Closed Roots Original & Fungus Gnats

[Vorkosigan]

I haven't opened the bag of Roots Original Soil, it's been sitting outside my grow tent for about 1.5 months because I haven't needed it. Last week I noticed some fungus gnats on the outside of the bag so I put up a yellow trap & have caught enough phuckers to concern me. They haven't made it inside the tent (thank you Ganja Gods) but I was planning on using the soil for my next grow.

How can I get rid of the gnats & larvae?

I thought about getting a large tote, dumping the bag into it & adding mosquito dunks & diatomaceous earth while praying to the Ganja Gods, possibly sacrificing the next mouse I spot in my basement etc.

How long would it take for the gnats to die off before I could use the soil?

 

[briman]

personally, If I had that mess going on, I'd just go get a new bag and toss the old, but if you are wanting to salvage it, take it away from your grow area and drop it in a tote, throw some diatom earth on top. I would still leave a sticky card around your tent. Skeeter dunks work best in water and you dont want to water your dirt in a tote, which will make them pesky critters worse! When in doubt, throw it out! It could seriously ruin your next grow.

 

[Heavily Medicated]

I feel you my friend. I just disposed of over half a bale of ProMix because it was contaminated with thrips. That bale had been in outside shed over winter with many sub zero temps. Brought it in frozen solid and thawed it out. Boom, thrips.

 

[Vorkosigan]

Thank you @briman, I've read elsewhere on the forum other growers have had similar issues with Roots Original. I'm glad I waited because it would've sucked to start growing with the phuckers in the soil.
If I can get down to Eugene I may pick up some Nectar of the Gods soil #4, they don't have it where I live because of labeling & I'm in the state capital, such a bummer!

 

[Vorkosigan]

@Heavily Medicated Thanks bro, sucks when you have to toss decent soil.

 

[briman]

I feel you my friend. I just disposed of over half a bale of ProMix because it was contaminated with thrips. That bale had been in outside shed over winter with many sub zero temps. Brought it in frozen solid and thawed it out. Boom, thrips.

thats a bugs life in winter in the wild! Their metabolism slows or stops. Chances are, they found it before freezeup and dug in! I had a 1/3 of a bail of promix in the garage in a tote and it ended up getting fungus gnats in it! They look for the dark moist areas during the late fall. Tote had 3 small vent holes under the handles!