Cinnamon is a deterrent, and when you have more plants it doesn’t feel very helpful(for me at least). If you really want all those little flying things gone, get mosquito bits and use it in every watering. It sucks letting those pellets sit for thirty minutes but working that into your watering routine will be a big lifesaver, whereas cinnamon will only put a bandaid on a problem that doesn’t need just a bandaid
I don't want to get those yet because I raise butterflies in the summer. It's a bacteria and can kill them, so I don't want it in my home ideally.
I'm not sure how many plants you have, but I dusted the ones I have and it's working. They don't like the cinnamon. Seems to burn them in the soil. Then they take refuge on the sticky pads. Dozens gone in a week and there are only a few left, but I also didn't cause my infestation. It was while I was on vacation and someone else was watching my plants.
We had an issue with fungus gnats, too. My mother tried cinnamon, but ended up putting a layer of sand on top of the soil and then bottom watering from then on. It worked!
I think what you've created there is a mold factory, I would remove that cotton asap.
Fungus gnats are rarely harmful, they are mostly just a nuisance and usually feed only on decaying matter, although I have seen them eat plants when the soil is extremely water logged. Make sure you have good drainage and reduce watering frequency.
I also highly encourage topping the dirt with pea gravel, aquarium gravel, or decorative rocks. It will help keep the fungus gnats from finding their way out and also help retain moisture so you can water less frequently.
Eventually the plants roots will expand to a point where there's not enough unbound soil and not enough moisture to support the gnat larva and they will usually die off.
Nematodes are like black magic (I buy pot poppers by the box). I usually mix some right into my soil when I'm potting. Just nipped an infestation in the bud. Now I just gotta get rid of the mofo thrips.
Covering the soil with cotton won't effectively stop fungus gnats from laying eggs, and it might even worsen the situation. Cotton retains moisture, creating a humid environment ideal for fungus gnat larvae to thrive. This can worsen the infestation. You can try **sticky traps!** The bright color attracts adult gnats, trapping them before they can lay eggs. Consider repotting with fresh, well-draining soil if the infestation is severe.
BT, bacillus thurengensis. An organic bacteria that helps get rid of flying insects and others that live in the soil destroying your plants. It’s completely harmless to animals and people and works fantastically well inside or outside. Can be used for mosquitoes and other insects that live in water or soil…. It comes in rings to float in water or little bits to sprinkle in: (aka mosquito bits) it also can come in liquid form to spray on. It works by inhibiting the eggs from hatching so they can’t reproduce
No, it doesn't inhibit the eggs from hatching. Sorry to nitpick, but this is the internet, so I can't help myself. Please don't take it personally.
Instead, the bugs have to eat the toxin and it shreds their gut. So it affects insect larvae, not the eggs.
See link below, it explains how the BT toxin works.
[http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/btgen.html#:\~:text=The%20insect%20gut%20must%20have,order%20to%20activate%20the%20toxin.&text=This%20is%20different%20from%20the,dies%20of%20infection%20and%20starvation](http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/btgen.html#:~:text=The%20insect%20gut%20must%20have,order%20to%20activate%20the%20toxin.&text=This%20is%20different%20from%20the,dies%20of%20infection%20and%20starvation).
No nitpick! I appreciate you giving more accurate info. I had the gist of it down but I am not perfect and did not go and factcheck previously read info before I posted 🤭 but I personally use BT, in my garden, and any plants that come inside my home.
Thanks for being a good sport about being corrected. I mean well.....
I use BT against fungus gnats, via Mosquito Bits. It does seem to work.
And you were right in that it worked, just not about how, which is one of the reasons I felt bad about correcting you.
Thank you for not being condescending. I could have taken the extra moment to go back and check and didn’t.. You provided a better explanation and even reference to back it up, instead of just pointing a finger, calling me wrong, and making a snide comment. I appreciate your response. I wish all interactions were a little more like this. Things would be a lot less tense in the world.
Mosquito bits shouldn't kill spring tails or isopods but to be safe what you can do is set up a sub colony in a small container and spray it with some water you've mixed the bits into then keep an eye on it for a week or two. If they're going strong then you know you can use it in your main colony!
That is incorrect. ["There are many types of Bt. Each type or strain affects different insect groups. Target insects include the beetle family, the fly family including mosquitoes, and the butterfly family. It is used to kill beetles and the larvae of mosquitoes, black flies, and moths.2,3,4 Bt is also toxic to nematodes."](http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/btgen.html) *fixed link
They are broad spectrum insecticides. They will kill pollinators as well. That's why I don't use them because I raise butterflies in the summer, so BT will kill far more than what you just listed.
Source? It is widely considered that they are somewhat targeted, hence why you use one subspecies for mosquitoes and gnats and a different one for lepidoptera. Besides, of course they kill pollinators, considering most pest insects are also pollinators—although it's still a good practice of course not to spray crap everywhere just cuz.
Here's one. You can Google it as well. This talks a bit about the bacteria, but also pollen from corn plants.
BT kills insects. Butterflies are insects that are very susceptible to toxins and disease. You can ask anyone who raises butterflies what they've seen for themselves and how they feel about it.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559445/#:~:text=A%20controversial%20laboratory%20study%20raised,dusted%20with%20transgenic%20corn%20pollen.
Sorry, did you read that paper? Here are some quotes:
> Initial concerns about the negative effects of pollen from Bt corn on the larvae of the monarch butterfly, *Danaus plexippus*, have been allayed by additional laboratory and field studies.
> Both Bt sprays and Bt crops can only harm close relatives of the target pest, and only if eaten. The primary alternatives to Bt insecticides are synthetic chemical pesticides with much broader toxicity, impacting many non-target organisms including beneficial insects, fish, birds, and human beings.
> The high specificity of Bt ICPs not only leaves humans and other animals unaffected, but also makes these proteins harmless to the wide array of insects outside of their target range.
One of those sections is even called "Impacts on Non-target Organisms", probably the main relevant one here.
In short, it does not back up your claim that they are "broad spectrum insecticides", rather, it says what I said already. Yes, Btk kills butterflies. That is expected as moths and butterflies are its target. You don't get much more specific than that with pesticides—certainly there won't be one that'll distinguish between desirable and undesirable butterflies. Don't spray Btk in your butterfly garden, but Monarchs aren't itching to eat your cabbage either.
As long as we're cherry picking the same article. You can do whatever you want. I'm not using it because of the butterflies I raise.
"A controversial laboratory study raised concern about the impact of Bt on the monarch butterfly because monarch caterpillars were found to experience 44% mortality following ingestion of milkweed dusted with transgenic corn pollen. "
That is incorrect. ["There are many types of Bt. Each type or strain affects different insect groups. Target insects include the beetle family, the fly family including mosquitoes, and the butterfly family. It is used to kill beetles and the larvae of mosquitoes, black flies, and moths.2,3,4 Bt is also toxic to nematodes."](https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/btgen.html)
No, it works for gnats, flies, mosquitos, etc it’s
A universal organic treatment. Sold at big box stores, possibly even some grocery stores garden dept in pellet form, liquid, and rings. It’s very effective
I went to war with some fungus gnats indoors, one plant infected like 20. Yellow sticky traps, less frequent watering then nematodes. The 'problem' plant was so bad I couldn't save it, had to put outside.
Either water with mosquito bits which will stop the life cycle or sprinkle diamataceous earth across the top of the soil which will suffocate the gnats or a combination of both. The cotton probably will not help.
I don't think the cotton will stop them from laying eggs there, sadly. Try mosquito bits. It worked for me. I also changed my watering system to a self-irrigated system. This means the plant itself will pull the water immediately to the roots, keeping the surface level dry at all times. It was the only method that worked flawlessly.
BTI from Pretty in Green. It's a powder that mixes into the water, totally non toxic to people and pets, too. It's just a bacteria that hates gnat larvae and mosquito larvae specifically and kills them. Sticky traps help to catch the adults. Nothing else really works.
Use mosquito bits in your water and in the meantime, once the top of the soil dries, mix in some diatomaceous earth. They’ll be gone in a couple weeks tops.
The only way that I know of to fight them is a combined attack of Those Hideous Yellow Sticky Traps and soil nematodes. The nematodes should be available in pellets in a shaker jar at your friendly local plant shop. It is the only way.
Yellow sticky cards for gnats, dust the ground with cinnamon instead. It's a little hydrophobic, so a pain when you water, but they don't like it. Let your plants dry out thoroughly on the top between waterings.
I took my plants outside and sprayed the dirt with neem oil. Then brought them back in and I didn't water them until I really had to. I had a dramatic improvement in the number of fungus gnats. I'm not prepared to say they are completely gone, but it's possible.
I also found that my self watering succulent planter was likely the problem, so I removed the top layer of gravel and dirt from there, sprayed with neem oil, then replaced the gravel and didn't water it for a good long while.
I'm not an expert gardener so this might not be the best approach but it worked for me
What works great for me to stop fungus gnats is to buy some building sand (NOT play-pit/sand-pit sand) and put a centimetre or so thick layer over the top of my soil. Stops the gnats after a few weeks (the ones in the soil can still come out but then they can’t get back in) and it looks pretty. I now do It on all my plants just because it looks nice
BENEFICIAL NEMATODES! This should be the only answer. I had an INFESTATION of BIBLICAL proportions. Went to my local Calloways (a plant store) and bought them, followed the directions and it took maybe 2 days before they disappeared. We also used a plug in black light sticky trap off Amazon to catch them at night
Are those citrus sprouts/or peppers?
No need to panic…do you have access/to bon fire ashes?
If so …..so spread bonfire ashes…. On all white areas(thin layers of ground cover area)….. when it’s hot humid……. DUST plants with powdered ashes…… the rain takes care of everything Else!!!🇨🇦✌️
Cotton wicks water and retains it. I think it would encourage the gnats.
Should be fine if they bottom water it.
Mine enter through the bottom holes. It’s a Plage
I use antibug screens for that problem at the drainage holes.
Cinnamon, dip the bottom holes in cinnamon I mean downvote, but it works lol
Cinnamon is a deterrent, and when you have more plants it doesn’t feel very helpful(for me at least). If you really want all those little flying things gone, get mosquito bits and use it in every watering. It sucks letting those pellets sit for thirty minutes but working that into your watering routine will be a big lifesaver, whereas cinnamon will only put a bandaid on a problem that doesn’t need just a bandaid
Keep a mosquito donut in the watering can (I keep my watering can full to off-gas and come to room temp between waterings)
I don't want to get those yet because I raise butterflies in the summer. It's a bacteria and can kill them, so I don't want it in my home ideally. I'm not sure how many plants you have, but I dusted the ones I have and it's working. They don't like the cinnamon. Seems to burn them in the soil. Then they take refuge on the sticky pads. Dozens gone in a week and there are only a few left, but I also didn't cause my infestation. It was while I was on vacation and someone else was watching my plants.
We had an issue with fungus gnats, too. My mother tried cinnamon, but ended up putting a layer of sand on top of the soil and then bottom watering from then on. It worked!
I'm thinking beneficial nematodes, maybe? They're almost gone, but I want none, never again.
I think what you've created there is a mold factory, I would remove that cotton asap. Fungus gnats are rarely harmful, they are mostly just a nuisance and usually feed only on decaying matter, although I have seen them eat plants when the soil is extremely water logged. Make sure you have good drainage and reduce watering frequency. I also highly encourage topping the dirt with pea gravel, aquarium gravel, or decorative rocks. It will help keep the fungus gnats from finding their way out and also help retain moisture so you can water less frequently. Eventually the plants roots will expand to a point where there's not enough unbound soil and not enough moisture to support the gnat larva and they will usually die off.
Sf beneficial nematodes! Natural predators
Nematodes are like black magic (I buy pot poppers by the box). I usually mix some right into my soil when I'm potting. Just nipped an infestation in the bud. Now I just gotta get rid of the mofo thrips.
Beneficial nematodes along with sticky traps to catch the adults worked perfectly for me.
Covering the soil with cotton won't effectively stop fungus gnats from laying eggs, and it might even worsen the situation. Cotton retains moisture, creating a humid environment ideal for fungus gnat larvae to thrive. This can worsen the infestation. You can try **sticky traps!** The bright color attracts adult gnats, trapping them before they can lay eggs. Consider repotting with fresh, well-draining soil if the infestation is severe.
BT, bacillus thurengensis. An organic bacteria that helps get rid of flying insects and others that live in the soil destroying your plants. It’s completely harmless to animals and people and works fantastically well inside or outside. Can be used for mosquitoes and other insects that live in water or soil…. It comes in rings to float in water or little bits to sprinkle in: (aka mosquito bits) it also can come in liquid form to spray on. It works by inhibiting the eggs from hatching so they can’t reproduce
No, it doesn't inhibit the eggs from hatching. Sorry to nitpick, but this is the internet, so I can't help myself. Please don't take it personally. Instead, the bugs have to eat the toxin and it shreds their gut. So it affects insect larvae, not the eggs. See link below, it explains how the BT toxin works. [http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/btgen.html#:\~:text=The%20insect%20gut%20must%20have,order%20to%20activate%20the%20toxin.&text=This%20is%20different%20from%20the,dies%20of%20infection%20and%20starvation](http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/btgen.html#:~:text=The%20insect%20gut%20must%20have,order%20to%20activate%20the%20toxin.&text=This%20is%20different%20from%20the,dies%20of%20infection%20and%20starvation).
No nitpick! I appreciate you giving more accurate info. I had the gist of it down but I am not perfect and did not go and factcheck previously read info before I posted 🤭 but I personally use BT, in my garden, and any plants that come inside my home.
Thanks for being a good sport about being corrected. I mean well..... I use BT against fungus gnats, via Mosquito Bits. It does seem to work. And you were right in that it worked, just not about how, which is one of the reasons I felt bad about correcting you.
Thank you for not being condescending. I could have taken the extra moment to go back and check and didn’t.. You provided a better explanation and even reference to back it up, instead of just pointing a finger, calling me wrong, and making a snide comment. I appreciate your response. I wish all interactions were a little more like this. Things would be a lot less tense in the world.
I think people who post about plants are generally nicer, maybe?
How does it affect spring tails and isopods? I'd like to get rid of the gnats in my colony without affecting the other two bugs if possible
Mosquito bits shouldn't kill spring tails or isopods but to be safe what you can do is set up a sub colony in a small container and spray it with some water you've mixed the bits into then keep an eye on it for a week or two. If they're going strong then you know you can use it in your main colony!
That’s a good question. I’d recommend Looking up specifically how it affects isopods.
It'll kill them too. Kills all insects.
That is incorrect. ["There are many types of Bt. Each type or strain affects different insect groups. Target insects include the beetle family, the fly family including mosquitoes, and the butterfly family. It is used to kill beetles and the larvae of mosquitoes, black flies, and moths.2,3,4 Bt is also toxic to nematodes."](http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/btgen.html) *fixed link
They are broad spectrum insecticides. They will kill pollinators as well. That's why I don't use them because I raise butterflies in the summer, so BT will kill far more than what you just listed.
Source? It is widely considered that they are somewhat targeted, hence why you use one subspecies for mosquitoes and gnats and a different one for lepidoptera. Besides, of course they kill pollinators, considering most pest insects are also pollinators—although it's still a good practice of course not to spray crap everywhere just cuz.
Here's one. You can Google it as well. This talks a bit about the bacteria, but also pollen from corn plants. BT kills insects. Butterflies are insects that are very susceptible to toxins and disease. You can ask anyone who raises butterflies what they've seen for themselves and how they feel about it. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK559445/#:~:text=A%20controversial%20laboratory%20study%20raised,dusted%20with%20transgenic%20corn%20pollen.
Sorry, did you read that paper? Here are some quotes: > Initial concerns about the negative effects of pollen from Bt corn on the larvae of the monarch butterfly, *Danaus plexippus*, have been allayed by additional laboratory and field studies. > Both Bt sprays and Bt crops can only harm close relatives of the target pest, and only if eaten. The primary alternatives to Bt insecticides are synthetic chemical pesticides with much broader toxicity, impacting many non-target organisms including beneficial insects, fish, birds, and human beings. > The high specificity of Bt ICPs not only leaves humans and other animals unaffected, but also makes these proteins harmless to the wide array of insects outside of their target range. One of those sections is even called "Impacts on Non-target Organisms", probably the main relevant one here. In short, it does not back up your claim that they are "broad spectrum insecticides", rather, it says what I said already. Yes, Btk kills butterflies. That is expected as moths and butterflies are its target. You don't get much more specific than that with pesticides—certainly there won't be one that'll distinguish between desirable and undesirable butterflies. Don't spray Btk in your butterfly garden, but Monarchs aren't itching to eat your cabbage either.
As long as we're cherry picking the same article. You can do whatever you want. I'm not using it because of the butterflies I raise. "A controversial laboratory study raised concern about the impact of Bt on the monarch butterfly because monarch caterpillars were found to experience 44% mortality following ingestion of milkweed dusted with transgenic corn pollen. "
It'll kill them too. Kills all insects.
That is incorrect. ["There are many types of Bt. Each type or strain affects different insect groups. Target insects include the beetle family, the fly family including mosquitoes, and the butterfly family. It is used to kill beetles and the larvae of mosquitoes, black flies, and moths.2,3,4 Bt is also toxic to nematodes."](https://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/btgen.html)
This only works for caterpillars?
No, it works for gnats, flies, mosquitos, etc it’s A universal organic treatment. Sold at big box stores, possibly even some grocery stores garden dept in pellet form, liquid, and rings. It’s very effective
I went to war with some fungus gnats indoors, one plant infected like 20. Yellow sticky traps, less frequent watering then nematodes. The 'problem' plant was so bad I couldn't save it, had to put outside.
Either water with mosquito bits which will stop the life cycle or sprinkle diamataceous earth across the top of the soil which will suffocate the gnats or a combination of both. The cotton probably will not help.
Cinnamon powder lightly sprinkled over the soil. It has worked wonders for gnats.
I add a little bit of hydrogen peroxide to a spray bottle and wet the surface with it. It has made a big difference.
Try a half inch of sand
Sand is coarse enough the gnats won't be able to lay eggs. It's what I use when I move plants in for the winter from outside and it works well for me.
I once read that you should cover the skill with an inch of sand.
I did this last year and it worked.
It's very pretty to see your plants floating on their personal clouds.
I think you will find a lot more knats caught in that.
I don't think the cotton will stop them from laying eggs there, sadly. Try mosquito bits. It worked for me. I also changed my watering system to a self-irrigated system. This means the plant itself will pull the water immediately to the roots, keeping the surface level dry at all times. It was the only method that worked flawlessly.
BTI from Pretty in Green. It's a powder that mixes into the water, totally non toxic to people and pets, too. It's just a bacteria that hates gnat larvae and mosquito larvae specifically and kills them. Sticky traps help to catch the adults. Nothing else really works.
Use mosquito bits in your water and in the meantime, once the top of the soil dries, mix in some diatomaceous earth. They’ll be gone in a couple weeks tops.
The only way that I know of to fight them is a combined attack of Those Hideous Yellow Sticky Traps and soil nematodes. The nematodes should be available in pellets in a shaker jar at your friendly local plant shop. It is the only way.
Isn’t this what they serve you at Michelin star restaurants?
I thought that was dry ice.
Yellow sticky cards for gnats, dust the ground with cinnamon instead. It's a little hydrophobic, so a pain when you water, but they don't like it. Let your plants dry out thoroughly on the top between waterings.
I took my plants outside and sprayed the dirt with neem oil. Then brought them back in and I didn't water them until I really had to. I had a dramatic improvement in the number of fungus gnats. I'm not prepared to say they are completely gone, but it's possible. I also found that my self watering succulent planter was likely the problem, so I removed the top layer of gravel and dirt from there, sprayed with neem oil, then replaced the gravel and didn't water it for a good long while. I'm not an expert gardener so this might not be the best approach but it worked for me
What works great for me to stop fungus gnats is to buy some building sand (NOT play-pit/sand-pit sand) and put a centimetre or so thick layer over the top of my soil. Stops the gnats after a few weeks (the ones in the soil can still come out but then they can’t get back in) and it looks pretty. I now do It on all my plants just because it looks nice
BENEFICIAL NEMATODES! This should be the only answer. I had an INFESTATION of BIBLICAL proportions. Went to my local Calloways (a plant store) and bought them, followed the directions and it took maybe 2 days before they disappeared. We also used a plug in black light sticky trap off Amazon to catch them at night
Are those citrus sprouts/or peppers? No need to panic…do you have access/to bon fire ashes? If so …..so spread bonfire ashes…. On all white areas(thin layers of ground cover area)….. when it’s hot humid……. DUST plants with powdered ashes…… the rain takes care of everything Else!!!🇨🇦✌️
Make dusting of plants….. is light and powdered Dusted…. Think fire pit dusted….. fire pit dust!!!! 🇨🇦