Pest Management Professional, November 2017

Were Excited to Introduce the New Improved The list of improvements is too large to list here but ACES will now include Customer database that will save all of your customer email appointment info Provide agent pictures in text messages to customers Include an SEO friendly review widget for your website Ability to import export appointment details And thats just a few of the many added time saving features to help increase your productivity See what youve been missing DiD You know 7 treatment tips for fungus gnats Several materials are available for fungus gnat control in the potting media of container grown plants Refer to Fungus Gnats online at ipm ucanr edu PMG r280300811 html for more information on this subject But there are also several easy cultural changes you and your client can make to eliminate and or prevent an infestation including the following 1 Dark winged fungus gnats can be easily vacuumed from glass windows and doors where adults tend to congregate The tumbling in the vacuum device will dismember and kill these tiny fragile insects 2 Fungus gnats are attracted to artificial light Strategically placing effective insect light traps ILTs in areas where these insects are a problem will certainly alleviate the issue The traps will be most effective late at night when all the lights in a building are turned off 3 They also like whitefly and aphid cards Those yellow sticky cards sold in nurseries for monitoring and controlling whiteflies and aphids are also effective in attracting and ensnaring dark winged fungus gnats especially when placed on upright holders and pushed in the soil of potted plants Refer to Monitoring with Sticky Traps online at the IPM site mentioned above for more details on this subject 4 instruct clients to repot plants on a regular basis In addition they should use media mixes that are not particularly attractive to fungus gnat adults such as perlite coconut fibers or charcoal These materials are not high in organic components and they are slow to decay Check with a reputable nursery professional for suggestions along this line Be aware however that certain plant species require special potting media to support healthy plant growth 5 Educate clients about the dangers of overwatering Saturated media is the most conducive condition for the development of dark winged fungus gnats in potted plants Allow media to dry out before watering again Did you know that more indoor plants are killed by overwatering than by any other factor Tailor watering to the needs of the plant species and the medium in which they are growing 6 Minimize fertilizer use instruct clients to use only the minimum amount of fertilizer necessary to keep plants healthy Use slow release fertilizer formulations Excessive nitrogen stimulates fungi growth in the medium which in turn provides more food for the maggots of fungus gnats 7 Close screened in windows and doors from dusk to dawn Dark winged fungus gnats readily pass through conventional insect screens on doors and windows It is virtually impossible to keep the adults from entering structures Leaving doors and windows with screens on them open after sunset with indoor lights on will almost certainly draw fungus gnats inside H G 54 November 2017 Pest Management Professional mypmp net