I can't get rid of Fungus Gnats!! Can Ne1 help?

[Claudia]

Hi to all, I'm a first time grower, just joined ur site a few days ago. Very Informative! A Really positve Feel. Very Refreshing!!

 

I run a 4 tub sattelite recycling system using coco peat as my medium & coco canna nutrients, im in 3rd week of bloom.

I have a prob tho: Fungus Gnats!

 

I noticed them about 4 weeks ago, Ive used an Azardaractin drench twice already + confidor once a week, the pots are fully covered with plastic, i use oxyplus regularly, i flush every week, the res temp is 21c, room temp at 26-27c. I'm still finding the dead adults & larvae in the resevoir!! They aren't getting out at all from under the plastic but the little bastards are still breeding & feeding on my roots!!

 

The roots are still all white, so no pytheum as yet, but from the other info I've read i believe my 4 princess's are suffering manganese or magnesium deficiencies with yellowing, spots, rust or dark blotches on lower to mid level leaves that eventually shrivel & die!

I thought i was going crazy, but after grabbing a magnifying glass, found i'd also seen correctly, the little gnats (pre-adult) crawling up the stems of my plants!!

I would be greatful for ANY ADVICE!! as i'm stumped!!

Thanks guys!

Kind Regards, Claudia

[Spurious]

Douse pots liberally with imidacloprid powder (Confidor)

 

Mix up powder in water as directed, and pour into pots until leaking out from bottom.

 

Harmless to plants, but very effective with gnats.

 

http://www.greengold.com.au/lgcshop/media/Confidor.jpg

[Luke Skywalker]

I wouldn't recommend using coco in a recirc system, but I suppose with careful use you could do it... Might find that the plants require a bit more effort though, and like you've found, fungus gnats love the stuff....

 

Confidor is okay I suppose, I would personally look for a product called "Success" which can be used as a drench @ 1/4 of the normal rate, allowed to soak in and then flushed out the next day.

 

You might be having nutrient problems because of the insect attack, but it could also be related to your use of cocopeat as a recirculating media, which is almost never done. I'd suggest converting your system to a run-to-waste, and ensure that you're using a coco-peat nutrient formula, which takes the organic nature and high Cation Exchange Capacity of your media into account.

 

Run to waste with coco is very effective, and you won't be getting the continual re-infection of your media.

 

Hope that helps you Claudia. Good luck with the dreaded gnat.

[Tom]

High there Claudia, welcome to the forums.

Run to waste with coco is very effective, and you won't be getting the continual re-infection of your media.

Yeah, it will be easy and cheap to do too. Here's a description of my rtw hydro set-up, just substitute the coco for my media, Pure has been using rtw with coco so maybe he can add a few things as well.

 

[Claudia]

Thanks Spurious, LukeSkywalker & Tom for ur suggestions.

 

Spurious, u say i should try Confidor on the roots? I was under the impression that Confidor should NEVER be sprayed on the roots!? Is the stuff in the can/spray bottle different to the confidor drench u mentioned?

 

Success? What's the main ingredient? Do i get it from a nursury or the hydro shop?

 

Luke & Tom, both u guys suggest the use of coco in recycling is a bad idea?

Please tell me more, it was recommended by a couple of different people!

Even the guy at the shop!? But since setting up i have read that others wouldnt use it, i assumed it was just a matter of personal taste though?

So there's more to it? pray tell!!

 

I'm sure (i hope! !) that everyone must have felt this way in the beginning,

but at times things can seem So Complex!! & u could really do ur head in over

- all the different, conflicting, contradicting, information you must absorb & compute & somehow manage to put into action to get those results you know you want, you just don't have much of an idea how ur going along the way!?!

 

I mean, you can't exactley call a handyman to come on over & give the room an inspection to ensure everything's in working order, can you... .. Can YOu??

[fsagertyaef]

i used to knwo a guy that would go around and help people set up grow rooms but he got busted you tell him what you want and he would make it or let you make it and help you out most of the time just for the fun of it but when he was strapped for cash tuesday and wendsay b4 pay day he would charge a dime or a twenty depended on wh oyou were good guy but for the most part no you cant this site has helped me immensly i know what you mean about getting in over your head im in over mine right now but fora couple of reasons dont worry to much just flush like tey said and i ccant remember whawt type of other bug it was but theres a natural enemy to a scared fly and that arent harmful to mj maby someone else will know waht the name of that bug is

[F420]

I use a flood and drain system with clayballs, But what I use is DM guardian and Neem to prevent any outbreaks

And when I do get any scarid fly I then use Diazinon.

 

Fungus Gnat Predators (Hypoaspis aculeifer)