Fungus Gnats - Aquaponic Gardening2024-03-29T08:51:20Zhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/forum/topics/fungus-gnats?commentId=4778851%3AComment%3A537061&feed=yes&xn_auth=noOrganocide is organic but it…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-22:4778851:Comment:5378522013-12-22T13:16:54.807ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Organocide is organic but it is also mostly oil based so I would advise extreme caution about using it anywhere near aquaponics. Oils can suffocate fish if there is too much that gets in the water.</p>
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<p>I think the BT concentrate is a good idea against he fungus gnats and dipping the seedlings or at least their trays in it while tedious, is probably a very effective control for the larva stage.</p>
<p>Organocide is organic but it is also mostly oil based so I would advise extreme caution about using it anywhere near aquaponics. Oils can suffocate fish if there is too much that gets in the water.</p>
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<p>I think the BT concentrate is a good idea against he fungus gnats and dipping the seedlings or at least their trays in it while tedious, is probably a very effective control for the larva stage.</p> I have always used BT bacillu…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-18:4778851:Comment:5370612013-12-18T07:15:43.390ZKenji Snowhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/KenjiSnow
<p>I have always used BT bacillus thuringiensis israelensis with great success in a commercial greenhouse as a foliar spray and directly into the media beds. I also add it to every brew of compost tea and no gnats or flies. BT (i) is the active ingredient in mosquito dunks but I think concentrated BT (i) has a lot more organisms than the dunks. Also try lowering your water level in the media. I lowered mine 1/2" and it made a difference. They also like plugs if you use them so spray those as…</p>
<p>I have always used BT bacillus thuringiensis israelensis with great success in a commercial greenhouse as a foliar spray and directly into the media beds. I also add it to every brew of compost tea and no gnats or flies. BT (i) is the active ingredient in mosquito dunks but I think concentrated BT (i) has a lot more organisms than the dunks. Also try lowering your water level in the media. I lowered mine 1/2" and it made a difference. They also like plugs if you use them so spray those as well. Yellow sticky traps would also do well in your situation. The key is to break the life cycle of the gnat (or any other pest insect) the fungus gnat lives about 28 days 7 of them are as an adult fly so go for the adults with the sticky traps, hit their offspring with BT (i) and take away their comfortable environment. <span>Organocide is also a great spray you can get at home depot. Its organic and kills a huge array of pests including fungus gnat eggs, larvae and adults.One word of caution...<span>Organocide has fish emulsion in it your plants will love it but you will have a fishy smell for a couple days. .</span></span></p>
<p> </p> I have always used BT bacillu…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-18:4778851:Comment:5369692013-12-18T07:13:18.759ZKenji Snowhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/KenjiSnow
<p>I have always used BT bacillus thuringiensis israelensis with great success in a commercial greenhouse as a foliar spray and directly into the media beds. I also add it to every brew of compost tea and no gnats or flies. BT (i) is the active ingredient in mosquito dunks but I think concentrated BT (i) has a lot more organisms than the dunks. Also try lowering your water level in the media. I lowered mine 1/2" and it made a difference. They also like plugs if you use them so spray those as…</p>
<p>I have always used BT bacillus thuringiensis israelensis with great success in a commercial greenhouse as a foliar spray and directly into the media beds. I also add it to every brew of compost tea and no gnats or flies. BT (i) is the active ingredient in mosquito dunks but I think concentrated BT (i) has a lot more organisms than the dunks. Also try lowering your water level in the media. I lowered mine 1/2" and it made a difference. They also like plugs if you use them so spray those as well. Yellow sticky traps would also do well in your situation. The key is to break the life cycle of the gnat (or any other pest insect) the fungus gnat lives about 28 days 7 of them are as an adult fly so go for the adults with the sticky traps, hit their offspring with BT (i) and take away their comfortable environment. <span>Organocide is also a great spray you can get at home depot. Its organic and kills a huge array of pests including fungus gnat eggs, larvae and adults.One word of caution...<span>Organocide has fish emulsion in it your plants will love it but you will have a fishy smell for a couple days. .</span></span></p>
<p> </p> Thanks all for your great con…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-18:4778851:Comment:5371712013-12-18T03:19:00.054ZMike Coenhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/MikeCoen
<p>Thanks all for your great concern and time to advise from your experience. For now, I have beaten the gnats into submission but it only takes two to start a new generation and I doubt I have them 100 percent annihilated. In the process, I have new media, clean from the dirt that was in my first growbed media which was "washed" pea gravel. I am using lava rock, more meticulously washed by screen and hose, topped with expanded clay/ceramic pebbles. I cleaned out half the gravel in the…</p>
<p>Thanks all for your great concern and time to advise from your experience. For now, I have beaten the gnats into submission but it only takes two to start a new generation and I doubt I have them 100 percent annihilated. In the process, I have new media, clean from the dirt that was in my first growbed media which was "washed" pea gravel. I am using lava rock, more meticulously washed by screen and hose, topped with expanded clay/ceramic pebbles. I cleaned out half the gravel in the growbeds and then flooded/drained them until I had effectively drowned millions of little larvae of at least two different sizes. Washed out all dirt but didn't clean surfaces entirely to give the system a head start on bacteria culture. The process was complicated in that I had to also keep 50 Tilapia happy in a 55 gallon drum with aeration and a heater while the system was refilling and reheating. Thanks sincerely, Mike</p> come to think of it, the hydr…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-18:4778851:Comment:5371702013-12-18T02:00:07.758ZRob Nashhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/RobNash
<p>come to think of it, the hydro shop does sell it out of a bucket, in zip lock bags.. that they must have filled. with just a printed label and price.</p>
<p>I like the idea of the dunks. if they are harmless to fish, it sure would be convenient if we could just set them under the inlet water, or in a raft and let them do their thing. ..now I understand why dunks are so pricey.</p>
<p>we really haven't had any outbreaks this year ..the only place I ever see gnats anymore, is the coir in the…</p>
<p>come to think of it, the hydro shop does sell it out of a bucket, in zip lock bags.. that they must have filled. with just a printed label and price.</p>
<p>I like the idea of the dunks. if they are harmless to fish, it sure would be convenient if we could just set them under the inlet water, or in a raft and let them do their thing. ..now I understand why dunks are so pricey.</p>
<p>we really haven't had any outbreaks this year ..the only place I ever see gnats anymore, is the coir in the seedling trays or in the net pots in the rafts. ..how cool would be if all you needed was a dunk in one of the raft's holes.</p>
<p>to use the gnatrol, I mix it into a gallon of water and dunk the roots, net pot, coir and all when transplanting into the rafts.</p>
<p>...this can add up to be quite a chore, but does knock them out ...but only after about 6 weeks of transplants.</p> Yes, Gnatrol is the same BT s…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-17:4778851:Comment:5372152013-12-17T14:03:09.387ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Yes, Gnatrol is the same BT strain as mosquito dunks but in a liquid form for use in greenhouse/nursery production where you would apply it with sprayers or even directly through the fertilizer injection systems and I know a place where I can get it. Unfortunately the 5 gallon bucket size is the smallest they offer and it costs over $300 so I haven't been willing to spring for it.</p>
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<p>Oh when I search "Gnatrol" by Valient apparently they have it in a water dispersal granular form…</p>
<p>Yes, Gnatrol is the same BT strain as mosquito dunks but in a liquid form for use in greenhouse/nursery production where you would apply it with sprayers or even directly through the fertilizer injection systems and I know a place where I can get it. Unfortunately the 5 gallon bucket size is the smallest they offer and it costs over $300 so I haven't been willing to spring for it.</p>
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<p>Oh when I search "Gnatrol" by Valient apparently they have it in a water dispersal granular form now. Still, since they don't say where to buy it to what size it comes in, I have to guess it is still basically the same stuff I found before that I couldn't justify spending that much money for when a package of mosquito dunks doesn't cost that much and I already had them on hand.</p> I think you can find that str…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-17:4778851:Comment:5371412013-12-17T13:40:48.882ZRob Nashhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/RobNash
<p>I think you can find that strain of BT in a product called "Gnatrol" by Valient</p>
<p>I think you can find that strain of BT in a product called "Gnatrol" by Valient</p> Mosquito dunks have the bacte…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-16:4778851:Comment:5371142013-12-16T23:18:25.106ZTCLynxhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/TCLynx
<p>Mosquito dunks have the bacteria that will also work against fungus gnats. Trick is you probably need to pulverize the dunks or get the granules so you can mix them with water and then spread or spray over your media. Or perhaps if you can sprinkle the bits of a dunk or the granules over your media bed and then flood the bed deep enough for a while to wash the bits down into the water and let them dissolve some perhaps that will help against the gnats.</p>
<p> I think it is unlikely that…</p>
<p>Mosquito dunks have the bacteria that will also work against fungus gnats. Trick is you probably need to pulverize the dunks or get the granules so you can mix them with water and then spread or spray over your media. Or perhaps if you can sprinkle the bits of a dunk or the granules over your media bed and then flood the bed deep enough for a while to wash the bits down into the water and let them dissolve some perhaps that will help against the gnats.</p>
<p> I think it is unlikely that switching media to something "cleaner" will help. The Fungus gnats are after the moisture and roots, the lack or presence of "soil" makes little difference to them. Sticky traps may help catch the adults but the particular bacillus thurengensis that is in Mosquito dunks can also infect the fungus gnat larva and is probably easier to get on short notice than the beneficial bugs (but I think I would also order the beneficial bugs too to help take care of the ones that don't die of the BT.</p> We had a fungus gnat outbreak…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-16:4778851:Comment:5369002013-12-16T17:35:25.683ZMatt Freshourhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/MattFreshour
<p>We had a fungus gnat outbreak in our Boulder greenhouse. We had pretty good results with Hypoaspis Miles (H. Miles). They're a small predatory mite that feed on thrip, springtails and fungus gnat larvae.</p>
<p>There is also a product out there by Growstone called Gnat Nix. I have not used it myself, but it may be something worth checking out also.</p>
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<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Matt </p>
<p>We had a fungus gnat outbreak in our Boulder greenhouse. We had pretty good results with Hypoaspis Miles (H. Miles). They're a small predatory mite that feed on thrip, springtails and fungus gnat larvae.</p>
<p>There is also a product out there by Growstone called Gnat Nix. I have not used it myself, but it may be something worth checking out also.</p>
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<p>Thanks,</p>
<p>Matt </p> By now Cher's gnats have fou…tag:aquaponicgardening.ning.com,2013-12-16:4778851:Comment:5366322013-12-16T01:16:57.014ZMike Coenhttps://aquaponicgardening.ning.com/profile/MikeCoen
<p><br></br> By now Cher's gnats have found my growroom in Colorado. I have MILLIONS of larvae in the gravel. Problem is, my time wouldn't work for me and I have just left it on constant flood/drain. I'm eventually going to change from gravel to a cleaner media and make a few other adjustments to the system so maybe it is best now to move the fish out temporarily, fumigate and start over with fresh media and plants. What do you think about that approach?<br></br> <cite>Growzay…</cite></p>
<p><br/> By now Cher's gnats have found my growroom in Colorado. I have MILLIONS of larvae in the gravel. Problem is, my time wouldn't work for me and I have just left it on constant flood/drain. I'm eventually going to change from gravel to a cleaner media and make a few other adjustments to the system so maybe it is best now to move the fish out temporarily, fumigate and start over with fresh media and plants. What do you think about that approach?<br/> <cite>Growzay said:</cite></p>
<blockquote cite="http://community.theaquaponicsource.com/forum/topics/fungus-gnats?id=4778851%3ATopic%3A193420&page=1#4778851Comment193340"><div><div class="xg_user_generated"><p>You should address the problem which is most likely the constant flow watering cycle. If I were you I would try getting a timer and setting the timer to cycle on ( water) once an hour for fifteen minutes. It would be off for forty-five minutes giving the roots time to become unsaturated. Also, you should check your watewr level and make sure it is at least an inch below the surface of the grow media. That alone should eliminate you problems substantially. To kill the larva you should try spraying the roots lightly w/hydrogen peroxide- 1 part- 3 part water. Keep fresh sticky yellow traps available to knock down the breeding population and to help identify any other types of pests that may enter from the outside. As a last resort you should consider using a pyrethrum fogger in the room while your not home.</p>
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