Need help to indetify a pest in my coco coir

M

Mhaxi

Member
Hello there, I'm cultivating in Canna Coco Professional Plus with Canna coco a+b and using Advanced nutrients Aditives. I check pH, EC and I'm taking temperature and humidity reading through home assistant.

I noticed some little kingd of "larvaes" in the medium when I was hand-watering my medium. I'm running a drain to waste system with 1 hand watering per day.

This is the video of the hand watering with these little motherfuckers.

If anyone know what kind of pest this is to order some products, I'm 4 week in flowering.

drive.google.com

VID_20200714_224930.mp4

drive.google.com drive.google.com

Video
 

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V

viktorschau

Member
Mhaxi said:
Hello, I haven't seen any flies around nor eaten leaves so I don't know if watering with potassium soap will be enough.
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fungus gnats won't touch the leaves of a plant. They deposit eggs in moist soil and are often only perceived once they have reached peak biblical levels. The larvae will then start eating at the roots of the plants.
They are easy to avoid however.
I would suggest you "fluff" the top layer of your coir with a small fork. Don't need to plunge it deep, allow gas exchange at the surface and reduce coir moisture at the very top where spores will proliferate at a great enough extent that the little fuckers will be attracted.
If you do suspect you have a serious gnat problem you can easily trap them with sweet coffee. Leave a few dixie cups with sweetened coffee around your area. After a few days mold will start growing and bring fungus gnats to deposit their eggs, they will drown in the old coffee.
To remove larvae on an infested plant you can cut a potato and place it on the top of your substrate, the grubs will go for the starch. You can see them with the naked eye. Discard the slices and place fresh ones until you no longer see larvae.
Finally, you can sprinkle cinnamon on the top layer to keep them from coming back.
Once everything is under control and the plants begins to grow again, fork the top layer of the substrate every 2-3 days, they will not come back.
 
M

Mhaxi

Member
viktorschau said:
fungus gnats won't touch the leaves of a plant. They deposit eggs in moist soil and are often only perceived once they have reached peak biblical levels. The larvae will then start eating at the roots of the plants.
They are easy to avoid however.
I would suggest you "fluff" the top layer of your coir with a small fork. Don't need to plunge it deep, allow gas exchange at the surface and reduce coir moisture at the very top where spores will proliferate at a great enough extent that the little fuckers will be attracted.
If you do suspect you have a serious gnat problem you can easily trap them with sweet coffee. Leave a few dixie cups with sweetened coffee around your area. After a few days mold will start growing and bring fungus gnats to deposit their eggs, they will drown in the old coffee.
To remove larvae on an infested plant you can cut a potato and place it on the top of your substrate, the grubs will go for the starch. You can see them with the naked eye. Discard the slices and place fresh ones until you no longer see larvae.
Finally, you can sprinkle cinnamon on the top layer to keep them from coming back.
Once everything is under control and the plants begins to grow again, fork the top layer of the substrate every 2-3 days, they will not come back.
Click to expand...
WOW thanks you for your complete reply, I will put some potatoes in the top of my substrate, iI just order a Potassium Soap and Neem Oil but because of holidays here in Chile it will arrive next week. Another importan thing is that I'm runnning Coco Coir, so I fertigate every day and I keep my substrate completly wet at all times. The cup of sweet cofee would work if I haven's seen any flies yet?

I'm also going to fork the top layer of my substrate today.

I was wondering if using peroxide hydrogen would kill this pest but make it worse because of the damage to all the benefical live down there, I'm desperate to fix this as I'm in flower.

Thanks again mate.
 
V

viktorschau

Member
Mhaxi said:
WOW thanks you for your complete reply, I will put some potatoes in the top of my substrate, iI just order a Potassium Soap and Neem Oil but because of holidays here in Chile it will arrive next week. Another importan thing is that I'm runnning Coco Coir, so I fertigate every day and I keep my substrate completly wet at all times. The cup of sweet cofee would work if I haven's seen any flies yet?

I'm also going to fork the top layer of my substrate today.

I was wondering if using peroxide hydrogen would kill this pest but make it worse because of the damage to all the benefical live down there, I'm desperate to fix this as I'm in flower.

Thanks again mate.
Click to expand...
You are very welcome
As you are in flower I don't think you should experiment too much , the potato will remove them just fine and will not risk harming your plants or the beneficial microbes you have in your substrate. Why use a bazooka when you can use a potato?
For the little coffee traps, it will take a few days. You will see very small black flies floating on top if you have fugus gnats after about 2 or 3 days. Replace the traps regularly if you do find adults (each female can lay hundreds of eggs).
The forking of the top layer will keep the substrate well aired and allow for gas exchange, that will keep future infestations from happening. Coconut coir is a natural anti-fungal but will eventually attract pests if you always keep it moist, fork away my friend.
After you have placed the thin potato slices, wait a day then flip it over and check for very small white grubs. If you do find something on the potato, throw it out and add fresh slices until they come up clean.
keep us posted
 
M

Mhaxi

Member
I finally did a top dress with some diatomaceous earth, and also bought some hydroton to also top dress to control some adults place more eggs in top of the substrate.IMG_20200724_174554.jpgIMG_20200724_174546.jpgIMG_20200724_180042.jpg
 
jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
JoeBlow5823 said:
Springtails?

Top dress with diatomaceous earth
Click to expand...


Ding ding ding we have a winner although your response got over looked.


FUNGUS GNATS NEVER HAVE A WHITE LARVAL STAGE THAT JUMP AROUND!!!

Fungus gnats move from eggs to larvae that are like a small clear worm with a black head.


YOU HAVE SPRINGTAILS NOT FUNGUS GNATS.
 
jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
Mhaxi said:
Thanks! What do You suggest I should do about these Springtails.
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Personally I’ve used Neem oil and spinosad treatments to the rootzone to get rid of them but as long as numbers don’t get out of hand they are Nuisance and not detrimental to well established plants.
 
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