|
Some of these posts are very old and might contain outdated information. You may wish to search for newer posts instead.
|
Olgualion
Shaman-In-Training
Registered: 11/13/01
Posts: 1,253
Loc: Currently Earth...
|
Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis
#2542952 - 04/09/04 10:02 AM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Fungus gnats have recently begun to invade a friends grow area. I believe they began breeding in the pots of his yearling trees (mimosa scabrella). Now they have found their way into the casing of his first mush grow in a year. After doing a good amount of research, I have found that, at least for the plants, they are generally no more than a nuisance pest. He is worried they may be more than just a nuisance mycologically speaking. I have come across a few ways to combat them, notably nematodes (Steinernema spp.) and predator mites (hypoaspis spp.). Can anyone give any idea of how safe it would be to add either to casing soil? Has anyone had an indoor infestation of fungus gnats and still had productive crops? Any first hand information on treating a fungus gnat infestation would be greatly appreciated. **EDIT** Sorry if this is the wrong forum. If so, please move it to the contam forum..
-------------------- Study the past... See the future...
Edited by Olgualion (04/09/04 10:47 AM)
|
Anonymous
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (teinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Olgualion]
#2542974 - 04/09/04 10:16 AM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Ok so gnats. will turn your mushroom to brown messes with lil magots crawling in em. One day there flying around. The next the gone a few weeks later you have lil magots. I drink lots of beer and found that some speacies love it just as much as I. Not the lil gnats but a a fly thats bigger then a fruit fly that eats mushrooms. A beer bottle qaurter of the way full in one week will be totaly full of flyes. I assume these flys could be a problem for you but I have never seen them on a cubensis tray. Only production blocks of oyster mushrooms. So give it a try and see what happens.
|
mycofile
Pooh-Bah
Registered: 01/18/99
Posts: 2,336
Loc: Uranus
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Olgualion]
#2543198 - 04/09/04 12:00 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
Has anyone had an indoor infestation of fungus gnats and still had productive crops?
Yeah, maybe here and there, but I don't think it's worth it to try. Maybe if you've just noticed a few flies, but not if it's truly infested. Not unless you want all your future casings to be attacked, not to mention always having those fuckers buzzing around your head and such.
I suggest the trash can tek Sorry, but better to cut losses than to imperil future projects IMO.
Fly strips, atractor poison hanging thingies, diatamcus (sp.?) earth etc are all useful in the very earliest stages, but if you have seen more than 10 flies, I'd toss it. You can still get flushes from it outdoors if you want .
-------------------- "From a certain point of view" -Jedi Master Obi Wan Kenobi PM me with any cultivation questions. I just looked at my profile and realized I had a website at one point in time on geocities, it's not there anymore and I have no idea what I had on it. Anybody remember my website from several years aga? PM if so please.
|
Bi0TeK
elephant man
Registered: 11/07/02
Posts: 3,002
Loc: Yorkshire Moors, Great Br...
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Olgualion]
#2543494 - 04/09/04 12:58 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
I've not used biological control before but from what I've read, the predatory mite (Hypoaspis miles) is used commonly in large scale mushroom production. You might also like to experiment with Synacra pauperi which actually parasitizes the larval stage of fungus gnats. (Note: S. pauperi is not yet commercially available in the U.S. but is being used in Europe for fungus gnat control in mushroom houses.)
-------------------- PROMOTE BACTERIA. THEY'RE THE ONLY CULTURE SOME PEOPLE HAVE.
|
Anonymous
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Bi0TeK]
#2543804 - 04/09/04 02:00 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Cool. I still stand by my beer technique for now. Dosnt get rid of em all but we have a bug zapper over a few beers. Keeps them off the mushrooms located to a small area. But then again I am not dealing with fungus gnats. I belive I am dealin with phorid flys.
|
Joshua
Holoman
Registered: 10/27/98
Posts: 5,398
Loc: The Matrix
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Olgualion]
#2543882 - 04/09/04 02:22 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Neem oil is an organic control method that interrupts the gnats life cycle and prevents it from continuing past the larval stage.
I eliminated my problem by removing the source, in your case the pots. As you probably can't do this, I do suggest preparing the oil according to the instructions. You can then mist the solution onto any infected soils to control the insect.
The insects will affect your fruiting.
Good luck!!!
Joshua
-------------------- The Shroomery Bookstore Great books for inquiring minds! "Life After Death is Saprophytic!"
|
obo
Stranger
Registered: 04/05/04
Posts: 14
Last seen: 19 years, 5 months
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Olgualion]
#2544036 - 04/09/04 03:25 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
here is somthing i just ran accross, have not had a chance to try it.
"We use pyrethrum for gnat control. It is effective in reducing the gnat population and has the plus of being fatal to gnat larvae. We used to be able to get a liquid concentrate of Pyrethrins, but recently this has not been available except with the addition of fatty salts (soaps) which is NOT acceptable. . .the fatty salts are NOT good for mushrooms. So, now we buy Pyrethrum powder (powdered Chrysanthemum Blossoms) and I make up an extract for spraying. A tablespoon of powder, mixed with about an ounce of absolute isopropyl alcohol and stirred for a few minutes, then diluted with about a quart of water, then strained through a paper filter, makes an acceptably strong and effective insecticide with no appreciable effect on mushroom fruiting nor taste. There seems to be a complex organic solvent present in the ready made pyrethrin sprays which extracts additional pyrethrin from the powder, so sometimes I include an ounce of the "ready-made" Safer pyrethrin spray to the above mix."
|
winelover
crimson jedi
Registered: 10/05/02
Posts: 91
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Joshua]
#2545043 - 04/09/04 08:25 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
What Joshua said and the neem powder is used in organic mushroom houses, as well as in soil to protect cuttings in horticuture.
|
Anonymous
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Joshua]
#2546967 - 04/10/04 06:30 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
So will it work on larve in side the mushroom?
|
Olgualion
Shaman-In-Training
Registered: 11/13/01
Posts: 1,253
Loc: Currently Earth...
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Olgualion]
#2548426 - 04/11/04 09:20 AM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Thanks for the ideas guys (gals?).
Infestation was a bit of an eggageration. In fact, my bud hasn't noticed any bugs in the mushroom tray yet, but I forsee it. The plants on the other hand are nearing that point.
I think he will go ahead with the nematodes and predator mites for his plants, and the neem oil sounds like it could be used as a preventative measure in his casing mix until the gnats are entirely eliminated. I will also do some research on the pyrethum.
Being rather broke at this time, the war will not commence for at least a week or two. I'll keep you updated.
Thanks for the helpful replies!
-------------------- Study the past... See the future...
|
RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure
Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 42,214
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Olgualion]
#2548613 - 04/11/04 10:41 AM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Get sticky mats, and set them up in your grow area. They're bright yellow, and attract both flies and gnats. Once they land on it, they can't get loose. They work great. I'm not talking about little pest strips, but 2' x 4' mats.
-------------------- Download Let's Grow Mushrooms semper in excretia sumus solim profundum variat "I've never had a failed experiment. I've only discovered 10,000 methods which do not work." Thomas Edison
|
Anonymous
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: RogerRabbit]
#2549405 - 04/11/04 08:24 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
you would get them at like a hydro store probably right?
|
Anonymous
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: RogerRabbit]
#2549406 - 04/11/04 08:24 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
you would get them at like a hydro store probably right?
|
Anonymous
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: RogerRabbit]
#2549407 - 04/11/04 08:24 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
you would get them at like a hydro store probably right?
|
RogerRabbit
Bans for Pleasure
Registered: 03/26/03
Posts: 42,214
Loc: Seattle
Last seen: 1 year, 1 month
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: ]
#2553689 - 04/13/04 08:23 AM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
Quote:
AFungitobewith said: you would get them at like a hydro store probably right?
http://www.fungi.com/tools/misc.html#DFP You'll find the sticky mats at the bottom of the page.
|
mycoguy
old hand
Registered: 03/25/04
Posts: 874
Loc: PNW
Last seen: 13 years, 5 months
|
Re: Fungus Gnats, nematodes (Steinernema spp) and hypoaspis [Re: Olgualion]
#2557117 - 04/13/04 09:39 PM (19 years, 11 months ago) |
|
|
-------------------- (and no, that's not me in the avatar) Yahoo! Pacific Northwest Mycology Group
|
|