INFESTED GROW ROOM!!

[allhailthebud]

hey all

 

6th day lights on, plants just sprouted (all 8) and i just went in and found 2 small black fly's buzz'n around..

 

what are thease things ?

 

how can i kill them asap ?

 

how do they effect my plants ?

 

ta

[F420]

My guess is the flies are scarid fly. They are not too much of an issue, but their larva eat your roots. the larvae stage is fungus gnat.

 

Best option is a sticky trap for the adults and some Neem for the plants.

[Claudia]

Hi allhailthebud,

I'm pretty new to everything too, i DO KNOW about SCARID FLY though!! or Fungus gnats the little bastards r also called. I had them for weeks!! But have got rid of them now.

As Ferenghi420 says the larvae eat the fungus in your medium and along with that, the roots of ur plants. This can then cause fungal disease and/or nutrient deficiencies!

Are u using Coco? Do u have the tops of ur pots covered with the reflective plastic up to the plant stem? This stops the algae growing in ur medium - it's the perfect environment - damp moist area - tons of nutrient & bacteria with great lighting!

This also stops more little flys laying eggs in the algae(which they love!)

A female can lay hundreds of eggs in an hour or something i read! So you've got to kill the whole lifecycle- the adults, larvae & eggs.

Hope i haven't scared you, just been thru it so i want to fill u in on everything that took me a little while 2 find out

I'd use "Confidor" uv probably heard of it, it's a yates garden pesticide spray. You'll get the flys with this when u see them or just spray the crop according to the instructions, every week thoroughly and whenever u see one flying.

I used an azardaractin drench or Aza-drench it is sometimes called which u pour thru the medium to kill the larvae (the most serious troublemakers) it's the main active ingredient in neem oil which Ferenghi mentioned. The drench is heaps more concentrated then the neem oil spray which u also use as well to spray the crop on an ongoing preventative or deterrant.

 

I hope this helps you out allhailthebud. Don't worry 2 much about them tho,

you will get rid of them, just remember they breed quick so it's the whole cycle uv got 2 get stuck in2

 

My girls are stronger than ever, and less than a fortnight ago i was stressing about them badly!! Just put out a vendetta on the fungus gnat & thoroughly set out to destroy them!!

 

Goodluck! Hope this helped some!

Regards, Claudia :smoke

[jackfrost]

scarid fly are one of the main causes of trouble people get when growing.

 

get rid of anything that will attract them. ie.. fruit bowls or scrape bucket of rotting food of anytype, from the location or near the location ie.. grass clippings rotting out side near window, is another that will attract them.

 

Its pretty hard when your babies are only that small 2 treat them with 2 much else you run the risk burning the roots.

 

Maybe 1ml litre microbial 2 1 litre water and folier spray around grow room and slighly onto RW or grow media will keep them away for now.

 

But something must be attracting them. Clean your location if it needs it.

 

 

Jack

[Tom]

Try using Dutch Master's Guardian, I use it as a preventative measure in every reservoir, it can also clear up light infestations of fungus gnat.

 

[allhailthebud]

thanks guys,

 

i opened up my grow to find only 1 this morning, although there were 3 or 4 last night..

 

my theory is, since i have 2 x 120mm fans running constantly, and the exhaust fan doesnt have ducting on one side of it, they must be getting killed by that. I also lured the last one into it, took about 10 mins

[Claudia]

Hi again allhailthebud,

 

If ever ur in the mood and/or really wired/focused, look really closely at your medium and the base of ur plant stems, get a magnifying glass if u can, cos that one fly can lay hundreds of eggs very quickly and u'll see the gnats (they're tiny - like a mm across.) They do the damage.

 

Not trying 2 be the pessimist, just know from experience in that one dept.

Goodluck, fingers crossed they were just checking out the beautiful plant thy emerald green deity - MJ

Regards, Claudia.