Sciarid Fly Nematodes Fungus Gnat Compost Fly Organic Natural Killer Treatment Treats 12.sqm

Product Information

Alternatively, consider purchasing our new 'A Gardener's Guide To Biological Control' book, written by Dragonfli founder, and expert, Julian Ives. The book is available here. It is so easy to use and when used as a programme, the gardener does not have to worry about application times or thorough investigations as to what the pests actually are. Just follow the programme - designed to target pests when they are active in the soil or on plants, see below for specific details. It's safe on food crops and suitable for use on organic crops. It will not harm pets, children, wildlife or bees.

Codling Moth - The Codling Moth Caterpillar is small and white with a brown head. It burrows into the fruit of apples and pears in mid to late summer. By the time the fruit is ripe they have finished feeding and drop on to the bark of the tree and the soil immediately underneath to overwinter ready for the moths to emerge in the late spring. Sciarid Zoot Off Granules – Stop Sciarid Flies laying their eggs in your pots / containers / seed trays by adding a layer of Sciarid Zoot Off to the surface of your compost – layer should be at least 1cm deep. It can be spread around established plants or applied after seeds have been sown and the seedlings will germinate through the dressing. This new granular product is made from dried, crushed olive pommace (the dried left-overs from making organic olive oil) with an added volcanic mineral. Sciarid Zoot Off is made out of natural / non-toxic ingredients, is attractive in appearance, fragrant, biodegradable, safe to use and is totally safe for pets and wildlife. Available in 1.7kg bags, each bag will cover 1.2 sqm. How it works :- In the open garden fungus gnats are not a problem and part of a well balanced biodiverse garden ecosystemSt ratiolaelaps scimitus ( Hypoaspis miles) and Macrocheles robustulus are ground-dwelling predatory mites commonly used for sciarid fly control and can be very effective. Adult females of both species are up to 0.8 mm long, off-white , with a pale brown shield covering most of the upper surface of the body. The nematodes will not harm plant leaves but wash them off into the soil, where they can control the sciarid fly. Sciarid fly (also known as compost fly) or Fungus Gnats are a common pest of greenhouse plants in the spring. The adult gnats don’t and mostly live off water; the larvae mostly eat organic matter, algae and fungi in the soil, but can also eat roots, especially in seedlings and if there is no other food source. Gnat lifecycle Natural enemies of Fungus Fly can be used to control the larval stage of its life cycle. By killing the larvae of the fly, the life cycle of the pest is broken and as such no more adult flies will appear. The best way to accomplish this is with the use of the nematodes contained within our Fungus Fly Killer.

Fully-grown plants are much less likely to be damaged, but can be if there's no other food source for the Scaridae. Where do gnats live? The only danger with this is the strong smell may invite other unwanted pests into your home. Neem oil Hypoaspis mites are a great solution, they are hard working, crawling over the compost to find their prey. They are fine in dryer conditions don't need lots of compost to live in. They can work well as a preventative measure to stop new outbreaks as they have a reputation of living for quite a long time without food (when they have been previously fed). Maybe even giving you protection for a few months.

There are thousands of different Scaridae species, but they look broadly similar and it’s nearly impossible to see the above detail with the human eye.

Steinernema feltiae is the species recommended for sciarid fly control and is commonly used on protected ornamentals where it can be very effective. Steinernema carpocapsae (recommended for shore fly control – see below) will also kill sciarid fly larvae, however S. feltiae is more effective . The nematode suspension is applied in water as a growing media drench. The nematodes move through the growing media to find a sciarid fly larva and enter the body, where they multiply and release symbiotic bacteria that kill it. The dead sciarid fly larva rapidly decomposes, releasing the nematode juveniles that have multiplied inside the body, and these can then move to find and infect other larvae . What are nematodes and how do they work? Slug nematodes they are microscopic, transparent worms, which feed and multiply inside the slug, once the nematodes are inside the slug the slug stops feeding after a few days and then dies within a week. Forms a physical barrier between the adult sciarid flies and the compost so they are unable to lay their eggs.Fungus gnat larvae are normally brought in from infested potting soil, or soil in a new houseplant. They can also be brought in by firewood, since they like the damp bark. Adult flies are a nuisance, often flying around pot-grown plants in a home, greenhouse or cold frame. Young bedding plants, especially bizzie-lizzies, can be affected with large numbers of small flies covering young plants, whilst larvae eat the roots.

Fungus Fly Larvae feed on plant roots, and are capable of killing young plants if left untreated. Overwatering Plants Can Lead To Infestations Make sure the compost is moist before application, as the nematodes need to be able to move through the compost.

Chemical control of sciarid and shore flies

Nematodes can also be safely applied in combination with soil borne predatory mites. For More Information On Fungus Gnats Read ' A Gardener's Guide To Biological Control' The nematodes can travel through the moist soil and locate the fungus gnat larvae. They then burrow inside and reproduce, killing the larvae and creating more nematodes to hunt down more larvae until none are left. Once the larvae are gone, the nematodes have no prey and naturally die out. Spray the soil or compost and ensure plenty of the solution is applied directly onto the Fungus Fly larvae. If applying to pots, make sure nematode solution reaches root zone at the bottom of the pots.