Fungas gnats in potting soil

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by joestuff on February 22, 2005 02:46 AM

Two winters ago I had flowering geraniums in my apt. all winter. Then the deadly fungas gnats arrived in a bag of potting soil. I got totally infested and wound up tossing my plants out. Now, how about the soil? I left it outside in sealed containers in our cold Canadian winter and want to know if that treatment will have killed off all traces of the critters, making the soil safe to use this spring.

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Joseph Campbell

by plantlady19 on February 23, 2005 07:02 PM

I don't know if prolonged cold will do it. Some bugs can go into a sort of suspended animation over the winter, only to pop up again, as healthy as ever, as soon as the warm weather returns. [Razz]

Ticks can survive for two years w/o warmth and food! [shocked]

The surest way to get rid of any soil pest is to bake your soil in the oven. [thinker]

Spred it out on cookie sheets and bake at 200 degrees F (approx. 100 degrees C) for two hours. That'll get the little monsters!!

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Rule like a Goddess.
Command like a queen.
Work like a slave.

by weezie13 on February 25, 2005 11:54 PM

Hi Joestuff,
Welcome to The Garden Helper's Forum!!!
We are very glad you found us!!!

I am by no means a house plant expert....

But I think Will Creed says something about
putting the potting soil into water, submerge it,
and let it sit for a while....
It drowns them, bugs and eggs???
I think???

I know Will's on vacation, hopefully he'll swing thru...

Weezie

P/S If no more replies come in as of late...
bring the post back up to the top.

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Weezie

Don't forget to be kind to strangers. For some who have
done this have entertained angels without realizing it.
- Bible - Hebrews 13:2

http://photobucket.com/albums/y250/weezie13/

by Buglady on March 08, 2005 07:18 PM

FYI have you ever smelled baking soil? it stinks... i would just use beneficial nematodes for control of the larva if they appear and / or use yellow sticky cards to trap adults.

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The Buglady
Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, www.bugladyconsulting.com
Educating the world... one bug at a time

by sachis2112 on March 15, 2005 11:42 PM

I don't know how to deal with a current infestation but I know that if you put a thin layer of sand over the top of your potting soil, it's supposed to keep the adults from laying more eggs.

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