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Ortho systematic questions

I've noticed I have been getting pretty atrocious germination as of late, and starting having a good hard look at my pots to see why. I discovered some tiny black burrowing insects with clear wings. I suspect these :censor: are eating the roots of my seedlings (also had a number of seedlings just keel off for no visible reason). Anyway, this Ortho says 3 tbs per gallon for "other insects", as opposed to 4 for jap beetles, and 2 for aphids.

So to make a long story short, is 3 tbs going to do it, or should I in/decrease? Also, do I just water the soil with it or what? The bottle says spray the whole plant down, which is fine, but I'm not entirely sure that's going to stop things that live in the soil.
 
Sorry PK I don't have an answer for you, but I have a question. I'm wondering how these bugs got there in the first place! I believe I read a post in one of the stickied threads by you and you said you microwave your seedling media before sowing seeds so I would think that your soil would be relatively living "stuff" free. I dunno maybe its been standing in a greenhouse for too long or something, but ya thats my question.

Zach
 
Well the soil that I nuke is the stuff I use for seedlings. I suppose they were introduced by other soil I didn't nuke (i.e. every other pot but seedling pots), or, they were introduced by someone's clothing/shoes. I think the second is more likely.
 
I would be weary of using too much of that stuff. I over mixed a batch to in an attempt to get rid of that one Sarracenia specific caterpillar last year and my plants are still producing stressed growth because of it even after a total repotting and RO water bath.

-J.P.
 
it's systemic, so the plant will absorb it and when those :censor: try to eat the roots, they will be poisoned and die, i use the same stuff, only mine is in a arasol spray can...

i would say just spray the plant, it should be fine...
 
I would try to identify the insect and see what insecticides are specified for the insect. It's possible that it could be a species that has acquired a resistance/tolerance to Acephate (Orthene) or was Acephate never effective to begin with. In this case all you'll do is make a more resistant strain.
 
Fairly sure they're fungus gnats (if they burrow). If not, no clue. They're definitely too small to get a picture of, and I don't have a microscope or the greatest vision in the world, so I don't think we're going to get much further than that.
 
Well I'm assuming that's what they are. Just found out acephate won't kill them. I need pyrethrin. Apparently Bt will kill them (the larvae), so I'll try that next time I water, and hope my plants catch most of the adults. Bt shouldn't harm the neps in any way I'm assuming.
 
If indeed they are fungus gnats, put a Ping, any kind off mexican ping will do, in the corner of your grow tray.They love fungus gnats,
They won't eat the larva but will put a dent in the adult population.
Lois
 
  • #10
i have a bunch of them...they don't seem to hurt any...
 
  • #11
I don't have any pings lol.
I think I'll try the Bt, and I've started putting some cedar in my mixes, so hopefully that deters egg laying or something. I notice my 1:1 shredded cedar/perlite mixes don't have any infestations. The neps seem to catch a pretty good # of adults, but apparently not enough I guess.
 
  • #12
Does anybody know of a source for Orthene in amounts slighlty more reasonable than a fifty gallon drum?
 
  • #13
I bought a concentrate at Home Depot for $9 IIRC. I think it was about a pint of it or something.
 
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