Gnats, h2o2 & Airpots

[Trapper]

Not a huge deal....I've just noticed 3 or 4 gnats in my tent and I'd like to get on top of it
before it manifests exponentially. Did some reading and saw that people were mixing up
a 20% h202 solution and spraying the top of the pot.

Question is this

Does the nature of an airpot (in that it has many holes on it's cylinder's outer wall) mean that
I should spray the sides as well? Will this hurt or affect the roots that come to the outer edge?

The plants are seedlings right now, so the roots won't be at the edge for a while...

I'd love to tackle this gnat problem if it is indeed a problem.

Thanks in advance!

 

[sniper]

Forget the h2o2 get you some panty hose and put on the airpot and tie it around the stalk but not tight problem solved

 

[namvet25]

Iwouldn't sray the pots.Knats wont hurt your plants.You could also hang a fly glue strip in there/

 

[xyz]

H202 is also used to prevent and treat root root, so I don't see it being an issue, especially with seedlings roots not developed far yet. I would spray anywhere the gnats can lay eggs. In my soil grows in standard pots i would have a 1" layer of leca in the top as a very effective preventative measure for gnats but I see this as pretty pointless in an airpot.

 

[Trapper]

Thanks, guys...

Was definitely going to get a strip or two when I went into town next...

 

[xyz]

Gnats aren't a problem but their larvae eat roots.

 

[xyz]

Forget the h2o2 get you some panty hose and put on the airpot and tie it around the stalk but not tight problem solved

This is a fantastic idea! Thanks!

 

[Grey Bear]

I enlist the service of garden spiders, small tree frogs, and the occasional lizard or gecko.
Collectively they do an amazing job for me.
I also use fly strips, but don't bump into them.

 

[Gonzo]

Not a huge deal....I've just noticed 3 or 4 gnats in my tent and I'd like to get on top of it
before it manifests exponentially. Did some reading and saw that people were mixing up
a 20% h202 solution and spraying the top of the pot.

Question is this

Does the nature of an airpot (in that it has many holes on it's cylinder's outer wall) mean that
I should spray the sides as well? Will this hurt or affect the roots that come to the outer edge?

The plants are seedlings right now, so the roots won't be at the edge for a while...

I'd love to tackle this gnat problem if it is indeed a problem.

Thanks in advance!

Why would you spray holes in airpot? Soil behind a hole dries very quickly and can not host fungus gnats which need humidity to lay eggs.

If you think about spraying airpot holes, I suppose you expect these flies to be fungus gnats. But what if they are not fungus gnats and do not lye eggs in soil.

Might be aphids or fruit flies, or something else.

Fungus gnat depends on humidity, if the surface of your soil dries from time to time, fungus gnat is gone.

Aphids are another flying pain in the ass of growers, little fly sits on plant, lye eggs, then some little newborn creatures crawl around your leaves, eat and shit and develop into a little fly and then eggs again and so on and so on.

 

[Trapper]

Why would you spray holes in airpot? Soil behind a hole dries very quickly and can not host fungus gnats which need humidity to lay eggs.

If you think about spraying airpot holes, I suppose you expect these flies to be fungus gnats. But what if they are not fungus gnats and do not lye eggs in soil.

Simply preventive maintenance, Gonzo...the conditions that can be present on the top of the soil for gnat larvae can be present behind the holes as well, however
unlikely that may be...a watered pot will have moist soil where it meets those holes and the cavities behind the holes are protected from light drying.

Not saying it's likely, just that it's "possible" and as long as it wasn't going to harm the roots, I see no reason why one shouldn't "cover all the bases"