Hey all! This is only my second run at farming. It appears that I have fungus gnats in my babies, they are in week 3 of flower. I don't have the experience to know if I should be worried or not? I put yellow sticky paper by all the plants. They were started in rockwool and are sitting in hydroton in the net cup. The net cup is about 4/5" from the water in the bucket. I haven't been in the buckets other then the control bucket. The water is sitting at about 66f (18c). I noticed about 15-20 (ish) gnats in my grow room. I'm hoping they aren't in the roots. I heard that some people use mosquito dunks? Summit 12 in. Mosquito Dunks (6-Pack)-110-12 - The Home Depot I'm curious if they affect the pH, or anything? If anyone has any experience with this or advice, it would be appreciated. Thanks all! Have agood one
I have some serious doubts that they're fungus gnats if you're in a sterile medium like DWC and Hydroton? Fungus gnats tend to like moist, and "soft" matetial, and they LOVE anything rotten, which I assume you are NOt using for food. And fast moving, bubbling or cascading water is less than ideal as well. They tend to stay away from rocky, gritty and dry which Hydroton usually is. Even a layer of sand on top of your soil can deter them from laying eggs or rooting around for rotten crap to eat. They could be phorid, sphaerocerid, or fruit flies as well. They all look similar and even their flying patterns are similar, bumbling and stupid. Fungus gnats tend to look more like a mosquito though than the other "drain" dwellers, and are probably the worst flier of all mentioned here. A simple breeze knocks them off course. I have either fruit, phorid or sphaerocerid flies right now, myself. I know it's not fungus gnats because they fly into my tents, do nothing, and don't even hang out on the soil surface. Fungus gnats tend to be like bloodhounds all over the medium, constantly scouring for food and egg laying spots. Are you seeing them going down into, or coming up out of the Hydroton? Or only flying around? Do you have algae or anything on the Rockwool, and are they rooting around on that? I've dealt with fungus gnats and it's obvious when they have infested your medium.
Mosquito Dunks are BT-I if I recall. It's a bacterium and doesn't affect anything in the grow. I keep them on hand just for Fungal Gnats. BNW
if the gnats are flying around get some sticky yellow traps and hand the up ,that should catch them ,,,mac,
Hey I have seen them both flying around and hanging out by the hydrotron too. So I bought some yellow gnat paper and put it in my hydrotron. 21 Stakes - Safer® Brand Houseplant Sticky Stakes Things are looking up! I counted about a dozen this morning on the papers and didn't see any of those lil' terrorists flying around, which is great. I'm pretty sure they are fungus gnats, as I do have a breakout from some African VIolets that were brought into my house. I threw the violets away but I now have gnats in my dirt mother, she is chillin in a different room away from the babies(these guys are in flower so mom was moved about 4 weeks ago before infestation). I did put a layer of diatomaceous earth on top of the soil, there are a few left but not nearly as many as I had started with. I'm hoping they are on there way out. Im using general hydroponics A+B for nutes and dosing with UC roots as well, from what I have read so far this combo doesn't sound too good for pests. I appreciate the insight man. I do a lot of reading and watching youtube channels, but nothin compares to real experience ya know? I don't know any hobby farmers in RL so I harass all you fine people here lol.
Well, if you do have a true fungus gnat infestation, they are not typically defeated by sticky traps easily unless other factors are in play, like removing their breeding grounds and food source (eliminating fungal sources, eliminating wet spots/standing water, treating drains and removing garbage). Even just the habit of letting your soil surface dry out between waterings plays a huge part in controlling them, which is why I find it a bit of a stretch with dry Hydroton. It's kind of like finding a shark in the desert. Not saying they aren't down in your roots, it's just not typical in such rocky dry conditions. Give them the dunk stuff, it won't hurt your plants. I can't speak on the pH of it though, sorry, you' probably have to keep an eye on that. I can't imagine it doing much in the way of pH, but not certain. Good luck.
I'm pretty hopeful that everything I am trying will kill them all. I just got some nematodes for my regular house plants and will be putting a layer of sand on top of the soil in the pots. From what you have stated I am hoping just a few strays have found their way into the grow room and soon they will die (fingers crossed). Thanks for your input I appreciate you taking the time! Cheers.
I run hydroton in #3 air-pots, top feed, free drain back to res. A few years ago I did have fungus gnats in my hydroton. Each morning the dead adults were covering the floor by the thousands. I would spray pyrithium on the plants and on top of the pellets. I finally got a hand on it when I started putting a dunk in my reservoir. Total control from then on. It's now part of my regular practice. It will control other root zone pests too.
The dunk will release the bacterium into the reservoir liquid. The active ingredient kills the larvae preventing the emergence of any adults. Dunks have a 3week life. Replace after 3 weeks. To keep the grainy material from getting loose and clogging and jets or emitters put the dunk in a sock or piece of nylon.
Hey thanks for the heads up that they will live in hydrotron! I had no idea that they would find that a hospitable environment. I am running a rDWC so the hydrotron does not see any moisture, I'm hoping that saves my ass lol. I will def try mosquito dunks if I start to see any of those little jerks in my room again. I am running a sterile system though instead of a beneficial bacteria one, so I think mosquito dunks will be my last line of defence if I find that larvae has made its way into the root system. I will def go buy some nylon to go with it, thanks for that man! I would have never thought about it myself and then ended up with a new problem lol. The joys of learning hey? Thanks dude.
For the nylon, I use a nylon paint filter, cut to size, wrap the dunk and secure with a small zip tie, you can see it in my attached photo if you wait to use the dunk until you see adults you miss the larvae that cause the damage.
That is a good call I am gonna order some today. Thanks for the pic, that looks hella easy. Do you run beneficial bacteria or sterile? Just curious, as I am currently doing sterile (that could change with my next set of ladies).
Another option might be organza bags from the dollar store. They're used mainly for gift giving, baby showers, arts and crafts crap etc I use them to put compost or ewc in to make tea, but they are a cheap, handy way to suspend something in fluid, plus they have ties to hang them, and to seal them off. I would think the netting is tight enough for Mosquito Dunks as well. Toss when finished with it.
Yes I do. I use the Botanicare Kind line of nutrient and beneficials. The beneficials include: Rhizo Blast Pure Blend Tea Hydroguard