CLOSED: Help, Flies and Maggots in My Peat Pellets.

maccionoadha Halifax, MA(Zone 6a) Feb 12, 2009

Kawonkamish(Greetings),

I bought a pack of Plantation Products Peat Pellets and a few days after sowing the seeds in them, my house was filled with little black flies. I eventually traced them back to the peat pellets. There were little maggot-like creepy-crawlies, crawling out of the pellets and lots of the tiny flies crawling and flying about, as well. Has anyone else had this problem? I also noted in a grocery store's gardening section that the Schultz Potting Soil bags had the same flies all over and crawling out of the bags.

Does anyone know what flies these are and how to get rid of them? They're about the size of White Flies, but are black in color. Thank you for any help you can give me.

Aquene(Peace),
Moe/WautuckquesSochepo(SnowRabbit)
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(='.'=)
(")_(")

Post #6129669

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Feb 13, 2009

Without seeing an image, I can only guess that they might be fungous gnats, a name applied to several species of small flies whose larvae can be found in waterlogged soil, especially with a high organic content - see http://tinyurl.com/m4qc5. They are harmless there, but some species can cause root damage to potted plants having overly moist soil.

Post #6130959

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maccionoadha Halifax, MA(Zone 6a) Feb 17, 2009

Kawonkamish suunto,

Thank you for your reply. I'm hoping that the ones I have aren't the root eaters. I'll be keeping my fingers crossed.

Susan_C, in another forum, suggested soaking a Mosquito Dunk in my watering can and using that liquid to water my seedlings to control the gnats I have now.

Aquene(Peace),
Moe/WautuckquesSochepo(SnowRabbit)
(__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")

Post #6148634

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suunto Sinks Grove, WV Feb 17, 2009

Koonepeam (I hope I use this correctly), Snow Rabbit - You also can control these insects to a good degree simply by allowing the soil in your potted plants to dry out as much as the plants can tolerate between waterings, thus avoiding insecticide use.

Post #6150426

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maccionoadha Halifax, MA(Zone 6a) Feb 18, 2009

Kawonkamish,

Taubotny(Thank you), I'll try drying them out first and if that fails I'll use the Dunks. Oh, you did use koonepeam correctly.

Aquene(Peace),
Moe/WautuckquesSochepo(SnowRabbit)
(__/)
(='.'=)
(")_(")