Re: Battling fungus gnats

Cyndy, here's two things you can do. Try to find Bt at your local
nursery. You make a solution of that and pour it into the soil. It's
great stuff and natural. Second disrupt the soil with your fingers to
about a half an inch down. I originally Marge Talt told us about that a
decade ago or so. It really works. It messes up their reproduction. Use
your fingers like a hoe through the soil.


DF



----- 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 9:05:52 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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