little flys

dank smoker420

Well-Known Member

Jul 5, 2012

• #1

i have no idea what they are i would love to know. they seem to live in the soil. dont really eat any leaves that i can tell. but they do fly around. kinda look like fruit flies. i have a bug strip i plan on putting in there would that be a good idea?

 

GreatwhiteNorth

Global Moderator

Staff member

Jul 5, 2012

• #2

Most likely they are fungus gnats.
The adults won't harm your plants, but the larvae do eat the roots so I'd take care of them if I were you.
I used those small sticky traps with good results.
For a long term solution you can put a layer of sand over your soil.

 

dank smoker420

Well-Known Member

Jul 5, 2012

• #3

alright thanks i thought that is what i should do but i have not come across any sand lately. is it availible at lowes or home depot?

 

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus

Jul 5, 2012

• #4

dank smoker420 said:

alright thanks i thought that is what i should do but i have not come across any sand lately. is it availible at lowes or home depot?

Click to expand...

Yes. The other thing that is available there (and much easier to carry) is diatomaceous earth as a pool filter material. It's like stealing their little shoes and then making'em run through a field of crushed glass. cn

 

dank smoker420

Well-Known Member

Jul 5, 2012

• #5

haha alright isnt diatomaceous earth pretty much the same thing? dead diotoms?

 

PaulN'Chuck

Well-Known Member

Jul 5, 2012

• #6

what soil are you using? my answer to anything coming from the soil is fly strip, hot sand, and neem oil. wipes everything out !

 

Metasynth

Well-Known Member

Jul 5, 2012

• #7

Also, Mosquito Dunks work, since they contain the bacteria bacillus thuringiensis israelensis(bti) which interrupts the life cycle of gnats. If the sand or DE don't work, you could always crumble up a dunk and add it to the top layer of soil before watering...It's not a kill-on-contact solution, but it makes it so the gnats can't reproduce and kills them off eventually.

 

cannabineer

Ursus marijanus

Jul 5, 2012

• #8

dank smoker420 said:

haha alright isnt diatomaceous earth pretty much the same thing? dead diotoms?

Click to expand...

It's a scale thing. If you look at sand close up, you see

Diatomaceous earth, close up, is just nasty.

The result? cn

 

KidneyStoner420

Well-Known Member

Jul 5, 2012

• #9

Yes, water your plants with some diluted neem a few times, add 1/2" or so of sand to the top of your soil.

 

Coho

Well-Known Member

Jul 6, 2012

• #10

They like wet areas so let tne soil dry moretoo.

 

dank smoker420

Well-Known Member

Jul 6, 2012

• #11

i am using mg seed starter to start my seeds till they are "vegging" than i transplant them into fox farm ocean forest. i will be getting some diatomacous earth or sand tomorrow when i make it to the store. and probably get some neem oil also. thanks for all the info guys!!

 

dank smoker420

Well-Known Member

Jul 7, 2012

• #12

i got some DE today well its garden safe crawling insect killer that contains DE. is this the correct stuff? its the only DE that lowes had. its like powder. if it is the correct stuff how much do i put ontop of the soil?

 

GreatwhiteNorth

Global Moderator

Staff member

Jul 7, 2012

• #13

3/8" layer on top of the soil will work fine.

Oh, and yesterday was Friday, you Bitches.