# Attack of the fruit Flies !



## dontknowmuch

Fruit flies,

                 They dont seem to be hurting anything, but I have thousands of them. I have fly strips and they fill up everyday. I have to clean and kill hundreds everyday. Any suggestions, do I have to live like this! they hang around the soil and when I water they fly all over. now wherever I have water or light they hang around. sometimes they are just lying dead all over the place.

  Oh the horror..The horror!


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## bigbudsbruddah

You can start feeding your plants from the bottom. The fly lay thier eggs in the soil and when you water it they hatch. So if you don't water the top soil you can prevent them from hatching.

You can also put some sand on top of your soil.


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## Kupunakane

You really don't find fruit flies in your soil unless it has been contaminated in some way. But let us get down to the real problem. If you have fungus gnats, then you got a major problem going as fungus gnat larvae chow on the root system. You can guess the rest of that scenario. There are cures for this, but  you must be carefull to first identify the flying critter, then find out how to treat without trashing your smoke.
   One should be cautious with other plants near by as this egg laying can get spread to each container fast. Sorry to bear this news, I hope that I am wrong. Fruit flies and fungus gnats Yikes and Gadzooks.
smoke in peace
KingKahuuna


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## dontknowmuch

Definitley fruit flies. So can I just get some sand from my local beach or should I buy it at a store? and how much sand would you put?

   thanks


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## Bubby

You can also try "neem oil".

This method apparently takes a couple weeks before noticeable effects.


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## dontknowmuch

ok maybe these are fungus gnats, what would be the safest way to kill the larva in the soil?


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## MrPuffAlot

i bought safer insecticide soap, fruit/vegetable pest control, and 3in1 fungicide  All boat at Homedepot and ace hardware.

When ever i used the sprays, i sprayed down the soil, till it was moist
looking.  FIrst day, i used one, second day used another, 3rd day
used the other.  

Seemed to be working good for now.

Also, lay down some sticky paper, and see what else is roaming
around the soil..  You'll be suprised how much stuff there is..


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## dontknowmuch

Thanks for the advice guys, I read in another post about Diatomaceous earth . I found a smal box of it at my local hardware store, The directions just say to lay it around where the bugs are , so I just dusted some on my top soil, should I try to get it a couples inches from the top  or will it work ok just directly on top?


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## Pot Belly

Fruitflies are usually around decomposing fruits and sweet sugury syrups from fruit.  Have not heard of fruit flies and weed......

They are most likely fungus gnats stated as above.......

Lay the DE on the soil about 1/4 to 1/2 inch.  Wear a mask!  Get it wet, and it won't be dusty.


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## HippyInEngland

Black fungus gnats
Bradysia paupera 
Look for
Small black flies around 2mm long run over the soil surface or fly slowly around houseplants, pot plants and borders. Larvae are small translucent worms, up to 1cm long. They are harder to see but can be found in the immediate area under the soil around the roots. When infestations are heavy, there may be shiny silken threads on the top of the soil.

Plants affected
Fungus gnats attack the roots of virtually all houseplants, pot and border plants including vegetables, ornamentals, fruits, fungi and even weeds.
About black fungus gnats
Fungus gnats are small flies around 2mm long, which are usually black in colour. 
They are extremely common pests, usually present around most house and greenhouse plants. 
There will be many overlapping generations all year round on indoor plants. 
Each female fungus gnat can lay up to two hundred microscopic eggs after mating. 
Eggs are laid into soil around the base of the plant, and hatch after five to seven days. 
The larvae are no more than 1mm long when they first emerge, but can grow to ten times that before pupating. 
The larvae are difficult to see with the naked eye due to their small size and translucent bodies. 
They will hide beneath the soil surface where it is moist, and feed mostly on dead organic matter but can damage seedlings and the base of soft cuttings. 
Larvae can also survive on patches of mould on greenhouse floors and benches. 
At room temperature, newly hatched larvae will develop into adults in 20 to 25 days. 
During hotter times of the year in greenhouses, the lifecycle can be as short as one to two weeks.
Treatment
Chemical
Products containing the following chemical ingredients are all effective on black fungus gnats:


Imidacloprid
Pyrethroids and Pyrethrin


Note: It is important to read manufacturer's instructions for use and the associated safety data information before applying chemical treatments.

Organic
Place sticky traps between and around the base of plants to catch adults. 
For indoor plants, the predatory mite Hypoaspis miles can be applied to the soil. The mites inhabit the just area under the soil surface where fungus gnats pupate. 
Water the parasitic nematodes Steinernema feltiae into infested soil. These naturally occurring parasites will infect fungus gnat larvae with bacteria and kill them. 
Letting the soil dry out partially may help to reduce the larval population in pots. 
Prevention
Practice good plant hygiene by removing any old, dead leaves and fungal growth from the top of pots. 
Water plants only when required to prevent the build up of fungal growths. 
Cover the surface of pots with sand as a barrier against egg laying females.


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## MrPuffAlot

Where can you get these predatory Hypoapis mites at??


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## HippyInEngland

Here ya go MrP

http://www.thebugfactory.ca/pages/hydroponics/

http://www.thebugfactory.ca/pages/where-to-buy/

Hippy


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## dontknowmuch

The DE worked for awhile and I feed from the bottom, but now the gnats are coming from the bottom of the planters.


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## dalejr13

was having the same problem till i found this site, hope it helps....it tells you what all insecticide will work at different stages, and all about the damn pests. i got some ortho that was safe for plants indoors and just followed the directions spraying on top of the soil...has been working goodso far. hope this helps!    http://insects.tamu.edu/extension/bulletins/uc/uc-028.html


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