From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Topsfield, MA

Hi, I am doing an indoor garden in my basement and today I've noticed some little nats flying around they are very annoying and I don't want them to infect my plants, any ideas on how to get rid of them?

Thanks

12/11/2016 9:41:30 AM

Oak Grove, Mn

if they are fungus gnats you for sure want to get rid of them..they will suck the sap right out of the plant. I give my indoor tomatoes a dose of systemic pesticide...merit. but i don't eat my tomatoes. If you are looking to consume the fruit, your options are more difficult.

12/11/2016 11:22:35 AM

Topsfield, MA

Ok, thanks what are fungus nats do they look different from regular nats? I am going to eat some tomatoes that are the small kind, but not all so is there a chemical that I can spray that won't harm the vegetables?

12/11/2016 12:03:48 PM

Topsfield, MA

Just looked up a picture and yes they are fungus gnats, I had a issue with them a while back and never thought they where an issue. But yes I have fungus gnats

12/11/2016 12:13:10 PM

Valencia Spain

Hey Bob Not sprayed my toms with nothing, outside and no problems, no bugs or diseases

12/11/2016 12:29:21 PM

Topsfield, MA

West ham have you had any issues with fungi gnats indoors there spreading fast in my indoor garden

12/11/2016 12:33:10 PM

stoughton WI

Henry, hang a few fly strips around. See if that does any good.

12/11/2016 12:46:34 PM

Valencia Spain

No But DoNT grow inside

12/11/2016 12:59:11 PM

Valencia Spain

Join in facebook giant veg community, lots of indoor growers of leeks, onions etc, think fungus gnat is sciarid fly

12/11/2016 1:00:49 PM

Valencia Spain

Google sciarid fly, loads of information

12/11/2016 1:10:27 PM

Topsfield, MA

Ok, I'm doing the indoor growing tomatoes challenge so I have to grow inside, thanks for the help I will look the information up and maybe get some fly stripes

12/11/2016 1:41:45 PM

Lymington UK

Fungus gnats are not really going to damage your plants but are a pain in the arse. A few yellow sticky traps will generally mop them up.
Scarid flies will most definitely damage your plants but it is their larve that do the damage. If you can tip a potted plant out you can often see very small ( 2mm) larvae on the side of the pot. The larve are going to eat the roots sl look for the tips of the roots going brown.

12/11/2016 3:18:29 PM

Lymington UK

Both scarid and fungus gnats look very similar so some really good investigation.
Ian

12/11/2016 3:22:43 PM

Topsfield, MA

Yes it is a scarid nat, I took some pictures then looked it up and saw that it was a scarid nat. I'm not sure what I'm going to do, the are going to suck up the juice fro every plant before I can get the sticky traps uhhhhh

12/11/2016 8:25:14 PM

Topsfield, MA

Look on my diary I will post pics on there

12/11/2016 8:25:55 PM

Bethlehem CT

I am not sure about scarid gnats but with fungus gnats, I try to keep the potting media on the dry side and scratch the surface of the growing media. This will help dry it out some.

12/11/2016 9:37:18 PM

Joliet, IL

http://www.orkin.com/flies/gnats/fungus-gnat-larvae/

12/11/2016 10:26:14 PM

Joliet, IL

http://www.orkin.com/flies/gnats/fungus-gnat-larvae/

12/11/2016 10:26:15 PM

Joliet, IL

http://www.orkin.com/flies/gnats/fungus-gnat-larvae/

12/11/2016 10:26:18 PM

Joliet, IL

Oops....sorry for the triple hit.....fungus gnats lay eggs...they can multiply quickly, yellow sticky traps can control adults....i light spray of somthing similar to products described applied on soil surface where the grats lay their eggs. http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7448.html

12/11/2016 10:43:56 PM

Joliet, IL

Bonide Pyrethrin....spray it 1/3 dose on indoor soil surface...organic methods available also if you google

12/11/2016 11:19:37 PM

Central Illinois

one year I tried 3 methods at the same time let the soil dry out,then watered with a bifenthrin pesticide and covered the soil with Diatomaceous earth, something worked because the were gone in a few days.

But bifenthrin is not for edible crops

12/12/2016 11:50:38 AM

Johnston, Iowa

Probably fungus gnats. I've struggled with them for years. Nuking the soil with Merit is the only thing that I've found that works. When preparing for indoor growing in the winter (or other times of the year) as a Preventative measure I heat the potting soil in the microwave, using a meat thermometer make sure the temp gets up to 170 degrees. (Many times fungus gnats can hitch a ride into your house inside of the bag of potting soil)

12/13/2016 2:12:00 PM

Topsfield, MA

Uhh, they are such a pain, they are really spreading now and they keep going on my plants, can I use anything that I can pour by the stem of the root of each plant that will kill them? I am going to eat everything that I'm growing so I don't want anything that harms the fruit, I'm it sure what I can use that's out there but merit poisons the fruit and vegetables. All my plants are already potted and growing so I can't nuke the soil up, any recommendations for what I can use that will kill that bugs but not harm the vegetables and fruit?


Thanks

12/13/2016 4:05:36 PM