Crazy Gnat Flies....Real Crazy

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Hello,

I'm new here, well, been lurking for some time acquiring info to get started on a medical grow. Since then I believe I've learned lots, and now that my license will be issued soon I have preparing steadfast.

That said, I intend to grow organically in soil which I have prepared in two batches. One if for the bottom half of the pot and the other for the top half. The bottom half amended for flowering. Approximately a month ago, I have prepared both soils as I've heard that the microbial organisms need to do their thing and make the nutes more accessible to the plants. Off the top of my head, the soil consists of:

Promix
Potting soil
Perlite
Worm castings
Bat guano
Bone Meal
Blood Meal
Azomite
Dolomitic Lime

So today I go to prepare some pots (yes I'm getting excited) and load the bottom half of the pots. I get to the container that has the soil for the top portion and the thing is CRAWLING WITH TONS of gnat flies. I'd been noticing them buzz around for some time and couldn't peg where they came from. I'd checked the other container twice (it was on top of the other) so I assumed that since that one was fine so was the other. But holy hell I was wrong.

So here be my dilemma. I'm quite upset that I've put this dedication into producing a microbial rich soil and fear having the back step the progress in my efforts to destroyed the little bastards. I live in a northern climate where the temp is still subzero. I'm not sure if putting the container outdoors to freeze will kill the gnats or only make them dormant. In either case, I'm pretty confident that the soil is riddled with eggs and freezing won't do diddly. My inclination would be to use a peroxide solution but fear killing all the microbial life I've put so much effort into attaining.

Any help or suggestions would be absolutely lovely and appreciated.

Cheers
 
personally I would not freeze your soil. it can change the cycling and buffering capacity of your soils ime. when I have frozen batchs to see whats what ,thats typically what I find more often than not. easy to fix,but more work and thats shitty.LOL!

so for an infestation of gnats I personally would go with a two stage system for killing them and making them go away. most likely you bought it with the eggs or gnats already in it. kinda common especially when its hot and dry out.but insect frass works really well with a small hit of gnatrol. works for me. azomx also works good. so I would use the frass drench after soaking the frass in the gallon of water for 24 hours then bubble it the last hour or so then prior to feeding add the gnatrol OR the azomax. half strength with the gnatrol or azomax. umless its bad bad then go full on. but those two will kill a lot and essentially tell them to its time to move. the more moist the less active they are outside the pot. so treat with that drench as discussed then cover the top of the pot with sand. they'll be dead and gone by the weekend.

and another option is to use exactly what I mentioned but you can also add a quality life inoculum. and bubble it for a few hours prior to drenching. with the frass added and the azomax or gnatrol added just prior to using. has worked for me. Outdoors too. you may have to top coat with some frass to help it. also SNS-209 will help some above the soil too. so you'll have a fully integrated system that works. did for me anyways.
 
I picked up a few bags of Roots Organic a few months ago to put my pineapples in, about a week or so later war was declared..I must of squashed about 30 gnats per day no lie,they were all over my house it was annoying. Usually I add mosquito bits or dunks to the soil when mixing or you can work the bits into the top of the soil ( or your water) and water in. Once I added the bits and smothered the top layer in Perlite I had on hand, the numbers diminished and I was finally gnat free.

IMG_20170401_224449.jpg
 
I worked them into the soil with a wet/dry cycle..( only because I forgot to add it to the soil before planting) Just normal watering..They're still there where I can see them,so I figure Everytime I water they are doing their thing.You could always add a mulch layer on top of the worked soil to keep them moist. It worked for me. I got to get on the Frass train.
 
I use the Mosquito Bits, diatomaceous earth and yellow stickies to keep them in check. Using compost I don't think it's possible to always be rid of them.
 
Frass. what frass does it it essentially send the Holy Shit signal to the gnats. secretions steeped and drenched overwhelms them and 90+% bug out. and the gnatrol or dunks disolved into the drench as well with the sand covering will kill all the others. Im more reffering to a straight up infestation. but a regular amount or common gnat issue any one of those things will work well most times. happy growing bro dude man yo LOL :)
 
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