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Pests

W

wetpiggirl

First,

Hello.. I have been surfing the Terra forums, for about 6 months now. Im amazed at the library of information you guys have here! Great pics, Great people, Great neps!.
Hopefully i can join the ranks of such prime growers!

Well i finally made an account so here i go.

So...
Currently I'm growing seed grown neps. I have a Truncata, Bical, and Ventricosa. However the Bical was outside during the summer for the increased heat. Well i believe the bical has picked up some insect friends. Ive noticed small Gnat like insects on the LFS and some are actually "eating/damaging" a newly formed leaf. This seems to have spread to the truncata pot also. What is a pesticide or method of pest control that is safe to use with neps?
Ive done a search on the forums but after 10 pages i really haven't turned anything up that i feel safe using.


Again great to be here finally as a contributor and i eagerly await a reply. I really want to rid myself of this problem as fast as possible.

~PiG
 
I have used Ortho systemic with no probs.
 
Welcome to TF. There's a Bayer product sold at Home Depot, Lowes, that is for roses that some people use for CP's.
 
jimscott said:
Welcome to TF. There's a Bayer product sold at Home Depot, Lowes, that is for roses that some people use for CP's.
Click to expand...

I saw a thread about this product, my only concern was using it on neps. I read a few people used it on other CP's, but none stated direct use with a nep.


Thank you all for this quick info, I gotta get some stuff quick, my bical isnt looking so good:-(


~PiG
 
anyway we could get a pic?

flying insects could be fungus gnats...i dont know of any other flying pests...they could be aphids. they fly too.

fungus gnats dont hurt the plant unless its a little baby seedling.

welcome to TF your lucky to get those seed grown plants! seed grown is THE way to go :)
Alex
 
Aphids don't always have wings. This time of year, males may still be around, which do have wings.

Thow some lacewings or lady bugs by your plants...they'll take care of aphids.
 
I would try Beauveria bassiana. Its basically a carnivorous fungus! It comes as a viscous solution you mix with water. Will attack just about any insect pest including mites and it is a naturally occurring fungus. Its technical label is a Myco-insecticide.

Also on a side note, fungus gnats do more damage than you think, a heavy infestation can really hurt the plants root system. Those little larvae nibble away at loots of root hairs!

To control fungus gnats, or any Diptera larva for that, try Baccillis thuringiensis. Thats a bacteria that will knock any fly larvae out.
 
  • #10
Dustin: Where does one come across this fungus and why hasn't it been mentioned before?
 
  • #11
glider14 said:
anyway we could get a pic?
... seed grown is THE way to go :)
Alex
Click to expand...

Ill try to get a pic up. But before i do that ill explain what they look like.

First of all they are TINY white specs that crawl around on the LFS. If i blow on the LFS they just kinda scatter and go down. I do have a microscope i just havent pulled it out of the closet to take a look at them. There are small black like gnats that are flying around on the soil also, i think ive maybe seend 3 total. They smallest look almost metallic, but it could just be their size thats fools me.

Ive read alot of phissionkorps posts over the past few months and from all his Seed preaching XD, i decided to give it a try, so far the truncata looks AMAZING! (aside from being infested with thsee bugs). The bical looks likes its on the edge of death but hopefully these methods of pest control will work.

BTW, these sprays and such, Can they be sprayed on the plant lightly or is there a unique method of using it on the neps/nepsoil.


~PiG
 
  • #12
I use Sevin, but like I said, its not systematic. I just douse the plant and soil in it (well not TOO much) and wiat a few days. If it hasn't killed the problem, I spray again, etc. Sevin really kills pretty much anything, and my neps haven't shown any bad reactions at all to it.
 
  • #13
Ok FINALLY got the Fungicide 3 in. None of the local stores had it so I hit it up on amazon. Upon reading the instructions it says to use it on a 7-14 day schedule. Does this mean use it everyday for 7-14 days? Once every 7-14 days? Every other day for 7-14 days?

My main concern is to not over use it on my plants. After the first spray the gnat like winged insects were instantly dropped :banana2: . Now im after those little silvery demons in the LFS.

My truncata is still a bit slow growing, but holding up like a champ. I think its safe to say the Bical has been defeated by the invaders. I would be astounded to see it rebound.

Thanks again for the help!
 
  • #14
I think that's refering to, use today and again in 7-14 days.
 
  • #15
Hey wetpiggirl, what happend? any update?
 
  • #16
After reading through this thread, I've learned that I have a fungus gnat problem myself. I noticed them flying all round my neps, but couldn't figure out what they were until I googled 'fungus gnat'. My neps pitchers are trapping quite a few of them! But it sounds like they can pose a hazard if I'm not mistaken. Maybe I'll try that 3n1 also.
 
  • #17
no effect

Well it seems the 3 in 1 has had no effect on these little silvery bugs.

I think ill just have to completely repot. which isnt too big of a deal, i just some higher quality LFS.
 
  • #18
Describe these little silvery bugs. Fungus gnat adults are typically blackish with wings. The larvae are legless and are whiteish/clear/silverish (mostly clear) - tiny maggots.

The Garden Safe 3 in 1 (Neem Oil) will most likely not kill the fungus gnat larvae. The life cycle of fungus gnats is about 14 days and you can have multiple generations at different stages. So treatment should be over at least 28 days.

Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis is specified for control of fungus gnats. You can buy BTi in granular form from Bayer Advanced or pellet/floaters known as Mosquito Dunks/Bits. I use the Dunks by floating a chunk in my water tray or soaking a chunk in a container of water overnight and pour some of the bacteria infused water into my pots not in communal trays. I treat all my pots at the same time. Since BTi is only effective against the larvae (it has to be eaten by the larvae) if there is an active infestation I'll repeat the infusion every 3 or 4 days for two weeks. After that I'll give a booster infusion maybe once a month. My indoor plants have been fungus gnat free since I treated them in June for a massive infestation.

If you knock off the adults with the 3 and 1 and the larvae with BTi you can clear up the infestation a lot sooner. Be sure to treat all your plants.

Repotting will probably just mean you won't notice the reinfestation for a few weeks,
 
  • #19
Thanks...

Thank you for that post!

I think i will try a combination of all three.

Get some of this bacteria cultured possibly in a spray bottle. Repot the plants, and completely dispose of the old potting material.

Clean the bots with boiling water just in case. Then with the plants I will repot into a better quality Sphagnum. Mine was horrible to begin with.

Then ill begin a treatment of this bacteria over the course of a month or longer to try and neutralize the problem. And if i see any adults, ill zap them with the 3 in 1.

Currently my truncata is growing well even with the pests. Got a new pitcher growing. A tad slow but nice and hardy! Ill try to post a pic.

My N. sanguinea and N. clipeata x eymae, along with a ventricosa will be repotted and moved to a large vivarium.


~PiG
 
  • #20
another attempt

Well sorry to revive an old post, but i just picked up some Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis today. So fingers crossed and guns blazing, and time to exterminate these little :censor: .

~Pig
 
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