Read the same thing. so you are ok with the CRS Caren lol. I just never done it before. I mean the Sand!

Lucy

Noone has ever tried this and wants to share how it went??..lol

Caren,
The sand only deters them from laying eggs. It doesn't kill the flying pests. You need sticky tape for that. You should also use a piece of mosquito dunk in your watering can, when you water your plants, that should kill the larva. I've also heard others complaining about the FGs coming out the holes in the bottom of the pots. So the war wages on.lol
Hope someone else has a solution.

Theresa

Theresa is correct. I have the prob with them coming out of the drainage holes in the bottom of the pots since the sand is on top. I have all my pots on things..dollar store cookie plates, etc, to catch any water coming out the bottom from watering..What I plan on doing, is getting bowls from the dollar store, putting the pots in them, filling the bowl around the bottom of the pot with sand, so that hopefully they will not go in and out there anymore.
Some folks do use the skeeter dunks. The type I tried myself, I cant remember the brand, didnt work. No one carries them around here in the winter, (lucky to find them in the summer!) so I go for the sand.
They say the adults are more of a nuisance than anything else, but I disagree with this. The adults may not eat at the roots like the larvae do, but they need to be killed asap so they dont make more babies! The babies will kill cuttings and young plants. You can use sticky tape to kill them, but I just spray them with soapy water, or wet my hands, and catch them out of the air and squish em. Easier to catch them mid air with wet hands cuz they can't bounce off your hand..they stick to the wetness, hehehe!

This may not solve the problem totally, but I buy the old type sticky fly catching coils (know what I mean?) at the dollar store, at 3 or 4 in a package for a dollar, and hang them in an out of the way place among my plants that are on shelves. Not really noticable and they do catch the little gnats. I figure that they will all be caught eventually! :) Of course I still do what daniella says and get as many as I can with my hands when I do see them.
gg

just added sticky coils to my shopping list. I think they have LANDED at my place :-( Thank you for the great ideas. LIke the sand Idea on the bottom Daniella.

Thanks

Lucy

Great idea, Daniella with the bottom sand!You're so smart! LMAO

Theresa

Hey daniellallel that's a great idea of putting sand around the bottom of the pots.

I saved a bunch of plastic bowls, like from stouffers mac n cheese, and have my pots sitting in those...I'll put some sand around the pots in there too.

GREAT idea..Thanks so much for sharing your ideas guys..They are VERY helpful and appreciated!!

knotz

knotz, if you were on our site you probably read it there? We have been doing this now for 5 years and also use the yellow sticky paper for those that are missed when we spray. I'll tell you this year we only had one that landed on the monitor early in the winter when we brought
all the nanas in. The sand cuts them up and the eggs have no chance with it. I am also adding it to the soil mix and I have seen a difference. Just use play ground sand or go to the beach and get some. ; )

Hey karma...That's probably where I read it!!..I've been to your site a couple times and need to go there again since it's been awhile :)

"go to the beach"...ahhhhh, sounds good to me!!...We go to Tampa/Indian Shores in the summer and also "our" west coast beach each year...Totally different and love them both...I'll get more sand next time we go to "our" beach.

Thanks karma...knotz

Cinnamon works wonderfully. I sprinkle cinnamon on the top of my plants and in the saucers. I don't have problems with gnats.

~Tj~

Hey Tj..How much do you use??...It doesn't change the "soil" content??..Silly question, but I don't know "chemistry"..lol

I bet it smells good too, huh??

Thanks...knotz

Ha ha. I use quite a bit. I purchased one of these really large jugs of cinnamon and pour it quite heavily on top of my soil and in my saucer. It does smell good for awhile. I thought is was going to make my entire house smell good. ha ha. It did not do that for me.

I've not found it to change any of the chemical balance in my soil. Everything continued to thrive for me and I've used it for quite a few years.

~Tj~

I still have my cuttings outside, but it is getting colder at night and will have to bring them in at some point. I am just not looking forward to having those gnats in the house! I tried the sand last year, but they were still around. I am going to try the cinnamon, thanks Tj!