Hey, I was wondering how long it takes for gnat larva to die. I had a lot of gnats and here's what I have done so far: 1) I sprayed the plant with a chili, garlic, and coffee solution. 2) I put some used coffee grounds in the soil. 3) I bowl a small bowl with water, a couple of drops of dish soap, and sugar. The next day, the bowl caught a good amount of gnats. When I shook the plant, hardly any gnats flew off. Today (a couple of days later), I found at least 4 larva in curled up leaves or leaves that were stuck together. I made another batch of chili solution. This time I added a drop of dish soap to the solution. I sprayed the whole plant again. How long does it take for the larva to die?? Thanks, E
I don't doubt that you have gnats. Those are pretty easy to identify. But unless I'm mistaken, gnat larvae live in the soil, and stay there until they change into adult (flying) form. Are you sure that those "larvae" on your leaves aren't something else? Thrips, maybe? I think the coffee grounds might serve only to exacerbate your problem. The molds/fungi that will grow in the presence of the wet coffee grounds will only serve as more food stock for the gnat larvae. Usually, a nice layer of diatomaceous earth (DE) will take care of any larvae living in the top layer of soil.
Well, when I first noticed them, I saw them fly out of the soil when I moved the top layer around. I read somewhere that when gnats fly, they seek a new home. So, I assumed they were gnats. Here's a picture of one of the little boogers. (He was more translucent until I sprayed it with a chili solution. That red stuff is Cheyenne Powder.) Thrip? Gnat larva? I read that the acid from the coffee grounds with get rid of them. How should I proceed? Thanks, E
Where did you find that critter? On the leaves, or in the soil? If it was on the leaves, were they in direct contact with the soil? It doesn't look like an immature thrip, which gets wings later in its life. Adult thrips do not look like adult knats. Wiki' thrips. I just did a google search to confirm my original suspicions. Gnat larvae do not leave the soil. They thrive in overwatered soil (have you been overwatering?), and feed on soil organic matter. When the soil organic matter runs out, they begin to feed on the plant's roots. This, obviously, in nooo bueno. The coffee grounds are considered to be soil organic matter. Scrape them up, get them out of there. You're just feeding the gnat larvae more. Get yellow sticky tape. It REALLY attracts the adults gnats. Putting down the diatomaceous earth will cut the larvae when they try to move against it, essentially causing them to bleed to death and breaking the cycle. DE can be found at places like Home Depo, Lowes, your local garden center/nursery, and automotive stores (for sucking up spilled oil). If you go an auto' store, use the GC search function to look up DE first. They do sell, on occasion, a type of DE that is treated with something that we don't want going into our organic gardens, but I'm not sure what it is. And lastly, I'm pretty sure that you're overwatering your plants. Lay off the water a little.
Ok. Here is a little more information. I first noticed the gnats fly out of the soil. A couple of days later, I noticed that leaves that were touching, were sticking together. When I pulled them apart, I saw what looked like a spider web or nest or cocoon. I sprayed and cut out as much as I could. I then noticed that single leaves were curled up long ways. When I opened those, I saw larvae. That's where I found that booger. These leaves were not touching the soil. I'll get some diatomaceous earth. I'll let it dry out a bit too. What do I do about the ones on the leaves?? Thanks, E
Yes... I have a grow box in my garage. When I'm home all day, I pull it out and put it in the sun. It always goes in the box at night. I do have an A/C for my box to control the temps. E
O.K. So your plants are spending time outside. I am an indoor grower. It would be my guess, judging by your "cobweb/cocoon" description, that you have some kind of moth or similar insect laying eggs on the underside of the plants leaves. We are beginning to reach the limits of my pay grade. IMO, this is how to proceed... That larvae picture you posted was very nice! Get some pictures of said larvae (separate if you can, without any coloring on it) and cocoons. Post them here... http://forum.grasscity.com/organic-growing/335656-natural-insecticides-fungicides.html And here... http://forum.grasscity.com/outdoor-medical-marijuana-growing/ Between those two threads, you should be able to identify the pest and find a good organic solution to the problem. Please keep this thread updated as to any changes when you get things figured out. Good luck!
Ok. I think you're right about the moth thing. I saw a couple of moths in the box last week. I brushed them away and didn't think anything else about it. I did a quick Google search and the larvae look very similar. Someone said that if they you when you are trying to get them, they will try to hide. I went out there and pulled off this leaf with a little booger in it. Sure enough, he poked his head and as soon as I got closer, he hid. I had to poke a little metal rod through his home to make him come out. It moved just like a caterpillar. Now, I remember that when I was spraying the plant today, one of those things fell off a leaf and was hanging on by the thread coming from his butt. I removed about 4 more right after I took the picture. Hopefully that's all of them. I will look through those links to see how to combat moths and their larvae. If anyone has suggestions, I'm still all ears... Thanks, E
Monkey- If you get a chance tomorrow, take a look at the taller trees/bushes in the area where you put your plants outside. Find out what plant those larvae are coming from. If you can identify it, that's great. If not, post a picture. If we know the plant, it may help to identify the critter. To be honest, I'm surprised there hasn't been any input from anyone else. Where are you guys?
Yeah, it clearly is a worm, IMO. Inch worms and such will nest inside a leaf to build a cocoon. That's what I'm seeing by the end of the leaf being curled around, unless of course, you did that. If not, look for a silky web inside the curled leaf. Plus, based by the leaf at the end of it's ass, he's been feeding on it like a beetle. Just my two cents.
Oh, and after you clean up the plant, you may want to drape it in cheese cloth when it goes outside. This MAY help keep the little suckers away. Plus, just for the hell of it, you can see if any are crawling around on the cloth.
PW, I'm always a big fan of what you have to say. But Bt ?!? Monsanto uses a lot of Bt. Or at least the gene that produces the Bt toxin. And we still don't know if this shit is safe for human consumption. Is there, perhaps, a happier solution?
PW strikes again! +1 I don't even recognize the weaponry in my own arsenal. I feel like a d*ck. Knowledge is power. Humility is a virtue. Thanks, PW.