Re: Battling fungus gnats

If they are THAT infested...the best thing to do is take them home and
put them in clean, fresh soil...making sure you rinse the roots off
thoroughly before putting them back in the fresh soil. And I put some
form of mulch over my office plants...whether it is dried up moss,
marbles, tumbled sea glass....something that makes the soil less
accessible to the gnats. Office plants seem to get "invaded" by other
office plants and watering them less frequently is the best defense.
Don't let others water them for you.

Hope that helps.

Jess


 
----- Original Message ----
From: "Johnson, Cyndi D Civ USAF AFMC 95 CG/SCSRT" <cyndi.johnson@edwards.af.mil>
To: gardenchat@hort.net
Sent: Monday, March 24, 2008 11:05:52 AM
Subject: [CHAT] Battling fungus gnats

My office plants are infested with fungus gnats.  I got rid of the
spider mites, but someone imported the gnats and they've spread to my
office.  I can report that dosing the soil with hydrogen peroxide does
not work. Neither does houseplant insecticide (I think its active
ingredient is neem). Watering them sparingly from the bottom to dry out
the soil on top - to the point where they look wilted half the day - has
also not worked. I've been using water from a jug in which I dropped one
of those mosquito dunks (supposed to be bt israelensis, effective
against gnats) but that hasn't put a dent in them yet. However I've had
those dunks around for literally years so maybe they are too old.  I've
bought a newer type called Mosquito Bits, and some sticky traps. I
looked for Gnatrol, but I can only get it mail-order and supposedly it
is the same ingredient as the Mosquito Bits.  I might also get some sand
and try topping the soil with that, I heard they can't get through the
sand to lay eggs. Hmmm.
Every time we get someone new on this floor they bring in plants with
bugs.  Argh.

Cyndi

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