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Has anybody tried using Mosquito Dunks to control fungus gnats?

14 years ago

Has anybody tried using Mosquito Dunks to control fungus gnats?

I'm thinking about giving them a try. I don't know how to use them in a worm bin. Can I just toss it in the bin, or do I need to put it in a jar of water and pour some of the water in the bin?

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Comments (3)

mr_ed
14 years ago
I have never used them myself but I know "Bacillus thuringienis israelensis", the active "ingredient" in Mosquito Dunks will kill fungus gnat larva it is comes in contact with them so I see no reason why it should not control a population in your bin. I would use 1/2 a dunk and soak it in the recommended amount of water and use this treated water to soak some bedding in and mix it into the bin. Fungus gnats like wet conditions so after application I would let the bin dry out on the surface to further discourage any remaining adult gnats to lay eggs back into the bin.

I had a gnat problem the first summer I had my bin. I think they started in the worm bin and quickly spread to all houseplants and then started swarming in the kitchen. I applied beneficial nematodes to some coco coir and used it to top dress all plants and dumped the rest into my bin. I have not had any fungus gnat problems since.

I believe Bentley is experimenting with dunks on his blog now and may have more/better info...

Here is a link that might be useful: Can Mosquito Dunks Kill Fungus Gnats and Fruit Flies?
sbryce_gw
Original Author
14 years ago
I put 1/4 of a mosquito dunk in a 2 liter bottle, and filled it about 2/3 full of water. I let it sit for two days. I poured some of the water into one of my bins. The next day I had a bunch of attempted escapes. The worms who are trying to escape are pale and bloated. So far it looks like the BTi is making the worms sick. Digging around in the bedding turned up a lot of worms that still look healthy. I was going to pour more BTi water into the bin, but I'll wait and see how the worms look over the next few days.
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Man-o-Man I am at my wits with the fungus gnat. Fruit fly? Fine. Regular gnats? No problemo But these fungus gnats? Houston-to-the-bin, we have a problem. Help! I had to put my bin outside for the first time in 3 years. I'm presently exposing myself to harmful chemicals to rid the determined fungus gnats in the house. It's working. Hey!~ There's one on my screen. *splat My problem is: 50 lbs of vermicompost sitting in the bin that probably contains numerous fungus gnat "things" that will over-winter. I cannot have that. De wormies must come back inside, eventually. What the flip am I going to do with all that vermicompost???? It's pretty much worthless if I dump it and let it dry out!!! But that's the only thing i can do... get the worms out and start a fresh clean bed. RIGHT? Any ideas? I have clay soil. I do not need castings as an amendment. I perform soil drenches. Woops! There goes my spring fertilizer. UGH
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Gnatrol (https://www.valent.com/Data/Labels/2012-GNT-0001%20Gnatrol%20WDG%20-%20form%2004-6746%20R3%20&%2004-6747%20R3.pdf) has the same active ingredient (Bacillus thuringiensis bacterial spores) but is formulated specifically as a soil drench for potted plants. I do not know if it is more expensive to use than the Mosquito Dunks. By the way, fungus gnats are indicative of a medium whose surface has not been allowed to dry. I rarely get them and only on the 5-1-1 medium and never on the gritty mix. They are relatively harmless and are just a nuisance.
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sbryce_gw
Original Author
14 years ago
I found this on a site about fungus gnats:

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Gnatrol is only toxic to larvae for two days. Repeat applications, i.e. two or three applications at high rates, may be needed to provide effective control.

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which tells me two things: 1) To control fungus gnats with BTi, one would have to repeat applications every few days for a couple of weeks (or more, since you can't soak all of the bedding at once). 2) If the BTi is making the worms sick, they should be OK in a few days.

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