Please
Note: BT
v.
israelensis is not suitable for outdoor gnat control unless you can
locate a very specific and small area where the gnats are breeding.
Pesky fungus gnats driving you crazy?
Get Bacillus thuringiensis v.
israelensis (BT's) that specifically controls the larva of fungus gnats and helps
break the reproductive cycle to get rid of them!
What is Bacillus thuringiensis?
BT's are a biological pesticide that contain naturally occurring bacteria
in different strains that target specific insects. BT's are not known to be toxic to
animals, birds, humans, fish or beneficial insects. They do not persist in or contaminate
the environment in any way. BT
v.
israelensis is required to have EPA warning and caution labels as
is the requirement by law for ANY registered pesticide- whether they are considered
acceptable for organic use, environmentally friendly or not.
How does BT
v.
israelensis work?
It is not effective against the adult fungus gnat. The gnats (which live
for 7 days) lay their eggs in healthy soils and it takes the eggs approximately 4 days to
reach the larval stage. It is the larva that causes damage via feeding on plant roots
causing wilting and death. The larva eat the BT
v.
israelensis becoming infected with the bacteria
and die! It may take 3 weekly applications to effectively control oncoming generations of
gnats.
It is quite common to get new plants that have fungus gnat larva in the
soil. New potting soil may often contain the larva. BT
v.
israelensis is the safe answer for these
situations. We also recommend using yellow or blue colored sticky traps as a monitor to let you know
when infestations are starting and as a trap to catch the adults. Some say
blue traps work better but the yellow traps work equally well in our
experience. Laying the sticky traps in a horizontal position across the
container rim will catch a lot more adults as they are more prone to land
on a flat surface. You can also set out a jar of wine or cider vinegar to use
as an indicator and trap as the gnats will be attracted to the smell, dive in for a drink and
drown.
BT
v.
israelensis can be used in greenhouses, homes or
outside. May be used on all food crops, houseplants, seedlings; wherever you have a
problem with fungus gnats!
Kept in a cool place BT
v.
israelensis will last for quite
some time! However it cannot be allowed to freeze.
To find out more about the BT type
pesticides and their safety click here to
visit the Pesticide Management Education Program with Extonet's BT profile.
