Pest identification

No, but the sticky trap manufacturers would like you to believe so.

I’m not buying it though.

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There are alternative sources for the active ingredients, take a look in this thread:

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Yes they are:

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Well as far as colored “stickys”, I’ve deployed blue and yellow side by side and the gnats appeared to favor the yellow by far. The thrips didn’t seem to care.

Mosquito bits are safe for humans and animals and use bacteria that , when consumed by them, make it impossible for mosquitoes and as the case may be, fungus gnats, from being able to digest food.

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Correct me if I’m wrong, but making mosquito bits yourself requires having a strain of Bacillus Thuringensis Israelensis, does it not? Because that’s the stuff I can’t seem to find anywhere in Europe.

I’ll consider myself corrected on the colors!

Thank you, I appreciate the info. :grin:

Sorry mate. I’ve no idea about DIY for bacterium based pesticides. But I believe you are correct about the species of bacteria used in mosquito dunks, Wondering why the EU restricts this type of pesticide? Perhaps there’s a detrimental ecological impact outside of gnats and mosquitos?

I find that interesting, :face_with_monocle:

I have a homemade trap I’m going to try. 🪤

I’ll get back to you. :grin:

I doubt it’s so much restricted, more that the manufacturer hasn’t taken the time and money to conform to EU regulations regarding labeling and such, if they don’t want to supply a potential new market, then, as a potential new consumer, you are, as they say, shit outta luck!

I have read that covering your medium with steel wool works. The idea being adults get shredded trying to get to medium and hatching babies get shredded trying to get out. Steel wool will rust as you water through it but that just adds a bit of iron to your medium. Steel wool is made from non toxic metal. Just a thought. I have never tried it but the info is easily available to Google if you wanted to check it out.

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Pantyhose too I’ve heard

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A couple of releases of nematodes always works for me. If you’re growing synthetic then just let the pots dry out fully between watering and they’ll die off, but for organic soil you don’t necessarily want to ever let it fully dry out. Hence the recommendation for using nematodes. Sticky traps won’t really do too much to take enough of em out but allow you to monitor infestation levels by seeing how many you have stuck to the traps

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Thanks for the tip. :+1:t2:

“Curly Kate’s”, is what my mom used to call the steel kitchen scrubbies. I’m pretty sure we can get them at the Dollarama here :canada:, so that’s good to know. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Good thing I have some of those hanging around in a drawer somewhere, that I never, ever intended to go into for formal purposes again. :grin:

Thank you. :slightly_smiling_face:

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Yeah, steel wool is readily available and cheap. As I say I have been lucky to have never had the need to try it, knock wood, but the theory is sound. There is actually a bunch of sites that reccomend it as a solution.

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I haven’t done it but I’ve heard of it working by covering the drain holes. I guess you’d have to tie the top around the stem or something.

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Okie dokie everyone…so much info to take in. :nerd_face:

I can’t thank all of you for your tips, suggestions, and experience based opinions, enough. :smiley:

I’m so pleased to have all this acquired knowledge to move forward with. :books:

Thanks so very much ALL of you.

:heart:

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Annoying fungus gnats. Most use sticky traps, I top dress Diatomaceous Earth and mosquito bits. Gnats be gone! The DE has microscopic glass like shards that as the DE settles through the medium it destroys their exoskeleton :love_you_gesture:

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End of problem and low if any maintenance required. They just hang out in soil and no more gnats in a week 10 days and once these are established no more problems.
Hypoaspis miles (Stratiolaelaps scimitus) - Fungus Gnat Control – GardeningZone

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I had them so bad last summer that I put a couple to a few drops of insecticidal soap in my watering formula once a week to kill them back. it was drastic I thought, but I was sick of those bastards swarming everyplace. I don’t know if I would recommend it for long term use as a solution?

regards,