Sciarid Fly Killer Nematodes 15 sqm

Product Information

HM stands for “heterorhabditis megides”, which sounds a bit like a skin condition, but these nematodes are effective in the battle against the beetles and grubs listed above. Fungus gnats can affect everything from succulents to tomato plants. They can also infect potting soil bags, which is a very common route of entry into your plants. Most fungus gnats are weak fliers, and can often be seen walking rapidly over plants and soil, rather than flying. However, when airborne, the gnats may be quite annoying to humans by flying into their faces, eyes, and noses, both indoors and outdoors. [4] [5] These flies are sometimes confused with drain flies. [6] Hardiness [ edit ]

Fungus gnats are major pests in ornamental plant propagation facilities; high organic matter content and moisture in the rooting media facilitate fungus gnat population growth and damage. Historically, propagation greenhouse managers rely on broad-spectrum insecticides, such as chlorpyrifos, to manage fungus gnats with varying degrees of success. Optimal management of fungus gnats must take an integrated approach due to the fungus gnats’ short life cycle, damage potential, and ability to take advantage of the humid condition in propagation greenhouses. An integrated pest management (IPM) program brings together multiple chemical and non-chemical control strategies to keep the fungus gnat population below damaging levels. The deployment of cultural and biological control tools also has the benefit of avoiding residual toxicity of some insecticides to biological control agents that growers may use during the finishing stage. The information in this publication will provide insight to growers and support the development of an integrated fungus gnat management program in propagation facilities. Description and Life Cycle Pesticide control The RHS believes that avoiding pests, diseases and weeds by good practice in cultivation methods, cultivar selection, garden hygiene and encouraging or introducing natural enemies, should be the first line of control. If chemical controls are used, they should be used only in a minimal and highly targeted manner. And that’s it. You should see results in around 3-7 days, although you may have to wait between two and four weeks for the full effect.

References Consulted

HB stands for “Heterohabdtius bacteriophora”. These are generally cheaper to buy, but they don’t multiply as readily as the HM variety, so they won’t last as long. Control algae in pots, in propagation areas, on benches, and under benches because fungus gnats and shore flies breed in algae. Areas under benches can be treated with a disinfectant such as Green-Shield, Triathlon, ZeroTol, Physan 20, or chlorine bleach. Algae removal will greatly reduce shore fly populations. John Sanderson, Suzanne Wainwright-Evans & Ronald Valentin. Grower Talks, 2021. Best Practices for Biocontrols Part 4. Figure 3. Potato wedges inserted into the media can be used as a monitoring trap for fungus gnat larvae. Image credit: Juang Horng Chong, Clemson University. The nematodes can travel through the moist soil and locate the fungus gnat larvae. They then burrow inside and reproduce, killing the larvae and creating more nematodes to hunt down more larvae until none are left. Once the larvae are gone, the nematodes have no prey and naturally die out.

On the other hand, non-organic media consists of materials that are free of nutrients and contaminants, like perlite, vermiculite, expanded clay aggregate, pumice, sand. Some of them are used in hydroponics but also as soil amendments for houseplants. They do not decompose over time and do not attract gnats. We tested the effect of EPN on B. odoriphaga larvae including four exotic species and two indigenous isolates. The results indicated that all EPN species significantly reduced the number of B.odoriphaga larvae compared with no EPN addition. This is consistent with Ma, Chen, Moens, De Clercq, Li and Han (2013) which also found that EPN species had great potential to control B. odoriphaga. Higher virulence was observed in H. bacteriophora relative to S. feltiae in the present study, and this is consistent with the results of Bai’s findings ( Bai et al., 2016).Young bedding plants, especially bizzie-lizzies, can be affected with large numbers of small flies covering young plants, whilst larvae eat the roots.

Clean up all freestanding water on solid benches, on walks, and under benches. Be sure that cooling pad distribution tubes are not leaking. Avoid overwatering plants. For indoor plants, the predatory mite Hypoaspis can be applied to the soil. The mites inhabit the just area under the soil surface where fungus gnats pupate. Larvae (maggots) of a hoverfly Sphaerophoria ruppelli .About half of the hoverfly species found in Britain are predatory on aphids as larvae. The predatory green maggots of S. ruppelli are sometimes sold comercially and can be released on aphid affected plants.The symbiotic bacteria carried by the nematodes break down the host insect's cuticle. The infected larvae rapidly disappear, so they may be difficult to locate. Infected fungus gnat larvae are often opaque and white to light yellow in color.