Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
tonikay_gw

gnats

tonikay
17 years ago

I read in the forum to use BTI granules or chlordane. The chlordane isn't sold anymore and I can't find BTI anywhere around here. I bought Systemic Houseplant Insect Control Granules and it isn't working. Any suggestions?

Thank You.

Comments (13)

  • irina_co
    17 years ago

    Toni =

    what did you buy? Do they list fungus gnats as their target?
    Insecticide kills larva - baby gnats, so you are not getting new ones. The ones that are flying - they will live their short lives, plant new eggs in a soil - and die out - but since you put your granules into the soil - there will be no more. So - just do not worry and wait for couple weeks. If you want to shorten their lives even more - you can get some spray - like Shults insecticide- fungicide-miticide in bluish green spray bottle - but basically you need to interrupt their reproduction - and that you have done.


    Irina

  • korina
    17 years ago

    You could always change out the soil to get rid of the larvae...

    Korina, suffering from aphids again. Happy summer! :-P

  • irina_co
    17 years ago

    Korina -

    I think you got enough violets now to talk yourself into buying $100 of Marathon. No gnats, no aphids, no mealy bugs...
    may be they have now a cheaper concoction or smaller amount - the generic name is imidacloprid - Nancy R. found some - but since she is in Canada - you cannot ship pesticides from country to country...

    Irina

  • tonikay
    Original Author
    17 years ago

    Thanks for the information on the gnats. I will get right on it. I have repotted, guess I am not patient enough.

    Thank you again.

    Toni

  • korina
    17 years ago

    Irina, I just don't like being around toxic chemicals if I can avoid it.

    Korina

  • irina_co
    17 years ago

    Korina -

    you are better than I. I am lazy. We all want instant fixes. But you have patience and wisdom. ( To pick each aphid and personally squish it).

    My first reaction to aphids was - soap and tobacco juice - but looks like now tobacco passes a mosaic virus to everything..

    2 more days...

    Irina

  • korina
    17 years ago

    Yeah, I'm having a minor outbreak of aphids right now; I just spray with good ol' rubbing alchohol every few days until they're all DEAD. In a well-ventilated place, of course.

    Korina (I wanna go home I wanna go home I wanna go home I wanna go home...)

  • dchall_san_antonio
    17 years ago

    In the organic world, gnats are killed by a natural predator bacterium. You can get it in Mosquito Dunks. These are the things that look like little donuts. Break one into small pieces, soak a piece in your violet water for 24 hours, and water the plant.

  • robitaillenancy1
    17 years ago

    Strong and costly chemicals are not necessary for gnats. You can do a drench with bleach. Or buy yourself an insect eating plant! I'm not kidding. I have a "Ping" (will get the real name if anyone wants it). This plant puts out an oily substance on leaves and even the flower stems. (Flower stems are 12 inches tall and sticky ending in pretty single pink/lavender flowers.) I haven't seen a gnat since buying the insect plant.

    Or you can put a no-pest strip like Vapona used to put out and put it in a black garbage bag with one tray of plants overnight. You can be pretty much guaranteed there will be no gnats left.

    Anyone looking for Imidacloprid (liquid form is easy to use in reservoirs) you can get it in the US from goosegardens.com. Or in granual form in individual sacks from John Cook at Cape Cod violetry.

    But for gnats you don't need chemicals. There are many home made tricks that will take care of them....and protect you and your environment at the same time.

    Nancy

  • joie33
    15 years ago

    I use the mosquito dunk treatment for my plant water. I'm wondering if the bacteria can get through the clay insert pot walls of my african violet planter. Can you use a foliar fungicide spray on African Violets? The last one I had pretty much died after some one watered it from above repeatedly (while I was out of town) and all the leaves got wet. I don't want to kill it while killing fungus and gnats.

    Thanks,
    JK

  • seattlemarigene
    15 years ago

    I went to the hardware store and got whitefly sticky squares.They are bright yellow sticky squares of paper.Hang them near the violets...The little gnats stick to them and after a while there are no gnats.No smell either.I used no pest strips at first and the violets closed to the strips got sick looking..:0)..marigene

  • donaldb
    15 years ago

    You might want to try a product called GNATROL. It is a nontoxic selective biological larvicide. I have some Violets but primarily grow Orchids and have found this to be a great product. Good luck.
    Donald/Worcester,MA

  • irina_co
    15 years ago

    Donald -

    I tried it - and you need to be consistent - thoroughly soak all the pots with this concoction 3 times week apart. The good part - it is not toxic.

    I would say - it is for control, not for eradication. But - may be my bottle was old...

    I.

Sponsored
Potomac Shores Cabinetry
Average rating: 5 out of 5 stars10 Reviews
Loudoun County's Well-Designed Spaces and Custom Crafted Cabinetry