CINNAMON from your kitchen cupboard will be the killer !! I hate using chemicals so I chose this option . I guess I was over watering and the result for that WAS fungus gnats . ICK !!! Somewhere in one of these fungus gnats forums, Peggy suggested cinnamon . All though she had never tried it , I did . I already knew cinnamon is a natural fungicide and very good for humans but not for plants . It was available and ready to use . When I eye-balled these little buggers I was watering my plants . They come to the surface for air due to the water . I had no idea what they were or how they got in the soil . I hopped on-line and found out right away . I handled the problem by sprinkling quit a bit of cinnamon on the surface of the soil , then used the handle of a spoon to mix it into the soil . Also I sprayed a paper towel with water, then sprinkled cinnamon on the towel and wiped the rims and inside edges of each planter. ( Use a separate towel for each pot ). I love an experiment so I was on my way . I then had to wait for all of my 10 plants to dry out quit well . Some took a few days longer due to the size of the planter . In all about 3-weeks . I sprinkled cinnamon again on the surface ,not too much this time , then watered only half the amount that I had been watering . My plants are very happy now , they are loving every minute of it !!! Also they all have new growth . Thanks to this forum , Peggy and a little research , the buggers are GONE !!!!!!

kimmsr, Disagree with you, simply based on experience. I used to have lots of grubs in my very moist compost before using BT. Rarely see a grub of any kind anymore, using the same methods/materials with the addition of BT. http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/ent/biocontrol/pathogens/bacteria.html States: Primary hosts: caterpillars; some BEETLE and fly larvae. Also states: "Over 90 species of naturally occurring, insect-specific (entomopathogenic) bacteria have been isolated from insects, plants, and the soil, but only a few have been studied intensively". So I give credit to BT. I put some good soil in my new compost piles, which has had applications of all commercial BT strains, so I can't say which one (if any) are at work against grubs. Doesn't matter to me. So I give credit to BT, et al. - and don't have names for the other 86 or so insect-specific (entomopathogenic) bacteria spoken of, OR other such non-specific bacteria that may not have been identified yet. http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2500.html : 'Grubs' is a 'generic' term, used for larvae of a large group of beetles called SCARABS. The most important species are: Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica Newman; May or June beetles, Phyllophaga spp.; northern and southern masked chafers, Cyclocephala spp.; and black turfgrass ataenius, Ataenius spretulus (Haldeman). Other, more localized, white grub pests are: European chafer, Rhizotrogus majalis (Razoumowsky); the Asiatic garden beetle, Maladera castanea (Arrow); and the green June beetle, Cotinis nitida (Linnaeus). Option 4: Biological Control - Milky Diseases - Several strains of the bacterium, Bacillus popilliae (bacterium is extracted from Japanese beetle grubs and is most active against this species), have been found that attack white grubs...Unfortunately, recent studies in Kentucky and Ohio indicate that the currently available products have NOT PERFORMED WELL IN OUR SOILS. (caps are mine). Goes on to say that parasitic nematodes are a up to 80% effective, but "...do not appear to be effective from one season to the next". So you can take exception with me if you want to - your opinion is just as valid as mine - but now let's hear from YOU about your EXPERIENCE with grubs... Robert

I've never had fungus knats on my outdoor seedlings, but I recently had some on my pepper plants growing indoors under lights. I sprinkled a little cinnamon on the top of the soil in the pots, and they took off. Don't know if it will work in the outdoors. I read about this somewhere, but can't remember where. Hope this helps.

I would not water with the BT. Fungus gnats are symptomatic of too much moisture. Allowing the medium to dry out, disturbing the surface (just stir it a bit with a table fork, and adding a little fresh medium to the surface will fix them. There's really no need for BT at all if the watering is sorted out.