DIED!
I let the water sit for a few hours, then started watering with it. Keep your fingers crossed for me! It didn't smell bad, the little granules are about the size and color of poppyseeds.
I ordered me some of the scanmask and received it yesterday. My question is I just watered all my brugs last Tues., would it be all right to go ahead and use the scanmask and water again. They are still pretty moist, or should I wait for them to dry out. I am so afraid I am going to lose them either by overwatering or from the fungus gnats. Does anyone have any suggestions.
Once you water the first application of Scanmask into the soil, you don't have to use it again. The little nematodes are at work and will be there for up to 18 months. That container of Scanmask should be enough to treat at least 200 gallon pots.
I should remind you that you need to put out a yellow sticky card to catch the flying gnats. Once they are gone, there won't be any new ones. The nematodes will take care of that by working on the larva.
This message was edited Apr 1, 2005 9:18 AM
Where does one buy scanmask?
I also need to know where to buy it.
Check here, I believe some have ordered from them.
http://davesgarden.com/gwd/c/919/