Heeeey, first time in this app, Iām 30yrs old and never thought Iād be obsessed with plants when I was a kid š quick question though. Iām thinking about trying out some predatory mites on indoor plants .Im noticing a few fungus knats lately and trying to nip it in the bud āsee what I did thereāā¦ when all the fungus knats die, will the mites start causing damage to my plants?
I wouldn't use mites for your fungus gnats as they live in the soil. I would try BTI drops they kill gnat larva en eggs that live in the soil.
4 Likes Brilliant advice thanks!
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Stratiolaelaps scimitus mites do kill fungus gnats. They do not damage plants when they run out of food. They will feed on other pests like spider mites. They will die off without a food source. Steinernema feltiae are nematodes that can be used when you water and they kill the fungus gnat larvae. BTI is a bacteria that infects the larvae, killing them in the soil. Depending on how many plants youāre treating one of these may be better than others. If I was only treating a small collection Iād use BTI, but you have to do it more than once to interrupt the egg cycle.
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Check if you have Root Rot. This comes. From over watering or letting the soil stay too moist for too long. You should re pot with fresh soil and trim the roots of rotted or try to propagate to start a fresh new plant. Spray the soil with hydrogen peroxide and use neem oil on the leaves. Hurry cause those fungus knats multiply fast and will take over your plant or other plants
0 Likes Hydrogen peroxide will also kill the knat eggs in the soil. But if you have root rot You canāt save the plant itself
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hope you donāt mind but i took a peek at your plants š some look a bit overwatered & some look like theyāre in pots that might be a bit big for them, which can also lead to overwatering. i only mention this because fungus gnats thrive in consistently damp soil. letting your soil dry a bit before watering next might help both your plants & your gnat problem! šø i agree with the commenter who mentioned BTI, you can pick up mosquito bits or mosquito dunks from amazon or most garden centers & water your plants with it for a couple of months, that should help kill off any larvae. for the flying adults you can use yellow sticky traps. i think most predatory mites help mostly with pests like other mites & thrips, & if you only have about 10 plants BTI would probably be way easier & cheaper.
0 Likes I mean, I didnāt even know you could look at peoples plants on their profile š but youāre right. Some are in pots too big for them just because that what I had at the time.
0 Likes you can change your settings if you want! i was being nosy but with the intent to help š
0 Likes Go and help me out with my peace Lilly post ha
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