Help Fungus Gnat invasion

[Mark]

HELP!

My new palms are being invaded by fungus Gnats. I don't know which one brought them in but they're in all of them now. I've tried to let them dry out and I've watered in some BT ( maybe the wrong kind) , got the sticky yellow things to catch them but can't seem to get them under control. They're driving me nuts. I can't bare to let them dry out too much. It's still too cold here to put them out without bringing them back in the evening. So the only been out this last weekend a couple hours.

Anyone have some advise.
Mark

[Dean W.]

Mark,

How wet are you keeping the soil for the palms? Which palms are you having trouble with?

Dean

[oppalm]

You are taking the wrong approach. embrace the little buggers. they are your friend. Seriously , its almost impossible to get rid of them once you get a serious infestation and your plants are inside. I have just learned to live with them and do the best I can to keep them under control. That includes weekly waterings with a BT concentrated product. Spraying the soil once a week with a houseplant pest spray and using the yellow sticky traps. They don't really seem to harm anything its just annoying to have the little things buzzing your ears and eyes and nose.

[Mark]

Dean,

I recently got a Sago, W.Robusta, Triangle, Spindle and King. They started in the Sago after I repotted. Since then I've repotted all the rest of the these which I got about a month ago. I've been watering once a week. I've also been misting all of these which has probably led to keeping the soil to wet. These buggers are now in almost all my plants. Upstairs and down. I'm wondering if they were in the soil I got or one of the new palms. Not sure which. I just want to get rid of them.

Mark

[Mark]

Opplam,

I'm sorry I cannot embrace them. I hate bugs on/in my plants. I have never had these Gnats before and they driving me nuts. Like you said buzzing in your face. I read that the larva will feed on the roots and can damage the plants and they just keep breading in the soil. I have 9 palms in my house and can't bare to have bugs breading in all of them. I've seen Gnatrol online which is BT(S). I could only find the BT(K) at a nursey. I only used in once so far last weekend. I'm wondering if its better to not water at all this week then to water again with the BT(K) since overwatering contributes this problem. Then again underwatering makes them feed on the plant. Should I or shouldn't I?

Mark

[Dean W.]

Mark, I would be sure to let them dry out well in between waterings if you can help it.

Dean

[oppalm]

Mark - I use a product called Thuricide Concentrate by American Brand. mix 4 teaspoons per gallon of water. great stuff. active ingredient is bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki. I buy mine from a full line garden center and nursery here. This is NOT a box store find. The BT does not kill the gnats you see flying around it kills the pulpae (?) in the soil and prevents them from hatching. the ones you see flying around only live a few days and then die. If you water with BT a couple of times you should be free of the gnats. Any other questions let me know.