Last year the FG were my main problem as I over-wintered my brugs in a little GH.
I did use many methods to try and reduce them. This year I would like to take preventive measures instead!
What ideas do you have? I really do not like them. Plus they prevent me from growing seeds as I fear they would destroy the young seedlings....
What do you do that is the most helpful in PREVENTING these little pests?
How do you avoid fungus gnats when over-wintering....?
I am sorry I don't have the answer, but I am also very interested in the responses as I am starting some seed myself this winter :)
Have you tried the stickly traps? Depending on how many you need, they can get expensive. I started making my own last year and it worked great and was very much less expensive. I keep a small one in each house plant and in larger pots.
dottnmd, how did you make your stickly traps?
I like a products by a company called "Tanglefoot", they are chemical-free. The "TangleTrap" products are great on little flies, so maybe they would work on gnats too. You can *paint* it on whatever you like. Link:
http://www.tanglefoot.com/
mg
I use yellow sticky note pages, smeared with vaseline and attached to a stick. They are drawn to the yellow color and can't escape the vaseline!
I did use sticky tape last year...after I already had the gnats! What I would like to do this year is to prevent every having them at all! Am I only dreaming??? :-(
Picture lady ,
You asked how to avoid fungus gnats .
I avoid them by only bottom watering and having a good layer of dry sand covering the entire soil surface.
The idea being that the gnats will not be able to lay eggs on a dry surface.
They can come in with the soil you use tho. Be careful.
I opened a bag of new soil this Summer ,( a brand I often use ) and I swear I saw gnat flies fly out .
scooter...Yes, I have seen them in new bags of soil also...
What do you place your brugs in to bottom water ? Also about what depth of sand do you think would be necessary to prevent them from getting to the soil? Some of my containers are almost filled to the top with soil...
Did I mention that I will have about 60 plants to over-winter! I will have to start getting them ready now!
Good Question!!
I too hate them.....I do seeds under lights during the winter, and I have tried those sticky traps.....sure they do catch some, but not all...I heard of first pouring boiling water over your soil before using it, and I have done that....but boy, it sure is time consuming...I used those alumimin roasting pans that I get at the dollar store for my seeds....I poked holes in the bottom....after pouring the boiling water over the soil, you stir it and then wait till it dries out to what you think is good to start your seeds......I have to say, that it does work.....I guess you could do that to the new soil for the brugs, but I will not be re-potting mine....so what I was told to do was spray a cloth with mialthion sp) and putting that in a plastic bag and wrapping the whole pot with that over night or for at least a day.....I might be trying that....
I hope you can understand what I typed and what I meant.....Off to work....
Good Luck!!!
Picturelady, I hope your not just dreaming and that someone comes along with an answer. It would be great to prevent them before they happen but I have had no such luck. I just try to control their population.
Yardbird. The traps are pretty simple to make and brings out the crafty side of you. You need to purchase the sticky coating first. I bought it from Gardens Alive (free when I had a coupon). The product is made by tanglefoot as mornin_gayle mentioned. I have tried it in a couple of ways but this has been the most productive and close to what is sold.
You need:
1 sheet of yellow posterboard
Tanglefoot sticky trap glue
Roll of the cheap crafting laminate.
I cover the yellow posterboard with the clear laminate first. I then cut the posterboard into small squares 3 by 3 inches. Now you just paint on the sticky trap glue and waalaa you have a sticky trap.
It will be your decision how you use them. I buy plastic forks and stick the traps between the prongs and place the handle of the fork into the soil. I have hung them also from my light stands but I first use a hole punch and punch a hole in the top of the posterboard before adding the sticky trap
product to the posterboard and then add bread ties or wire to hang them.
I have tried the vaselin but personally I haven't had much luck with them. Sometimes I have had the knats escape the traps.
Dott
Last year I had FG in my pots in the GH, I tried tobacco tea when I waterered, I guess they are not suppose to like the smell. It did seem to repel them but they just seemed to show up elswhere. I used a 2 in 1 systemic, as a last resort & that helped a lot.
I threw away my bottle of Safersoap! It was useless!
I'll be watching for that "Miracle Cure".!
Bj
I like Brugie's method of using mosquito dunks in the water. No gnats! I did have better germination success with seeds! I used one dunk per milk gallon of water.
I used the mosquito bits - the same stuff as the dunks but it's granular. I threw a handful in a gallon of water and watered with that. Later, I learned you can just sprinkle it on top of the soil in the pots and water in. works like a charm.
Diane Krny
Last year I set of a bug bomb in my greenhouse and that took care of them. I think I had to do it twice.
Oh Margie, if you find a way, let me know!!!
The only thing that has gotten rid of them for me is how Susie recommended a couple of years ago. You need Bti (Bacillus thuringienis israelensis) which is a bacterial toxin that infects and kills mosquito larvae but DOES NOT HURT US!!!!
It also works on gnats. Susie told me to get the Mosquito Dunks. Now Mosquito Dunks are long lasting with a sustained release of B.t.i to kill mosquito larvae. They are meant to slowly dissolve in standing water to kill the mosquito larvae. So in dirt, I think we may not be getting the full benefit of it. I would let them sit in the water overnight to get them to dissolve some.
So this year I am going to use Mosquito Bits instead, they are fast acting. I think they will work much better.
Another friend told me to use BT the worm killer. It is liquid, so easy to apply. That is Bacillus thuringienis kurstaki. I do not know if it worked or not. I couldn't tell. At the same time, I used Bayer Mosquito Killer Plus which has a label use of killing gnats. It is an aerosol. I had them hatching and the soil was alive with them. That killed them dead. I just spray above all the plants and ran out as I shut the door.
Here is a link that explains how BTi work on mosquitos. I have never ordered anything from this place so I am not recommending them. However they have a nice write up and they also have pictures of both products to help you find them in the store faster.
Hope it helps.
http://store.arbico-organics.com/organic-pest-control-most-requested-mosquito-control.html
The very best thing I have found to get rid of fungus gnats is Scanmask. Just a little pinch of it on the top of the soil in a pot and then watered in takes care of them. It last about 18 months in the soil, if I remember right. I had fungus gnats last year to the point of driving me crazy. I bought this stuff and within days...they were gone and I'd bet I didn't see two gnats in the next two months before stuff went outside for the summer. It keeps in the fridge quite a while. I'll be using mine soon. This is one product that I'll never be without. It cost about $25 for a container of it that will take care of my plants easily again this year. I probably over used it too. I found mine at Planet Natural and the shipping was free. That is always a plus. Several people used the mosquito dunks before I ever mentioned them. I found that the crumbles work well too, however, the Scanmask has to be the very best item I've ever used.
PS. Scanmask is not a chemical. It is little critters (so small they can't be seen) that eat the eggs laid by the Fungus Gnats. Bingo...no gnats.
This message was edited Oct 11, 2005 9:40 AM
I think watering from the bottom anything in the house and then last year I just used a spritz bottle of peroxide and water. Any time I saw one I hit it with the spray and wouldn't see another for a long time. But you know, I was watering from the top then. No, the peroxide does not hurt the plants. Also, I used that if I saw any damage to the brand new leaves that might be mites.
So, by watering from the bottom and using the peroxide might do it. Also, the sand would be good. I suppose children's play sand?
Don't know who originally invented the skeeter dunk fungus gnat idea. I do know that it worked for me. Thank you Shirley for sharing that tip with me earlier this year. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'll never need to use Scanmask. But it is not likely that I'll get thru my entire brug life without needing it lol!. Thank you for that tip too.
You're welcome V.
Wow, lots of great new info for me...
Thank-You!!
Mosquito Chunks, which is Mosquito Dunks crunched into chunks...
Great thread, Margie. Lots of good information here.
Margie, thank you from me too. I hope it's alright if I post the link for your thread in the Perennials, Herbs, Garden Foes and Tropical forums.
This message was edited Oct 11, 2005 5:20 AM
Sherry did you ever try to get a dunk in a milk gallon? .... lol! You gotta mutilate a dunk to get it in there. They are easy to crunch up.
I have to use the dunks in everything outside that holds water because of herds of mosquitos. I've raised a gabillion tree frogs in dunk water. I am not comfortable with chemicals. The dunks are safe and certainly worked just fine for my needs.
Soils that do not drain well and improper ventilation are gnat magnets (especially in a winter ghouse).
I know from experience that it is extremely hard to avoid fungus gnats altogether. The best way to keep them under control is not to use sticky tape, but rather to grow some Mexican butterworts (Pinguicula sp.) among your plant collections. They thrive under the same conditions as African violets and also provide the bonus of beautiful, long-lasting flowers. Species like Pinguicula moranensis are readily available and fairly cheap, too.
bluespiral...sure feel free to link this post please! Any help we can bring to anyone is fine with me!
Last year actually I did use the mosquito dunks and also the scanmask. But that was after I already had the problem of the FG's!
I realized from one of your posts that since I have them now also...my problem will not only be preventing them but not bringing them into the GH to begin with! So I will have to use all of the methods I can to eliminate them first or I will have no chance of not having them!
I have not heard of the planting of Mexican Butterworts...I will have to look into those.
I know that bottom watering would be the best...but then I would have to place each plant that is in a container in a bucket or something...maybe a small childs pool ? What do you use if you bottom water only?
I had totally forgotten about the dunks, thanks for the reminder. I had bought a package before moving 1 1/2 yrs ago. I just need to remember where they are. I had also forgotten about "Knockout Knats" that I had also bought the same winter. KK has BT in it also.
Something else I heard is that BT only lives for a year in those bottles, so it might not be good after that. Again, it is something I heard. I don't know if it is true or not. I'll see if I can find any information on it.
I read that it is a protein and this is what one site said. Colorado edu. site.
Bt-based products tend to have a shorter shelf life than other insecticides. Manufacturers generally indicate reduced effectiveness after two to three years of storage. Liquid formulations are more perishable than dry formulations. Shelf life is greatest when storage conditions are cool, dry and out of direct sunlight.
This message was edited Oct 11, 2005 11:15 AM
Thanks Brugie, any information is greatly appreciated.
Dott
Ispahan, what do the Mexican butterworts do to the gnats? I sure could put a few on my seedling tables.
Margie, be careful. If you have a communal pool they all sit in and share water and you have SB on one, you will get it on all.
Thanks kell...I didn't think of that! What do you do to bottom water? I think I probably water too much in the winter too. I am just inviting the gnats!
Man I hate these lil suckers too! I've had them inside my house when I grew in hydroponics plus bringing plants inside over winter.
Here is a link that you may find helpful
http://www.planetnatural.com/site/search_engine.html?mv_session_id=RzyUhWPm%3A66.142.239.130&search_clear=1&criteria=fungus+gnats
I've never used their products for FG but everything I've ever bought from them in the past has always been flawless and they're very helpful people in general. You can even call them to discuss your particular situation, I can't say enough about their customer service and products.
I hope this is helpful.
When I had them inside my home, they began breeding in every drain in the house! Sinks/shower/ basement floor drains...You name the moisture source and they were there. It seemed like they honed in on my breath(due to moisture and warmth maybe) and I inhaled them more than once. YUCK!!! I was able to keep them at bay by pouring bleach in every drain a couple times a month. I never allowed any water to sit in the saucers of my potted plants. I forget what else we did but they weren't a problem for too long.
Goodluck;)
JD
Mexican butterworts are carnivorous. They trap the gnats with their sticky foliage and secrete enzymes to digest them for nutrients. It sounds gross, I know, but they really are fun and beautiful plants. I have a whole collection of them now.
And far more effective, too. As for the round leaf sundew, that wouldn't be Drosera rotundifolia, would it? If so, then it is a temperate species and requires a cold winter dormancy. The other two are tropical/sub-tropical and should be just fine growing in warm temperatures and good light all year round.
Ispahan, since most brugs prefer to stay a little more on the dry side than the wet side do you think the butterworts would be able to handle that kind of environment? Will the dry spells send them into on again - off again kind of dormancy?
I just got home from Wally World *S* and I found something pretty good, they are called Window Fly Catches, and can be used for gnats too, it is a strip of plastic 3" X 9" on one side is a thin pink strip that you peal off, then put that side to the window and gently peal of the paper facing you, and it is a sticky trap, it is hardly noticable on the window, and IT WORKS you get 4 strips in a box for $1.79
Vee8ch:
I am not sure if I understand your question. Do you plan on growing butterworts in the same pot as brugmansia? I am not so sure that would work out too well. Butterworts, though they can tolerate and sometimes even enjoy higher levels of soil fertility than other carnivorous plants, would not be adapted to the same individual growing conditions as brugmansias. It would be better to grow them in a separate pot *alongside* the brugs. That way, both plants can be happy, and the butterwort can catch the pesky gnats that lay eggs in the brugmansia's soil :-)