Hey everyone! I need some advice on using mosquito dunks for my house plants. I've got a fungus gnat issue thanks to overwatering, and even though I ensure they drain properly, the soil takes a long time to dry out. Should I be fully soaking the plants with the dunk water, or will the gnat larvae just go deeper into the soil where the water doesn't reach? Any tips would be super helpful!
1 Answer
The larvae are the specific target of the BTI in the dunks, and they mainly live in the top inch of the soil. So, you really only need to saturate that top layer. I wouldn’t recommend letting your plants get bone dry too quickly, as it can shock them and isn't that effective for the gnats. I prefer crushing up the mosquito dunk or using the bits, mixing about 1/8 to 1/4 tsp into the top layer of soil every couple of weeks. It’s just as effective and way easier! If things get really bad, I’ve had success by soaking the top soil with diluted peroxide first, waiting a week, then applying BTI weekly. For heavy infestations, I sometimes scrape off the top inch of soil, replace it with fresh, and keep applying BTI for a month or two periodically to stay ahead of the issue.