Incy wincy tiny winy things

[Callawave]

Hi all.
Wonder if you can help me out.
As I opened my tent this morning, I thought I had some dirt moving across the lens of my eye. I blinked and looked again then noticed about six of the tiniest little flies darting around the canopy of my plants.
I clapped my hands on a couple, but they were such tiny specs (and totally flat then) that I don’t stand a chance of identifying them, even with a scope.
Any ideas what they are, and how to nip it in the bud? :hitchairSo to speak).
Cheers.

 

[Hick]

first impression, sounds like fungas gnats. Usually a symptom of over watering, keeping the medium too moist.
Gnat larva are hatched in the soil, medium. and "require" moist conditions. By keeping the top 2 inches of the soil "DRY" you will eliminate any chance of reproducing. They feed on your plants micro roots. Add a layer of playground sand, perlite, or BEST of all Diatomaceous earth and allow your medium to dry out between waterings.
Watering from the bottom is beneficial in these cases, too.

 

[Callawave]

Thanks Hick.
I’m growing in clay pebbles, so I’ll bury the feed tubes a bit deeper and cut back the timer settings.
I’ve also placed some sticky yellow traps across the top of the pots.
How much of a problem are these things?

 

[fleshstain]

Hick's info is 100% accurate, for soil.... i'm not sure if that's your problem since you're using expanded clay.... we have some tiny gnats around here, possible small fruit flies, that pop up out of nowhere.... i'm not 100% sure what they are, but they're not fungu gnats.... i've had those in previous soil grows ad these are different.... sounds similar....

 

[OldHippieChick]

If it's fruit flies take a tall coke bottle or something similar with a long narrow opening... fill 1" with vinegar and add fruity dishwashing liquid like a lemon scented dish soap. The vinegar and fruit smell will attract them and the dishwashing liquid will trap them and they will drown.

 

[cmd420]

Fungus Gnats (scaerid fly)

I have(had) em too...

I had em cuz I ignored the excellent preventative measure of putting the yellow sticky traps before I noticed them...a few weeks with the stickies and everything seems to be good...

not a huge prob though as long as you take care of em now...

 

[Callawave]

Thanks Fleshstain (What’s that about?) Old Hippie Chick (Bet you’re not that old) I’m sorting out that idea right now.
& cmd420. It’s my first grow and the answers I get on here are always reassuring. I need that to prevent panic attacks.
I’ve plastered sticky-traps over every pot. I’ll do that before I start the next grow.
I’ll do a few things differently next time. But I suppose that’s what first grows are all about. It’s nerve racking stuff this.
Cheers guys and girl.

 

[cmd420]

If I had a dollar for all the things I've screwed upwith my grows, I would literally be able to buy a flat screen TV.


But now I also know a coupla thangs...wink wink




"I’ll do a few things differently next time. But I suppose that’s what first grows are all about. It’s nerve racking stuff this."

There'll be something different every time....good times